JOHN WILEY strengthened its core STM publishing program with the acquisition of the German technical publisher VCH last week, and also looks to broaden its general-interest publishing program with the release of several important nonfiction titles of African American interest later this year.

Wiley spent about $100 million to purchase 90% of VCH Publishing Group from the Pallas Investment Group and the German Chemical Society, though both the latter and the German Pharmaceutical Society will retain minority positions in VCH. The acquisition is expected to be completed by June.

Charles R. Ellis, Wiley's president and CEO, said VCH publishes journals and books and includes imprints in Berlin...