PW: Rockport, Roto Vision Merge

Rockport Publishers, an art and graphic design publisher based in Gloucester, Mass., will merge with its sister company, U.K.-based art and design publisher Roto Vision, to form a new unit within the London-based Quarto Group, which owns both companies, effective July 1.

Rockport CEO Ken Fund, formerly senior v-p of the HarperCollins trade group, will head both Rockport and Roto Vision, which together account for 20% of Quarto's business. Although back-office operations will be handled jointly, primarily in the U.S., the two imprints will continue to have separate editorial offices on both sides of the Atlantic.

Fund told PW the merger "gives us the ability to co-market our books. In graphic design, it gives us a leg up in becoming a household name." Currently Rockport publishes 90 books a year in graphic design, architecture, interior design, fine art and crafts. Roto Vision, which d s about half as many new books each year, is also strong in graphic design, architecture and art instruction. Its photography books are copublished in the U.S. with Silver Pixel Press. F&W Publications will continue to serve as Rockport's distributor and will add Roto Vision.

July also marks the unveiling of Rockport's new e-commerce Web site (www.rockpub.com), geared to retailers and wholesalers. "It will make it easier for our customers to check their order status online and to get online catalogues," said Fund.