After nearly nine decades as a family-owned and run operation, Ovid Bell Press soon will fall under the umbrella of Walsworth Publishing.
Walsworth, which is headquartered in Marceline with offices and plants in Brookfield and Kansas City as well as St. Joseph, Mich., announced the impending buyout Thursday.
Walsworth has signed a letter of intent to acquire Ovid Bell Press, with the sale slated to be finalized on Dec. 31.
Ovid Bell owner and CEO John Bell said he decided to make the move "for the betterment of the company in the long-run."
"I had three objectives in this process: That my people would be taken care of, that the purchasing party be a responsible corporate citizen and then myself," Bell said, going on to add in a press release that, "I'm excited to enter into this opportunity with Walsworth Publishing. There are many positive similarities between the two companies. Each one has a long family tradition of ownership along with making good decisions that benefit both customers and employees."