09/28/2004. Baker & Taylor announced today its acquisition of J.A. Majors Company. J.A. Majors Company, a private distributor of medical and scientific books founded by Dr. J.A. Majors in New Orleans in 1909, has been acquired by Baker & Taylor, a leading distributor of information and entertainment product to libraries and retailers.
Richard Willis, Chairman, President and CEO of Baker & Taylor, said, "We wanted to expand our offerings in the health sciences market and recognized Majors as the leading health science distributor. We believe the combination of Baker & Taylor and Majors will lead to better services for our respective companies' customers. We are happy to announce that the J. A. Majors Company will retain its name, management team and will continue to be based in Dallas, TX. In this endeavor, Majors will continue to lead the way with its innovative technology and its renowned personal service."
Jam Majors, president of J.A. Majors, explained, "Baker & Taylor will bring resources and enhanced services to Majors' customers. The existing Majors' staff will be retained to continue the excellent personal service for which it is known." Al McClendon, executive vice president of Majors, explained, "Baker & Taylor brings advantages for all Majors' customers. We at Majors are excited about the many advantages of a parent company with a talented executive team, additional resources, a commitment to customer service, and extensive technological support."
Majors Scientific Books, Inc. an independent corporation running medical bookstores in Dallas and Houston, will continue under the current ownership, and as such is not a part of this acquisition. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.
About Baker & Taylor, Inc.
Baker & Taylor, Inc. (www.btol.com) is a global information and entertainment services company that offers books, videos, music, games and services to libraries, educational institutions, retailers, and Internet retailers. Based in Charlotte, N.C., the company has been in existence for over 176 years, developing long-term relationships with major suppliers, including book publishers, movie studios, and music labels. Baker & Taylor maintains one of the largest combined in-stock book, video and music inventories in the United States, and services the broadest customer base in the industry.
Baker & Taylor is majority owned by Willis Stein & Partners, a leading private equity investment firm specializing in investments in profitable, well-managed, and growing businesses targeting the consumer products and services, media, business services, manufacturing, and health care industries.
About J.A. Majors Company
J.A. Majors Company (www.majors.com) is the largest distributor of medical, scientific and technical books to the medical bookstore and library marketplace. With an inventory of over 135,000 titles, Majors offers special services for the library, bookstore, health care student and professional such as online ordering, same day shipping, and excellent customer service. In business since 1909, Majors is headquartered in Dallas.
