George Warman publishes dental subscription journal, Dental Update, along with The Dentist, a news and dental business-orientated controlled circulation monthly.
Other titles in the George Warman portfolio are: Practice Management, Dental Therapy Update, Orthodontics Update and DCP Update.
In addition, the Mark Allen Group has acquired the entire share capital of Headfirst Publishing, which had a controlling interest in George Warman.
The acquisition of George Warman follows recent purchases of Optician from Reed Business Information and the Airport Publishing Network (APN) from Tim and Jean Ornellas.
Chairman Mark Allen said: “George Warman is a great business which I have had my eyes on for some time. We already have an interest in dentistry with our monthly journal Dental Nursing. This move means that by now being able to focus on dentists and therapists, as well as nurses, we are able to cover the entire dental market.
“Dental Update must be one of the most successful dental subscription brands in the world with 8,000 subscribers. However, it’s not all about Dental Update: The Dentist also has a great following. There is a very good synergistic fit with Practice Management as we already have a strong primary care healthcare portfolio.”
Chairman John Siebert will be stepping down, although managing director Stuart Thompson is staying with the company, which he has been running for more than 13 years.
Mark Allen added: “John Siebert has been one of the most influential figures in publishing over many years. I would like to thank John for the excellent contribution to publishing he has made.
“However, I am delighted that Stuart is fully committing to making George Warman an even greater force in dental publishing. I have known Stuart for some time and I have a huge liking and respect for him. I know we will be able to work together very closely and harmoniously.”
George Warman is based in Guildford where it will remain.
Chief executive officer Ben Allen said: “Stuart and John have done a simply outstanding job in building George Warman to its current position. This is an excellent acquisition for the Mark Allen Group: it allows us to develop our interests in the dentistry market, with some of the leading publishing brands in the sector; and it further establishes our healthcare business as one of the leading providers of quality clinical, professional and practical information to the healthcare community in the UK.”
John Siebert said: “It is sad to leave publishing after some forty years but I am delighted that George Warman is passing to the safe and progressive hands of the Mark Allen Group. I have known Mark for many years and know that he will continue and expand on the entrepreneurial activity in the company that Stuart and I have developed over the past years.”
Stuart Thompson said: “I am delighted that the Mark Allen Group has purchased the titles as it was important that GWP will be run from Guildford as a specialist Dental division. Mark Allen’s publishing ethos is exactly the same as GWP’s, providing the audience and circulation with quality editorial content in such a complex area of medicine”.
