Bendon has acquired School Zone Publishing Company, adding a teacher-developed educational brand to its portfolio of children’s coloring, activity and learning products. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
School Zone was founded in 1979 and has developed educational materials for children from prekindergarten through sixth grade for more than 45 years. Its portfolio includes standards-based workbooks, flash cards and learning sets created with input from educators.
The company’s brands and product lines include Big Workbooks, Get Ready!, Deluxe Edition and Activity Zone. School Zone products are distributed through online and physical retailers, including Amazon, Costco, Walmart and Target.
The acquisition gives Bendon an immediate presence in the educational publishing market. Bendon plans to combine School Zone’s curriculum products and brand recognition with its existing retail relationships and North American distribution network.
Bendon designs and distributes licensed children’s coloring, activity and educational products. The company works with entertainment licensors to produce affordable materials focused on hands-on, creative and screen-free engagement.
School Zone’s traditional printed products complement Bendon’s existing emphasis on physical activities for children. The companies believe their combined platform can reach families through classrooms, homes and retail channels.
The transaction also adds Anywhere Teacher, School Zone’s subscription-based digital learning platform. Anywhere Teacher gives educators and families access to thousands of curriculum-aligned resources through a connected digital experience.
Bendon plans to invest in the continued development of Anywhere Teacher and expand its subscriber base. The digital platform enables the combined company to serve customers who want both printed materials and online learning resources.
School Zone will benefit from Bendon’s retail distribution capabilities and relationships with major merchants. Bendon expects these resources to help introduce School Zone products to more families, educators and classrooms nationwide.
The acquisition is also intended to create a broader children’s learning platform spanning licensed entertainment, educational publishing and digital subscriptions. Bendon believes the combination can support future product development across both academic and activity-focused categories.
Brightstar Capital Partners’ lower-middle-market strategy is the financial partner of Bendon CEO Ben Ferguson and the company’s management team. Brightstar said the transaction reflects its strategy of combining established brands with broader distribution and operational resources.
KEY QUOTES:
“School Zone has spent decades building a trusted name in children’s education, and we’re honored to carry that legacy forward.”
“This acquisition gives us an immediate foothold in the educational publishing space, and we believe it pairs perfectly with what we’ve built at Bendon. We see real opportunity to expand School Zone’s reach through our retail relationships and distribution network, while investing in the brand and its digital offerings like Anywhere Teacher.”
Ben Ferguson, CEO of Bendon
“This acquisition is about building a platform that can reach kids wherever they’re learning, whether that’s in a classroom, at home, or on a screen-free device with a workbook in hand.”
“School Zone’s products have shaped how millions of children learn to read, write, and do math, and pairing that legacy with Bendon’s distribution and retail relationships is exactly the kind of value creation we set out to build.”
Charles Yoon, Managing Partner of Brightstar Capital Partners’ Lower-Middle-Market Strategy
