Colorful Period for Courier

by Staff -- Publishers Weekly, 1/31/2005

Strong demand for four-color textbooks helped drive revenue up 9.6%, to $51.3 million, at Courier Corp. in the first quarter ended December 25. Earnings rose 5.2%, to $4.1 million.

Sales in Courier's book manufacturing segment rose 8.3%, to $42.9 million, led by a 9% increase in sales to the education market. Within the education segment, demand for four-color texts increased 20%. Sales to the religious market increased 9%, while sales to the trade market rose 7% over a weak quarter in fiscal 2004.

Revenue in the company's publishing division rose 13.2%, to $10.3 million. The increase was due almost entirely to the inclusion of REA, the test-prep publisher that Courier acquired in January 2004. Sales at Dover Publications were weaker than expected, rising just 1%. Bookstore sales and direct-to-consumer sales rose 8% in the quarter, but were offset by soft sales to nonbookstore customers.