Nelson Ends School Program

by Lynn Garrett, PW Daily -- Publishers Weekly, 4/2/2007

Thomas Nelson is discontinuing the Nelson Enrichment Program, which assisted Christian schools with fund-raising through the sale of Nelson products. The company launched NEP in 2004; its operations will be suspended effective May 1, though support will run through the end of the school year to service programs already in place. The decision affects about 22 of Nelson's 654 employees. According to a statement from Jim Thomason, v-p of human resources, some will be placed in other jobs with the company, but "for those that can't be placed, we will provide severance benefits or continued temporary employment while fulfilling existing orders." He added he did not anticipate any other reductions in personnel at this time.

Nelson CEO Michael Hyatt said, "It has proven difficult to get the volume we need to make this a profitable venture." NEP sales account for less than 1% of the company's consolidated revenues.