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On January 16, Pacon Corporation, the parent company of Strathmore Artist Papers™ announced the acquisition of Princeton Artist Brush Co.™, the number-one supplier of fine art brushes in North America. Howard Kaufman and his team will continue to manage and operate Princeton.
Speedball reached an agreement to purchase Global Art Materials, Inc. from owner and founder Tom Dix. “When Tom approached us about buying his business, the answer was easy,” said Speedball CEO Walt Glazer. “And when he expressed a desire to stay involved as part of the Speedball Team, I was thrilled.”
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Tom Dix added, “My goal was to make sure that the Escoda, Folia, Art Graf, Coate, Handbook Journal, Fluid, and Pastel Premier brands are in the best hands for the future.” After several months of planning Global’s operations and production will be moved to Speedball’s facilities in North Carolina.
A.C. Moore has announced that Anthony Piperno has been named the company’s president. The first A.C. Moore store opened in Moorestown, New Jersey in 1985, and has since grown to more than 130 stores. In related news A.C. Moore has been named the art and craft supply partner for the Create and Craft cable TV shopping network. Read the press release here.
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Derwent’s parent company ACCO has announced some personnel transitions; Nicola Shepherd will join the Derwent team on March 5th as Marketing Director, replacing Astri Thomas Saunders who left the business earlier in January. Also, Jackie Williams leaves ACCO/Derwent at the end of January. She played a huge sales role at Derwent for 22 years, opening up new markets in Asia, Eastern and Southern Europe and recently managed the successful transfer of business from one global distributor to individual country distributors, particularly across Europe. We will miss Jackie and wish her all the best.
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At ColArt Americas people are on the move; Jim Allery ends a 3+ year gig as Vice President of Operations just in time for an exciting move of their distribution centers a mere stones throw from the current warehouse and office in Piscataway, NJ. In related news Theresa Kuiken, Vice President of Marketing for the past 2.5 years has left to pursue new opportunities.
At the Creativeworld show in Frankfurt, Germany this week the Mariotto family celebrated the 70th anniversary of their Milan Italy based M.A.B.E.F., maker of the world’s finest handcrafted wooden easels.
Newell Brands, parent corp of Sharpie, Elmers and Prismacolor stock value dropped more than 22 percent in trading on January 25th after announcing it will restructure its business, possibly selling off assets that could also close as much as half its factories, warehouses and product volume. Brands under consideration for sale include: Waddington, Process Solutions, Rubbermaid Commercial Products, Rawlings, Goody, Rubbermaid Outdoor and U.S. Playing Cards. The company plans to refocus on nine core consumer businesses, which generate in total $11 billion in net sales, roughly 82 percent of its fiscal 2016 sales. None of the art, school or craft materials brands will be affected.
Talk about wonderful imagery perfect for eye-popping social media sharing, photographer Christopher Payne’s New York Times photo essay on the General Pencil factory in Jersey City, NJ is both beautiful and inspiring!
Check out this feel good local business story on Posners Art Store, serving artists in Tucson, AZ for the past 100 years!
Manuscript Pen has launched their new website. The manuscript YouTube channel has lots of great info as well as lots of shareable calligraphy videos.
Here’s a fun BBC Scotland video showcasing the handiwork of signwriter Ciaran Glöbel. Notice the wall signs touting STABILO and Montana Black Spray cans in his tool crate! This is a fun share on social media sites.
