CARSON-DELLOSA ACQUIRES RAINBOW BRIDGE PUBLISHING Publisher of Specialty Education Products To Operate As Standalone Division
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Montreal CANADA (January 5, 2005) - The Cookie Jar Group's educational products business, Carson-Dellosa Publishing Company, a leading publisher of supplemental materials and teaching aids, has acquired specialty publisher Rainbow Bridge Publishing, as part of the Group's continuing strategy to expand its educational properties and product catalog. Rainbow Bridge Publishing will operate as a standalone division of Carson-Dellosa. Michael Hirsh, Chief Executive Officer of The Cookie Jar Group made the announcement.
Based in Salt Lake City, Utah, Rainbow Bridge Publishing targets the preschool to 8 years of age educational segment, and markets its catalog under a number of specialty product lines, which include the best-selling summer workshop series Summer Bridge Activities™ and the company's mass market imprint Skill Mill™. The Summer Bridge Activities series is designed to keep children academically active during the summer months by reviewing and previewing basic skills in order to "bridge" the new school year. Summer Bridge Activities is the original summer workbook and was the first of its kind to focus on parent involvement and creative reinforcement of basic skills during the summer. Rainbow Bridge Publishing focuses on the parent element of education and produces products that help make learning fun and accessible to parents and their children.
"The Cookie Jar Group through our educational business Carson-Dellosa is committed to serving the educational marketplace with innovative products for the classroom as well as for parents and their children. The acquisition of Rainbow Bridge Publishing provides us with a respected collection of specialty educational products, and is one of the first significant steps in our growth strategy for our educational publishing group," said Hirsh.
"We are pleased to join with the Cookie Jar Group and its Carson-Dellosa family. Their dedication to developing and introducing premiere education products and commitment to quality follows our own philosophy, and we look forward to sharing their vision and expertise for our company," said Michele Van Leeuwen, President of Rainbow Bridge Publishing.
Rainbow Bridge Publishing's products are sold through major national bookstore chains, including Borders and Barnes and Noble, as well as through specialty retailers and school supply stores.
About The Cookie Jar Group/Carson Dellosa
The Cookie Jar Group develops, produces, distributes and markets quality products to children, their caregivers, parents and teachers. The Cookie Jar Group's products reflect the company's commitment to providing the best in children's published content, animated and live action programming and innovative educational and entertainment-driven products worldwide. The group of companies consists of Cookie Jar Entertainment Inc. and Cookie Jar Education Inc., as well as a 20% interest in Teletoon Canada Inc., Canada's only all animation broadcaster.
Cookie Jar Entertainment, The Cookie Jar Group's entertainment operation, is a leading, global, independent producer and marketing and brand manager of such renowned children's properties as "Arthur" and "Caillou". Combining globally-renowned intellectual properties with an industry-recognized management, Cookie Jar Entertainment is a market-driven, brand building company that is committed to children first and foremost and is dedicated to the development and production of quality programming that embraces the whole child, with animated and live-action series that entertain, inspire and enlighten children and family audiences worldwide.
Cookie Jar Education Inc., the educational arm of The Cookie Jar Group, includes Carson-Dellosa Publishing and HighReach Learning. Carson Dellosa is one of the largest providers of supplemental education materials in the US, reaching nearly 2 million teachers with a wide array of books, classroom decoratives, puzzles and games, toys, science kits, flash cards, manipulatives and more. HighReach Learning reaches daycare providers and Head Start centers with curriculum as a direct supplier of early childhood materials for children 3 months to seven years of age. Cookie Jar Education is a global children's educational company.
MEDIA CONTACT: SSA Public Relations Steve Syatt - (818) 501-0700
