Before being acquired by Follett in 2016, Baker & Taylor had $2.26 billion in sales, employed 3,750, and was #204 on Forbes list of privately owned companies in 2008.
Publisher Services remain unaffected as "a cornerstone of Baker & Taylor's future growth strategy.
[6] Prior to the sale of the division, its retail unit distributed an estimated <1 million book titles and previously sold non-core business materials: music CDs, DVDs, and Blu-ray discs to a declining number of brick and mortar retailers, Internet sites (Target.com, CDUniverse, BN.com), booksellers (indie shops & Barnes & Noble), craft stores, department stores (tbd) and several comic book retailers.
Specifically, the plan is to make Penn Foster’s library of “competency-based, career-aligned courses and playlists, including foundational career readiness skills, soft skills, and degree and certificate programs,” available to public library patrons through Baker & Taylor’s digital book platform.
[9] In 1994, the Follett Corporation of River Grove, Illinois had intended to acquire Baker & Taylor from the then majority holder, the Carlyle Group, which was looking to sell its interest to concentrate on the defense industry.
Follett then appointed former retail exec (Lechters, Barnes & Noble), NJ office based David Cully as president of B&T, the CEO position remains open.
Mr Coe rejoined the Brodart company in January 2020, as president & CEO [16] After only two years in charge, David Cully announced on 6/21/19 his retirement from B&T.
Amandeep Kochar has been promoted to executive v-p of B&T and will lead the company after Cully's exit at the end of August 2019.
In December 2018, it was reported that Ingram Content extended an offer in November 2018 to purchase Baker & Taylor's retail wholesale business from Follett.
[21] In 1999, Baker & Taylor paid a settlement of $3 million USD to the U.S. government to settle a federal lawsuit.
B&T, after spending five years in litigation with the U.S. government over an alleged violation of the False Claims Act, settled with the Department of Justice in July 1999 in return for release from all federal civil liability.
Blackwell's North American division was merged into Baker & Taylor's YBP Library Services.