The publisher Bendon has acquired Dalmatian Press from its parent company Anderson Press, creating one of the largest producers of children's educational coloring and activity products in the U.S. The terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

"We have always been impressed with every aspect of Dalmatian's business and we are very excited to add their creative portfolio and talented team to the Bendon family,” says Ben Ferguson, chief executive officer, Bendon. “This acquisition immediately strengthens our product offerings and significantly broadens our distribution footprint. Without a doubt, together with Dalmatian, we are in a position to provide more value to our retail partners, licensors and customers. We look forward to growing our business as we leverage the combination of our entrepreneurial spirit and Dalmatian's creative edge."

Bendon, which is owned by the Wicks Group, now has the rights to Dalmatian’s marquee portfolio of licenses as well as its strong non-branded product line dominated by activity-based items.

"We believe that industry consolidation is positive and inevitable given the desire to support our customers' growth ambitions,” says Daniel L. Black, managing partner, Wicks Group. “This transaction is a critical step in accelerating this process. The combined business will be the best of breed in the industry, with a strong management team from both organizations and a significant opportunity to grow. Dalmatian's core strengths perfectly complement and enhance Bendon's capabilities. Our strategic focus for Bendon has been to grow scale and become the premier player in our space. Dalmatian doubles the size of Bendon and creates a clear leader within the value segment of children's coloring and activity market."