Page Publishing Consortium Receiving Significant Investment from Serata Capital Partners

Oaklins DeSilva+Phillips’ client, Page Publishing Consortium (“PPC” or “Page”), a leader in the self-publishing services space, and Serata Capital Partners (“SCP” or “Serata”) announced their investment partnership transaction, forged to drive strategic growth initiatives within Page. Lending partners Wintrust Bank and Ironwood Capital supported the transaction with senior and mezzanine / minority equity financing, respectively. The partnership marks an opportunity for the company to embark on an accelerated growth trajectory via organic growth support as well as via acquisition.

Page Founder, Steve Canino shared his thoughts on ODP’s role as financial advisor on the transaction: “While the prospect of selling a large equity stake in our consortium of companies was somewhat unnerving at first, the process soon proved to be seamless and painless thanks to the professionalism of Robin Warner and the entire team at Oaklins DeSilva+Phillips. In addition to procuring a very competitive valuation/price for our stock, the people at ODP assisted with every aspect of the transaction – from recommending tax and legal advisors to assisting with every aspect of the due diligence process. The weekly meetings and updates offered by ODP throughout the process were invaluable, and the entire team was at our disposal day and night. I cannot imagine having concluded this transaction without the help of the ODP team.”

Page is comprised of over ten different operating brands that provide solutions to transform authors’ manuscripts into fully produced print, digital, and audiobook works available on major platforms such as Amazon, Apple, and Barnes & Noble, and works with over 10,000 authors per year. Born out of Steve Canino’s realization of a major market gap in transparent, full-service solutions for authors, Page launched in 2013 and has been gaining market share rapidly ever since. 

On the transaction with SCP, Canino remarked, “our partnership with Serata allows us to elevate this industry-leading group of publishing brands to previously unimagined heights. Serata brings to the table not only the financial wherewithal to embark on an acquisition strategy, but more importantly, a team of innovative, imaginative and creative thinkers with the skillsets needed to rapidly scale our core brands.” SCP founder Drew Bagot noted, “we are excited to be entering the fast-growing self-publishing space by partnering with a clear industry leader like Page Publishing.” He continued, “Page’s key leadership, Steve Canino, Dustin Roberts, and Chris Rutherford, are the kind of partners we look for at SCP, and we are energized by their continued commitment to PPC’s growth through our marketing and acquisition strategies.”

Robin Warner, Managing Director at Oaklins DeSilva+Phillips commented: “Steve Canino is a successful, serial entrepreneur. During this process, Steve and his shareholders stood out for their quick, smart turnaround of information plus identifying Serata Capital Partners and its investors as the ultimate groups with whom to quickly grow to the next level. This is an incredible match, and it could not happen to groups of smarter/nicer people; they will do well together!”

 

About Page Publishing Consortium

Page Publishing Consortium is a group of more than ten brands that provide solutions to transform authors’ books from a simple manuscript to a fully-produced and published e-book, print, and audiobook set of works available across all major platforms such as Amazon, Apple, and Barnes & Noble. Page concentrates its business on providing excellent turnkey service to over 10,000 authors per year, rather than relying on the success of a few titles as with more traditional publishing houses. Learn more at www.PagePublishing.com.

About Serata Capital Partners

Serata Capital Partners (“SCP”) is a middle-market private equity firm based in Austin, Texas with a mission to create partnerships that build real, lasting value for business owners, employees, and investors. SCP seeks to partner with companies across the broader B2B services and consumer products/services spaces with $4-15MM of EBITDA and a true willingness to strategically partner toward growth, as exhibited by operational continuity and significant rollover investment. SCP drives value through its substantial network of operating and advisory partners, experience in process and systems improvement, and ability to concentrate on only a select number of investments at any given time. Learn more at www.SerataCapital.com.

Details
Transaction TypeM&A Sell-side
ClientPage Publishing Consortium
InvestorSerata Capital Partners
IndustryBook Publishing; Media
DateDecember 2021