Ingram to Buy Bookmen
Staff -- Publishers Weekly, 5/6/2002
Ingram Book Group has reached an agreement to acquire the Minneapolis, Minn., wholesaler The Bookmen Inc. for an undisclosed price. The acquisition does not include the Waldman House Press and Nodin Press, both of which are also owned by the Waldman family, the longtime owners of Bookmen.
Jim Chandler, chief commercial officer for Ingram, said the deal "accommodates the needs of both sides." Bookmen provides wholesale services to retailers and libraries in the upper Midwest. Ingram will close the Bookmen distribution center by the end of July, but Chandler said he hopes find positions for a number of the company's employees. Chandler said that anyone hired by Ingram would not necessarily need to move to Ingram headquarters in La Vergne, Tenn. To help smooth the integration process, Bookmen president Brett Waldman will help with the transition.
