Distribution products include both proprietary branded products and other national brands. Among the
segments well-known proprietary brands are Childcraft®, Sax® Arts & Crafts, Califone®, Classroom Select®, Sportime®, Abilitations®, Hammond & StephensTM, Brodhead Garrett®, School Smart®, Royal Seating®, Projects by Design®, CPO ScienceTM, Frey Scientific®, Educators Publishing Service®, Wordly Wise 3000®, Explode the Code®, ThinkMath!TM, SSI Guardian ®, Making Connections®,
S.P.I.R.E®, Buckle Down®, and Coach®. Distribution products accounted for
approximately 95% of our revenues for fiscal 2019.
Curriculum Segment. Our Curriculum segment is a publisher of proprietary core curriculum
in the Science area of the PreK-12 education market:
Products in our Curriculum segment are typically sold to
curriculum specialists and other educators with direct responsibility for advancing student outcomes.
The Curriculum segment develops standards-based
curriculum science products. Its offerings are tailored to address specific learning needs, drive improved student performance, engage learners and accelerate the learning process. A team of approximately 13 product development associates leverages
long-standing relationships with outside developers, authors, co-publishing strategic partners and consultants to develop educational products and solutions that meet curriculum standards and improve classroom
teaching effectiveness.
Our product portfolio is guided by PreK-12 curriculum standards, which can vary by state.
However, there is a consistency throughout the portfolio that allows for the creation of nationally marketed programs that can be customized to meet state-specific curriculum standards where needed. We believe our Curriculum segment provides a broad
collection of educational programs that effectively combines supplemental curriculum solutions, academic planning and organization, inquiry based (hands-on) learning, comprehensive learning kits, extensive
performance assessments, and consultant-led or web-delivered teacher training. New reading solutions, for example, combine research proven materials, technology, and
teaching methods to create dynamic, systematic, and individualized instruction. Additionally, when applicable these solutions are designed to address Common Core State Standards at various grade levels as well as Next Generation Science Standards.
Our Curriculum segment product lines include Delta Education® and FOSS®. Our Curriculum products accounted for approximately 5% of our revenues in fiscal 2019.
School
Specialty, Inc., founded in October 1959, was acquired by U.S. Office Products in May 1996. In June 1998, School Specialty was spun-off from U.S. Office Products in a
tax-free transaction. In August 2000, we reincorporated from Delaware to Wisconsin. In accordance with the 2013 Reorganization Plan (as disclosed in prior years), in June 2013, the Company was reincorporated
in Delaware. Our principal offices are located at W6316 Design Drive, Greenville, Wisconsin 54942, and our telephone number is (920) 734-5712. Our general website address is www.schoolspecialty.com. You
may obtain, free of charge, copies of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, as well as our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and our Current Reports on Form 8-K (and amendments
to those reports) filed with, or furnished to, the Securities Exchange Commission as soon as reasonably practicable after we have filed or furnished such reports by accessing our website at http://www.schoolspecialty.com, selecting
Investors and then selecting the SEC Filings link. Information contained in any of our websites is not deemed to be a part of this Annual Report.
Product Lines
We market our proprietary
brands and third-party product assortments across a wide variety of industry categories including general school supplies, arts and crafts, physical education, school safety and security, instructional solutions and special needs, classroom
furniture and equipment, outdoor furniture and equipment, technology solutions, and both standards-based and supplemental curriculum solutions. These products are marketed and sold through our two primary business segments: Distribution and
Curriculum.
Our Distribution offerings are focused in the following areas:
Supplies Category: We believe we are the largest marketer of school and classroom supplies into the education market. Through our School Specialty
Distribution catalogs, which offer both national brands and many of our proprietary School Smart® products, we provide an extensive offering of basic supplies that are consumed in schools and
classrooms as well as in home use. This offering includes office products, classroom supplies, janitorial and sanitation supplies, school equipment, school and student safety and security products and services, physical education products, art
supplies and paper, among others. Certain of these products are more commodity-like in
4