Burlington, Vermont – January 8, 2020 – Venture 7 Advisors is pleased to announce that Oatmeal Studios, a division of Excelsior Integrated based in Lee, Massachusetts, was acquired by Biely & Shoaf Company of Seattle, Washington. Venture 7 served as the exclusive merger and acquisition advisor to Excelsior Integrated in the sale of Oatmeal Studios. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Oatmeal Studios was ranked #8 on Gift Beat Magazine’s listing of top greeting card companies in 2020. Oatmeal’s product line features over 300 card designs that are manufactured in the USA with recycled paper and vegetable-based ink. Oatmeal Studios’ business operations will be moved from Excelsior Integrated’s Massachusetts headquarters to Biely & Shoaf’s offices in Seattle, WA. The creative team will remain in Massachusetts and Vermont.
Oatmeal Studios was founded in Rochester, Vermont in 1978 by artist Helene Lehrer and her husband Joe Massimino. The company quickly became a leading independent designer and publisher of greeting cards. The founders were named U.S. Small Business People of the year in 1990. The company was sold to Excelsior Integrated in 2011.
David Crane, owner and President of Excelsior Integrated, is a veteran of the printing and stationery industry. He says, “Oatmeal Studios was one of the earliest and most successful independent greeting card brands. We were pleased to find a buyer who knows our product line and its respected place in the industry. This transaction will allow Excelsior to focus on our rapidly growing ecommerce 3PL fulfillment business, while Biely & Shoaf expands the reach of the Oatmeal Studios brand.”
Biely & Shoaf Co. is a designer, manufacturer, and distributor of stationery and gift products, selling to independent retailers and select national chain stores. The company adds Oatmeal Studios’ cards to its three existing product lines: Shannon Martin Design, the Biely & Shoaf Collection, and A Smyth Co. Tom Shoaf, principal of Biely & Shoaf said, “We’re thrilled to bring aboard such a fantastic product line and look forward to building on Oatmeal’s legacy as a one of the funniest and most successful card lines in the marketplace.”
About Excelsior Integrated
Excelsior Integrated is a provider of fulfillment services for internet retailers. They provide assembly, inventory management, shipping, Amazon fulfillment and related services to small and mid-size retailers from distribution centers in Massachusetts and California. The divestiture of Oatmeal Studios continues the company’s evolution from a focus on printing and fulfillment to a full-service, outsourced eCommerce fulfillment.
About the Buyers
Biely & Shoaf Co. is a designer, manufacturer, and distributor of stationery and gift products, selling to independent retailers and select national chain stores. Its principals, Glen Biely and Tom Shoaf, have decades of experience in art publishing and licensing, creative product development, and the greeting cards and gift industries.
About Venture 7 Advisors
Venture 7 Advisors is a merger and acquisition advisory group serving small and midsize companies. We help business owners to maximize the value of their companies through pragmatic consulting and a structured process for selling a business. Contact us for more information.