German publishing group Klett increased its share to 79% in publishers Anubis and Bulvest 2000, and their exclusive distributor Anubis-Bulvest Ltd, for an undisclosed amount. The current owners – Mr. Vladimir Topencharov, Mr. Nikolay Tabakov and Mr. Yavor Stefanov, remain minority partners with 7% each.
Anubis and Bulvest 2000 are among the leaders on the market for textbooks and teaching aids. Both companies were created independently in 1990, and since 2006 have been jointly owned. They have offices in all regional centers in Bulgaria and provide teaching aids for all kindergartens levels and for all main subjects of primary and secondary education in Bulgaria. In recent years, both publishers have invested in creating electronic educational products.
Klett Publishing Group is based in Stuttgart, Germany, and has over 120 years of history. It brings together 67 companies in 15 countries and over 3,600 employees, publishing over 2,000 new titles each year. With annual turnover exceeding €530 M, it ranks among the top 30 publishers globally. In Bulgaria, Klett operates through Klett Bulgaria and Raabe Bulgaria and specializes in publishing textbooks and foreign language teaching aids. The buyer is the exclusive representative of Cambridge University Press in Bulgaria.
The collaboration between Klett and Anubis-Bulvest publishing group began in September 2013 through an exchange of minority stakes in the local entities: Klett acquired approximately 16% in both Bulgarian publishers and over 17% in their distributor. Concurrently, Mr. Tabakov, Mr. Topencharov, and Mr. Stefanov received a total participation of 20% in Klett Bulgaria and Raabe Bulgaria. Post-transaction, the companies will continue to operate under their own brands and will retain their 142 employees. From January 26, 2018, they have a new CEO – Mr. Vladimir Kolev, manager of Klett Bulgaria Publishing House.
