The Simon Elvin group has acquired the vast design and verse bank of Grass Roots International, the trading name of the Liverpool-based card company that ceased trading last month. (https://www.pgbuzz.net/grass-roots-has-ceased-trading-the-company-will-be-liquidated-on-april-8/)
In addition to these creative assets, the Simon Elvin group has also acquired the publisher’s brand names, Grass Roots and Write from the Heart.
The deal does not include the actual business which is to be liquidated on April 8.
Commenting Simon Elvin (pictured top), co-founder of the group which includes the wholesale publishing business Simon Elvin as well as Paper Rose, Nigel Quiney Publications and Glick, told PG Buzz: “I have long admired the card ranges published by Grass Roots and was saddened to learn that the company was in difficulty. When I was approached by Rob[Brown] and Lisa [Ardren, the co-owners of Grass Roots] about whether I would be interested in taking on the thousands of designs for which they had the rights as well as the huge number of verses, I was obviously very interested.”
Knowing the goodwill that the Grass Roots and Write from the Heart brand names have with retailers, Simon also saw merit in bringing them into the group’s portfolio.
“As this is not something we had anticipated, we are still debating how best to use the designs, verses and brand names and which of our companies are best suited to be their ‘home’,” added Simon.
Several years ago the Simon Elvin group acquired Card Essentials, a small franchise card business that was owned by Grass Roots’ Rob Brown and Lisa Ardren.
