Warner Press Acquires Hermitage Art
Warner Press continues its growth with the announcement of the recent agreement in principle to acquire a 100-percent interest in Hermitage Art, Inc., a Chicago-based organization. Warner Press, originally called the Gospel Trumpet Company, was founded in 1881. In 1963, the name changed to what it is now. Since its inception, Warner Press has been the publishing voice of the Church of God movement. This acquisition of Hermitage Art will provide Warner Press the opportunity to expand their current customer base through the addition of new products, categories, and customer channels.
Hermitage Art was founded in 1924 as an independent, interdenominational publisher of worship resources. In the 1960s, realizing the need for similar products in the public, private, and homeschool market, Hermitage Art launched the “School Art” division. Today, Hermitage products are used by churches and schools worldwide.
“The addition of the Hermitage Art product line to the wide range of products Warner Press offers will allow us to better serve both our existing customer base and those that are currently not familiar with our products,” said Eric King, president of Warner Press. “Providing resources that serve and equip the church and school communities is what we strive to accomplish daily.”
King, who spearheaded the acquisition from start to finish, worked directly with Robert Brenner, president of Hermitage Art, to create a unified plan that will allow for growth of both Warner Press and Hermitage Art in the Christian market. Hermitage Art Company has grown over the past thirty years to become a trusted and valued provider of resources to churches and schools domestically and internationally. The decision to join with Warner Press will provide new strength and focus to the product lines, as well as establish a new foundation for further product and service development.
“Joining Warner Press will allow Hermitage to expand in areas like product development, marketing, and supply chain efficiencies,” said Brenner, “while allowing me the opportunity to follow my passion of serving the customer.”
The companies will continue to operate independently with Warner Press assuming the production, marketing, customer service, and shipping responsibilities of Hermitage Art. Additionally, the acquisition allows for expansion into the liturgical and school markets, while providing the opportunity to gain efficiencies in operations and logistics.
The acquisition will initially allow for five additional positions to be added. Transition began in May.
At Warner Press, our goal is to equip the Church for ministry. We strive to help churches and Christian organizations communicate better within their walls, encourage spiritual growth and biblical literacy, and share the hope of Christ and the good news of the gospel with a broken world. Warner Press publishes and distributes Christian products worldwide, including ministry resources, church supplies, kids’ books, and greeting cards. We also own and produce artwork by the artist Warner Sallman, which includes some of the most recognizable images of Christ known throughout the world. Warner Press is in Anderson, Indiana and is a not-for-profit organization. For further information, contact Warner Press at 765-644-7721 or visit us online at www.warnerpress.com.
