Bendon Continues Strategic Expansion with Acquisition of Hinkler's North American Business

Bendon Continues Strategic Expansion with Acquisition of Hinkler's North American Business

Second acquisition since Brightstar Capital Partners' investment in Bendon broadens the Company's owned-brand portfolio and deepens its assortment for retail partners

Bendon LLC (“Bendon” or the “Company”), a designer and distributor of children’s coloring, activity and educational products, backed by Brightstar Capital Partners (“Brightstar”), today announced it has acquired Hinkler’s North American business. Hinkler’s Australian and international operations are not part of the transaction and will continue to operate independently under existing ownership. The transaction adds a portfolio of established brands and broadens Bendon’s product offering across coloring / activity books, arts and crafts, stationery, toys and games.

Hinkler North America is built around established franchises including Kaleidoscope in coloring and activity, Craft Maker in arts and crafts, and Piccadilly in stationery. The acquired portfolio consists almost entirely of proprietary brands and is highly complementary to Bendon’s existing owned brands and licensed properties from partners including Disney, Nickelodeon, Marvel and Universal.

“We couldn’t be happier with the Hinkler North America acquisition,” said Ben Ferguson, Founder and CEO of Bendon. “We have known the owners for nearly 30 years and have tremendous respect for what they have built. Hinkler brings established brands, innovative products and strong category expertise, while Bendon brings significant retail relationships, distribution and product development capabilities. We believe the combination creates substantial opportunities to offer our retail partners a deeper assortment across more categories and price points.”

Bendon expects to invest behind the acquired brands and support their continued growth through its retail relationships, product development infrastructure and distribution network, including by introducing Hinkler’s brands into channels where Bendon has established expertise, including impulse, seasonal and party.

Hinkler is Bendon’s second acquisition since Brightstar’s investment in the Company, following the acquisition of School Zone Publishing Company in July. Brightstar invested in Bendon through the firm's lower middle market strategy. Together, the transactions reflect Bendon’s strategy of combining organic product development, licensed entertainment properties and strategic acquisitions to build a diversified portfolio of owned and licensed brands across the activity, education and entertainment categories. Bendon expects to continue investing behind the platform to accelerate growth, both organically and through selective acquisitions.

“Over the past three decades, Hinkler and Bendon have built a strong, collaborative relationship grounded in mutual respect, shared values, and a common commitment to delivering high-quality, engaging products for children and families,” said Nadika Garber, Chief Executive Officer of Hinkler, and Stephen Ungar, Chairman of Hinkler. “We are thrilled to see Hinkler’s North American business enter this next chapter with Bendon. We believe that Bendon’s scale, category expertise, and deep retail partnerships will enable the Hinkler brands to flourish and reach even more consumers. This carve-out allows both businesses to sharpen their strategic focus while continuing to work together in ways designed to amplify innovation, broaden our collective offering, and create meaningful, long-term value for our partners and customers.”

About Bendon

Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Ashland, Ohio, Bendon is a designer and distributor of children’s coloring, activity, educational and entertainment products. The Company partners with leading entertainment licensors and develops proprietary products and brands to create engaging, affordable offerings distributed across a broad range of retail channels in North America. Bendon’s products are designed to support hands-on, creative and screen-free engagement for children. For more information, please visit www.bendonpub.com.

About Hinkler North America

Founded in 1994 and headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, Hinkler is a global independent publisher and distributor of children’s and adult products. The North American business, now part of Bendon, offers a broad portfolio spanning early learning, coloring and activity, books, stationery, puzzles, arts and crafts, toys and games. For more information, please visit www.hinkler.com.au.

About Brightstar Capital Partners

Brightstar Capital Partners is a middle-market private equity firm with $5 billion in assets under management as of June 30, 2026, that is focused on control-oriented investments. Brightstar combines hands-on operational value creation with the disciplined deployment of artificial intelligence to support execution, productivity and decision-making across its portfolio. For more information, please visit www.brightstarcp.com.

Media Contact
Bendon
Ben Ferguson
bferguson@bendonpub.com

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