Company Description
Educational Development Corporation (NASDAQ: EDUC) is a publishing company that specializes in books and educational products for children. According to company disclosures, Educational Development Corporation ("EDC") began as a publishing business focused on children’s books and has expanded its offerings to include a range of educational materials and toys. The company operates in the book publishers segment of the information sector and concentrates on children’s literacy and learning.
EDC is the owner and exclusive publisher of several brands. These include Kane Miller Books ("Kane Miller"), Learning Wrap-Ups, which is described as a maker of educational manipulatives, and SmartLab Toys, identified as a maker of STEAM-based toys and games. In addition, EDC is the exclusive United States MLM distributor of children’s books from Usborne Publishing Limited ("Usborne"). This combination of owned publishing imprints, educational tools, and distributed titles forms the core of the company’s product portfolio for children’s education and entertainment.
Educational Development Corporation reports that its owned products are sold through approximately 4,000 retail outlets. These outlets include retail accounts that, according to earlier descriptions, encompass books, school supplies, toy and gift stores, and museums. The company’s Publishing Division markets its products to these retail accounts through commissioned sales representatives, trade and specialty wholesalers, and an internal telesales group. This structure reflects a trade publishing model focused on placing children’s books and educational products into a variety of physical retail and specialty channels.
Beyond traditional retail, EDC and Usborne products are also offered by independent brand partners. The company states that these independent brand partners hold book showings through social media, book fairs with schools and public libraries, in individual homes, and at other in-person events, as well as via internet sales. Within EDC’s reporting, these independent sellers are associated with the PaperPie division, and are referred to as PaperPie Brand Partners. The presence and activity of these brand partners are highlighted in the company’s financial communications as an important operational metric.
Educational Development Corporation identifies two reportable business segments: PaperPie and Publishing. The Publishing segment focuses on marketing EDC-owned titles and products to retail accounts through sales representatives, wholesalers, and telesales. The PaperPie segment is associated with the independent brand partner network that markets both EDC-owned and Usborne products through direct selling activities and online channels. This two-segment structure reflects the company’s dual emphasis on trade publishing distribution and a network-driven, independent seller model.
In multiple press releases and SEC filings, EDC emphasizes its focus on children’s literacy and educational outcomes. The company’s product set includes children’s books, educational manipulatives, and STEAM-based toys and games, all positioned around learning and development. Management commentary in earnings releases references a mission to improve children’s literacy, and operational decisions are often framed in terms of supporting brand partners, customers, vendors, and shareholders while maintaining this educational focus.
Educational Development Corporation has also discussed its physical infrastructure and financing arrangements in public disclosures. The company owned a headquarters and distribution warehouse complex referred to as the Hilti Complex, located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and entered into a series of agreements to sell and lease back this facility. According to an 8-K filing and related press releases, EDC executed a commercial real estate sale contract for the Hilti Complex and later completed a sale and leaseback transaction with 10Mark 10K Industrial, LLC. The proceeds from this sale were used to pay off term loans and a revolving loan outstanding under a credit agreement with the company’s bank.
In connection with the sale and leaseback of the Hilti Complex, EDC entered into a separate triple-net lease for its occupied space. The company’s disclosures state that the lease term is 10 years, with an initial lease rate per square foot and specified annual escalations, and that the seller has options for renewal and extension. Under the triple-net structure, the seller and other tenants are responsible for utilities, insurance, property taxes, and regular maintenance. EDC has described this transaction as a way to eliminate bank borrowings associated with the facility and to improve annual cash flow generation.
Educational Development Corporation’s SEC filings and press releases also describe its credit arrangements with BOKF, NA. The company entered into a credit agreement that included a revolving loan and term loans, and over time executed multiple amendments to extend maturity dates and adjust terms. An 8-K filing dated October 28, 2025, reports that EDC repaid in full all outstanding indebtedness and terminated all commitments and obligations under the credit agreement, with the company noting that it did not incur early termination penalties and that it was released from security interests, mortgages, liens, and encumbrances under the agreement.
In its financial communications, EDC highlights efforts to manage inventory, reduce debt, and adjust operations. Management commentary in earnings releases describes actions such as running product discount promotions to increase cash, focusing on converting excess inventory into cash, and implementing cost reductions. These actions are presented as part of a broader plan to strengthen the company’s financial position, support ongoing operations, and enable investment in new titles and content for its network of brand partners.
Educational Development Corporation’s common stock, with a par value of $0.20 per share, is listed on the NASDAQ exchange under the trading symbol EDUC, as noted in multiple 8-K filings. The company’s disclosures consistently identify it as a publishing company specializing in books and educational products for children, with operations organized around its Publishing and PaperPie segments, ownership of children’s publishing and educational brands, and an exclusive United States MLM distribution relationship with Usborne Publishing Limited.