Castle Harlan Agrees to Acquire Baker & Taylor

Hot on the heels of Alibris' aquisition by Oak Hill Capital Partners comes the news that Baker & Taylor, a worldwide distributor of books, music, DVDs and video games to libraries and retailers, has been sold to a another private equity firm. Castle Harlan, Inc., the New York-based private equity investment firm, announced today that a private-equity investment fund it organized and manages has agreed to buy privately held Baker & Taylor in a transaction valued at $455 million. Baker & Taylor is being sold by an investment partnership organized by Willis Stein & Partners, a private equity firm in Chicago which acquired Baker & Taylor in 2003.