Top Draw Animation Acquired by Grom Holdings

BOCA RATON/MANILA: Grom Social parent company Grom Holdings has acquired 100 percent of Top Draw Animation (TDA), an award-winning Filipino production company.

TDA produces 2D animated programming for television markets around the globe. Among the noteworthy properties that the studio currently services are My Little Pony, Tom and Jerry and The Mr. Peabody & Sherman Show. Grom’s acquisition of TDA will allow Grom Social—a social network created “by kids for kids” that has been producing live-action short-form content—to make animated programming in-house for its website and mobile applications.

Wayne Dearing, the CEO, founder and managing director of TDA, will continue to manage the studio and its production of animated content. He will also become executive VP of global finance for Grom Social, where he will work under Sander Schwartz, the company’s president. Earlier in his career, Dearing served as a financial and operations leader for Hanna Barbera Australia and Hanna Barbera Asia.

“We are fortunate to partner with an international company of TDA’s caliber, and we are excited about the production expertise they bring to Grom Social,” said Schwartz. “After an extensive search, we identified TDA as ‘best in class’ for their international reputation for top-quality animation, excellent management team and long track record of consistent and strong profitability. This acquisition brings Grom Social one step closer to becoming the preeminent online and digital destination for kids.”

“The opportunity to join Grom Social and become a part of its growth was a compelling one,” noted Dearing. “Transforming our company into a major player in digital media has been the focal point of our strategy to grow our business. By joining forces with Grom Social, we will achieve that goal and set the stage for strong growth within both the traditional television animation sector and new animated content for digital media. I can’t imagine a better fit for us than Grom Social.”

Dearing added: “With more than 500 employees based at its headquarters in Manila, TDA is a strong contributor to the local economy and an advocate for harnessing artistic talent in the Philippines and exporting their work to countries around the world. By the combination of these two entities, Grom Social will be able to benefit from TDA’s ‘best-in-class’ animation for its original content, while TDA will now be able to deploy the creative auspices of Grom Social to build its library of shows for online, for mobile, and across all platforms.”