Baker & Taylor is expanding on the distribution capacity of their sister company Bookmasters, relaunching Bookmasters’ suite of distribution services under the new banner of Baker & Taylor Publisher Services. Clearly aimed at competing with Ingram’s expanded distribution program and others, they have hired Mark Suchomel as svp of sales & client services and he will jointly lead the distribution business along with former Bookmasters general manager Ken Fultz, who has been promoted to svp of operations for BTPS. Suchomel had been president of client services for the Perseus Book Group’s distribution business until its acquisition by Ingram. Suchomel had created Legato for Perseus, and was previously president of Independent Publishers Group.
Baker & Taylor will retire the Bookmasters name in connection with distribution services, and Fultz will continue to lead the Bookmasters printing and manufacturing business. BTPS offers services including warehousing and order fulfillment, sales and marketing support, inventory management and virtual inventory programs, book manufacturing including offset and digital short run, POD, and editorial services.
Baker & Taylor president David Cully says: “Launching Baker & Taylor Publisher Services was a natural choice when you consider our strength in diverse markets and trusted role as a partner to many publishers. With the market position and experience of Follett and Baker & Taylor, we’ll be an obvious choice for publishers of academic, educational, and children’s titles, and we’ll provide an advantage to trade publishers through the utilization of our regional distribution centers. We are focused on collaborating with our publishers to give them the right mix of services so we can grow as they grow.”