Educational Development Corporation (EDC)

Overview

Educational Development Corporation (EDC) is the owner and exclusive U.S. publisher of Kane Miller children’s books, Learning Wrap-Ups educational manipulatives, and SmartLab Toys STEAM-based toys and games. EDC is also the exclusive U.S. multi-level marketing (MLM) distributor for Usborne Publishing Limited children’s books. Fiscal years end on February 28 (February 29 in leap years).

Divisions and operations

• Direct Sales Division (PaperPie)

  • Sells books and products directly to consumers through independent Brand Partners.
  • Brand Partners recruit and sell via home parties, social media collaboration platforms, school and public library book fairs, and other events.
  • Approximately 4,300 active Brand Partners as of February 28, 2026.

• Publishing Division (EDC Publishing)

  • Trade division that markets Kane Miller, SmartLab Toys, and Learning Wrap-Ups through commissioned trade representatives.
  • Representatives call on retail book, toy, and specialty stores; the division also conducts in-house telephone and email outreach.
  • Markets to approximately 4,000 retail outlets.
  • Exhibits at national and regional bookselling shows; products are shown in agency showrooms such as AmericasMart Atlanta, Dallas Market Center, and Minneapolis Mart.
  • Usborne titles are distributed in the U.S. via the MLM arrangement; EDC does not have retail distribution rights for Usborne under that agreement.

Product lines and catalog

• Current catalog contains approximately 2,000 titles, with a similar number identified as out of print.
• Product mix focuses on interactive and educational formats: touch-and-feel board books, activity and sticker books, flashcards, adventure/search books, art books, foreign language titles, learning manipulatives, and toys. Many titles include internet links for extended learning.
• EDC maintains exclusive publishing rights for several imprints and manages periodic catalog refreshes with new title additions.

Customers and market channels

• PaperPie (Direct Sales) targets direct-to-consumer sales through Brand Partners.
• EDC Publishing targets wholesale and trade sales to retailers and institutions (schools, libraries, toy and book retailers).
• Sales are seasonal, with peaks in the fall (holiday season) and spring increases around PaperPie Day and Easter.

Financial snapshot

• FY 2026 net revenue mix by division:
  • PaperPie (Direct Sales): 84%
  • Publishing (EDC Publishing): 16%
• FY 2025 net revenue mix:
  • PaperPie: 87%
  • Publishing: 13%
• The FY 2026 mix reflects a relative increase in Publishing's share compared with FY 2025.

Non-operating item:

• Sale of the Hilti Complex (headquarters and distribution facilities) completed October 27, 2025.
  • Sale price: $32,200,000
  • Net gain on sale: $12,243,700
  • Proceeds were used to pay off existing term loans and revolving loans under the company’s bank credit agreement.
  • Seventeen acres of excess land were reclassified from assets held for sale to land after the sale.
  • The company continues to lease space for overflow inventory and for certain operations in Tulsa; and for facilities in Joplin (MO), San Diego (CA), and Ogden (UT).

Employees and facilities

• Employees: 64 full-time employees as of February 28, 2026.
• Principal locations:
  • Headquarters, office, and distribution operations in Tulsa, Oklahoma (Hilti Complex prior to sale).
  • Office space in San Diego, California (Kane Miller operations).
  • Office space in Ogden, Utah (Learning Wrap-Ups operations).
  • Additional Tulsa and Joplin, Missouri warehouse space available for overflow inventory.
• Hilti Complex details prior to sale:
  • Approximately 109,700 square feet of office and warehouse space within a 402,000 square foot complex.
  • Approximately 85,000 square feet used as a primary warehouse.
• After the October 2025 sale, EDC occupies leased space within the complex and maintains leasing arrangements for additional facilities as needed. The company reports that its facilities meet current and anticipated capacity needs.

Intellectual property and partnerships

• Kane Miller, Learning Wrap-Ups, and SmartLab Toys are imprints owned or controlled by EDC.
• Under the Usborne Publishing Limited agreement, EDC is the exclusive U.S. MLM distributor for Usborne children’s books; Usborne products are not distributed to retail customers by EDC under that arrangement.

Business summary

EDC operates a dual-channel business model: a Brand Partner-driven direct-to-consumer channel (PaperPie) and a trade/wholesale publishing channel (EDC Publishing). The company maintains a catalog of roughly 2,000 active titles alongside a substantial out-of-print list, controls several imprints, and serves as the exclusive MLM distributor for Usborne in the U.S. In 2025–2026 EDC completed a major real estate sale that produced a one-time gain and reduced debt, while maintaining leased space to support operations across its geographic footprint. Staffing is lean relative to the company’s multi-channel publishing and distribution activities.