Turnhout, December 31, 2019 – The Belgian privately owned group Cartamundi today announced the completion of the acquisition of The United States Playing Card Company (USPC).
This acquisition marks the addition of the iconic Bicycle®, Bee®, Hoyle®, and Fournier® brands to the Cartamundi brands portfolio and is in line with Cartamundi’s strategy to strengthen its role as a key player in the global entertainment industry.
“This is an exciting time for Cartamundi,” said Stefaan Merckx, CEO of Cartamundi. “The addition of USPC immediately allows us to take advantage of growing playing card sales in the U.S. USPC’s leading position in Spain is highly complementary with Cartamundi’s European footprint and fits perfectly in our plans for strategic growth.”
The United States Playing Card Company employs over 350 people and has manufacturing facilities in the U.S. city of Erlanger (Kentucky) and the Spanish city of Vitoria (Àlava). In 2018 USPC realized net sales of approximately 112 million US dollars.
USPC CEO Michael Slaughter will assume membership on the Cartamundi Executive Committee.
Michael Slaughter, CEO of USPC, continues: “Our commitment to delighting consumers, cardists, magicians and casino players with world-class quality remains our mission.”
Heritage for the future
The combined heritage of Cartamundi, USPC, and Fournier is unrivaled in the playing cards industry. 2020 Is the 50th anniversary for Cartamundi, while Fournier celebrates its 150th anniversary. In 2020, the Bicycle brand will mark 135 years as the most widely recognized and used consumer card brand.
Today these brands continue the legacy. The renewed interest in card magic, the rise of the specialty and custom cards segment, and the rapidly evolving cardistry trend, offer strong growth potential for the group.
With the addition of USPC and Fournier, the Cartamundi group operates 13 manufacturing facilities and has an expected revenue of over $ 550 million. Today, the Cartamundi group employs over 2,500 people on 4 continents. This vast manufacturing network enables Cartamundi to deliver on its local commitment. A commitment to its customers, but also to the local economy and environment.
“Being close to our customers enables us to serve their needs best,” said Stefaan Merckx, CEO of Cartamundi. “It is by being in-market where you discover trends that facilitate growth.
Alta Capital Partners acted as financial advisors, and Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP acted as legal advisor to Cartamundi on the transaction.
About Cartamundi
Cartamundi is Latin for “Cards for the World.” With a history dating back to 1765, Cartamundi is the world’s leading manufacturer of card & board games and digital solutions. With a network of owned sales offices, 13 state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities, and a workforce of over 2,500 people, Cartamundi is a prominent and growing supplier to the global cards, games, and toys industry. In 2018, Cartamundi generated a revenue of approximately $440 million.
Legendary games such as Monopoly® and Pokémon® run off the Cartamundi production lines, as do many different varieties of playing cards and card games for consumers as well as casinos.
With its strong brands such as Color Addict®, Shuffle®, COPAG®, and Grimaud®, Cartamundi created a compelling range of playing cards, children’s card games, and family games. These products can be found in major retailers across the globe, contributing to fulfilling the Cartamundi purpose of “Sharing the Magic of Playing Together.”
Cartamundi’s corporate headquarters are in Turnhout, Belgium. Manufacturing facilities are located in Japan, India, Poland, Germany, France, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Ireland, United States of America and Brazil. https://www.cartamundi.com
About The United States Playing Card Company
The United States Playing Card Company is the leader in the production and distribution of premier brands of playing cards, including BICYCLE®, BEE®, AVIATOR®, HOYLE®, and KEM®. BICYCLE cards have been the bestselling playing card brand for almost 135 years. Founded in 1867, the company manufactures and globally distributes a broad portfolio of traditional playing cards, card games, board games, accessories, and casino gaming products. http://www.usplayingcard.com.
Naipes Heraclio Fournier (“Fournier”) is the leader in Spanish playing cards and celebrates 150 years in 2020. They joined The United States Playing card family in 1986. Fournier has an extensive offering that serves the retail and casino markets in Europe, Latin America, and beyond. The Vitoria location is a manufacturing and distribution center for playing cards, games, and accessories. https://www.nhfournier.es/en/.
Media contacts
Marco van Haaften
International Marketing Director
+32 14 448 263
+32 479 782 508
marco.van.haaften@cartamundi.com
Peggy Leysen
Executive Assistant
+32 14 445 943
peggy.leysen@cartamundi.com
Carol Rouillard
Director of Marketing
+1 859 815 7347
+1 513 258 5261
carolrouillard@usplayingcard.com
Published on
Share this release