Houghton Mifflin Co. - 11/12/08

 Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Announces Formation of K–12 Business Division, Streamlining of Business Operations

Former president of School Publishers, Mike Lavelle, to lead new organizational structure, marking the culmination of integration activities designed to transform the publishing industry

BOSTON — November 12, 2008 — Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, the world's largest publisher of pre-K–12 educational materials and a global leader in literacy education, today announced the formation of a new K–12 division to serve the educational market.  The company also announced that former School Publishers president, Mike Lavelle, has been named president of the new K–12 division.

"Since acquiring Harcourt," Company Chairman and CEO Tony Lucki explained, "we have undertaken a great deal of integration activity to become one company.  As we approach the one-year anniversary as a single company, we are now shifting from integration to transformation—transforming our business and processes to enable Houghton Mifflin Harcourt to drive highly strategic product development, marketing, and sales, and to better respond to the demands and opportunities of the global educational marketplace."

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s K–12 division combines five former stand-alone divisions into a single, unified business that is able to provide unsurpassed educational materials across the continuum of education. "By combining those five former divisions—School Publishers, Holt McDougal, Supplemental Publishers, Heinemann, and International Publishers," Mr. Lucki continued, "we make a major transformation into a product-driven, market-responsive company, while achieving substantial operating efficiencies."

"Under Mike Lavelle’s proven leadership, the entire K–12 team will forge a new path for Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, building upon our most trusted brands and developing innovations that continue to propel us to the forefront of the industry. We have a heritage of education innovation that is almost two centuries old; that rich legacy, as well as our tremendous future, are both well-served by this transformation of our business," commented Company President and COO Jerry Hughes.

About Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Boston-based Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company is a global education leader and the world's largest publisher of educational materials for pre-K–12 schools. The Company publishes a comprehensive set of best-in-class educational solutions, ranging from research-based textbook programs to instructional technology to standards-based assessments for students and educators. The Company also publishes an extensive line of reference works and award-winning literature for adults and young readers. With origins dating back to 1832, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt combines its tradition of excellence with a commitment to innovation. To learn more about Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, visit www.hmhpub.com.