After more than 30 years of business, Partners Book Distributing, Holt, Mich., and Partners/West, Renton, Wash., are closing. They will stop shipping orders this Friday, April 1.
Headed by Vicki Eaves, Gloria Genee and Sam Speigel, Partners said in an announcement, "As much as we love what we do, the numbers are no longer working. We would like to thank all of the customers we have had over the years for keeping us going this long."
For many years and as recently as the 1990s, regional book wholesalers were a significant part of the business, and Partners is one of just a few regional book wholesalers still in existence.
Booksellers were upset about the news. Allison Hill, president and CEO of Vroman's, Pasadena, Calif., and Book Soup in West Hollywood, said she is "heartbroken" over the news. "Gloria, Vicky, and Jim and the rest of their team are extraordinary. They made us feel like they were our store partners and our friends, and they had a significant impact on Vroman's business over the years."
At the King's English, Salt Lake City, Utah, co-owner Anne Holman said, "I've been crying all day. It's terrible. They were one of the little guys and they were there for us for any and everything, and I feel like I've lost a member of the family."
Brian Juenemann, executive director and marketing director of the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association, commented: "True to their name, they were real partners to us and they worked to remain true partners with our booksellers. They worked with local authors and helped with events, and the authors felt that they had their own distributor working for them."
