New US publisher services unit for Baker & Taylor

Supplier Baker & Taylor is launching a new publisher services unit, Baker & Taylor Publisher Services (BTPS).

BTPS will offer children’s, trade, K12, higher education and academic publishers services in sales, distribution and fulfilment for North America, complementing the international sales and marketing operation of the Global Publishing Services unit which B&T launched last year.

Mark Suchomel, previously president of distributors Trafalgar Square Publishing and IPG, has joined B&T to run the new unit in the role of senior vice president of sales and client services, jointly with Ken Fultz, B&T’s senior vice president of operations.  

B&T president David Cully noted: "With the market position and experience of Follett [which acquired B&T last year] 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 utillisation of our regional distribution centres."

Suchomel said: “Our goal is to foster long-lasting partnerships with publishers and grow our business by helping to grow theirs. Our unique market position, sales network in the trade and special markets, economies of scale and ability to reach most US accounts in a day or two will position our clients for growth.”

BTPS will use the existing distribution assets of Bookmasters, and retire that brand in relation to distribution and client services, though keeping it for the printing and manufacturing business.