Acquisitions to grow PGW distribution

Amazon isn't the only large book distributor

in northern Nevada. There's

Baker & Taylor, the 174 year-old distributor

to brick and mortar stores as

well online retailers. And there's

Publishers Group West.

PGW, based in Berkeley, Calif., with

a distribution center in Reno, is the

largest exclusive distributor of independent

publishers in the U.S., according to

the company.

"We distribute for 50 publishers and

sell to bookstores and other book distributors

like Baker & Taylor," said Patty

Olmstead, operations manager at

PGW's Reno distribution center.

Three years ago the company moved

its distribution warehouse from

Hayward, Calif., to a 310,000-squarefoot

facility in Reno, which holds 18,000

books and employs 150 people.

In January, PGW was bought by

Advanced Marketing Services Inc., a

San Diego-based service provider to

book retailers and publishers. AMS

services include consulting on supply

chain management, advertising and promotion.

AMS this month announced it had

acquired two British book distributors,

H.I. Marketing Ltd., a traditional book

distributor for about 20 American and

British publishers, and Cutsound Ltd., a

distributor to about 100 publishers of

alternative health and lifestyle books.

"This expansion supports our efforts

to globalize our distribution activity,"

said Mark Ouimet, executive vice president

of marketing, PGW, in a prepared

statement.

And that means more business for

the northern Nevada warehouse. Said

Olmstead: "The acquisitions mean more

international business for Reno."