Short answers, pulled from the story.
Ashgate Publishing began its operations in 1967 as a modest operation in the quiet town of Farnham, Surrey. The company started as a small British firm that built a reputation for quality over quantity while the world watched the rise of massive conglomerates.
Ashgate Publishing operated several key imprints including Gower Publishing, Lund Humphries, and Dartmouth. Gower Publishing focused on professional business and management titles, while Lund Humphries specialized in illustrated art books with an emphasis on modern British art.
Ashgate Publishing unveiled GpmFirst through its Gower imprint in March 2015. This web-based community of practice allowed subscribers to access more than 120 project management titles alongside discussions and articles relevant to business and project management.
Ashgate Publishing was sold to Informa in July 2015 for a reported £20M. This transaction marked a significant turning point as the company became a subsidiary of Informa, a global information and analytics company.
The independent imprints of Ashgate Publishing became part of the Routledge imprint by February 2016. This transition effectively dissolved the original Ashgate structure and reflected broader trends in the publishing industry where consolidation was becoming the primary strategy for survival and growth.