Bertram Group sells Erasmus and Houtschild

Bertram Group has sold its subsidiaries Erasmus Antiquariaat en Boekhandel BV and Houtschild Internationale Boekhandel BV to Casalini Libri SPA for an undisclosed sum.

The firm bought Erasmus, a Dutch antiquarian bookseller specialising in art, archeology and history, back in 2013 in a €1.5m deal. Houtschild, a Duch academic book and journal supplier, was acquired by Bertram's then parent company Smiths News from Blackwell in 2012 for €0.7m.

Both firms are now being bought by Casalini Libri, one of the leading suppliers of publications across southern Europe to global libraries and institutions worldwide.

Raj Patel, c.e.o. of Bertram Group, said the decision to sell the businesses had been made following a strategic review of the group's portfolio.

He said: "I decided the Erasmus and Houtschild businesses were very special, boutique providers of foreign language books and journals to academic institutions worldwide and had little synergy the rest of the Bertram English language predominantly UK based libraries business."

Patel added: “I am delighted to have completed a deal which secures the future of such a great business which I have had the pleasure of managing over the last year. Casalini Libri is steeped in the same colourful history as Erasmus and Houtschild and all three companies have a great heritage and valued purpose in the book industry which will benefit customers and publishers for years to come.”