BOULDER, Colo., April 12 -- Big Earth Publishing announced today that it has acquired Johnson Books, a trade book publisher located here. Terms were not disclosed. Johnson Books was established by Johnson Publishing Company, parent company of Johnson Printing, in 1979. JP President Jerry Johnson stated, "Johnson Books has become a very well-established regional trade book publisher. Many changes have taken place in the printing and publishing industries, especially in the past five years, and a number of firms have recognized that their best opportunities lie in focusing on one aspect of the business or the other, but not both. Our printing business is ten times larger than our publishing business and, as Johnson Printing has seen continued growth in production of periodicals and catalogs, we saw that the time had come to consider a change. We're excited that Johnson Books is becoming part of a visionary new firm such as Big Earth, and look forward to seeing JB build upon a solid foundation of success." Johnson Books Publisher Mira Perrizo added, "We believe that the community of authors built over the last 25 years is one of the reasons that Johnson Books has been so successful. Plans for growth include a broader range of sales opportunities, strategic partnerships, increased number of titles, and additional distribution clients. The current staff will remain with the company and continue to grow the business while remaining true to the traditions of book publishing. Primary offices will remain in Boulder, Colorado."