St. Louis-based digital media firm Quillt, which operates a portfolio of online publications, has laid off a portion of its staff.
Quillt, which has its headquarters in Maplewood at 7401 Manchester Road, this week made layoffs “across the company,” according posts on LinkedIn by affected employees. Quillt confirmed the layoffs, but didn't immediately respond to questions about the number of roles cut and its current headcount. In May 2022, Quillt told St. Louis Inno it had 70 employees.
"We have refined our business model and our focus internally. The result of which requires a more measured approach, and a shift in the team required to execute,” Kasey Grelle, Quill’s president and CEO, said in a provided statement. “Unfortunately, these decisions are not easy, they involve incredibly talented friends and colleagues. We are thankful for their time here at Quillt and are doing everything we can to ensure a smooth transition as they pursue new opportunities.”
Formerly Gateway Blend, Quillt spun out of Answers Corp. in 2014, and operates three different brands that publish content geared toward middle-aged adults and seniors. Its publications include:
- Seasons, which publishes content focused on senior caregiving;
- Travel Awaits, a travel site targeting the 50-plus audience;
- And Suggest, which focuses on middle-aged women.
Quillt has made layoffs before, cutting part of its staff in 2016.
The latest reductions come after Quillt last year was acquired by Saltwater Capital, an investment holding company founded by CEO Ryan Graves, a former executive at Uber. Saltwater acquired a majority stake from St. Louis investor Tom Hillman. At the time of the acquisition, Grelle said the deal would help Quillt expand its operations by scaling its current brands and possibly adding new ones through M&A.
Quilt's sale came after its management team in recent years transformed the company, paying off $40 million in debt and retooling its portfolio to its current niche of providing content for audiences in the 50-plus age demographic. That included the company in October 2020 selling its popular entertainment site CinemaBlend to United Kingdom-based media company Future plc.
