Lakeside Book Company announced the acquisition of Baker & Taylor Publisher Services, the distribution division of Baker & Taylor. The purchase expands Lakeside’s role from a leading book manufacturer into a full-service provider offering integrated sales, distribution, warehousing, print-on-demand, and order-to-cash capabilities.

The deal includes BTPS’s Ashland, Ohio print-on-demand facility, which will complement Lakeside’s existing digital print platform and enhance options for publishers seeking flexible inventory and rapid fulfillment. BTPS will be incorporated into the Lakeside Book Company brand and will be led by Michael Shea, President of Book Services at Lakeside.

“The services offered by BTPS are a perfect fit within Lakeside Book’s end-to-end solutions for publishers, from sales all the way through order-to-cash,” said Shea. “Small and mid-sized publishers will now have direct access to Lakeside Book’s expansive manufacturing capabilities, creating a seamless supply chain under one financially strong partner focused exclusively on the book business.”

Lakeside, which ships roughly 400 million books annually, previously lacked the sales and order-to-cash functionality that BTPS provides. By acquiring BTPS, Lakeside closes this gap, enabling publishers to consolidate printing, warehousing, distribution, and financial processing with a single trusted partner.

The acquisition brings approximately 200 BTPS client publishers into the Lakeside network, with 50–75 actively using its distribution services. All 100 BTPS employees have been offered positions with Lakeside, and the existing management team, including Robert Gospodark, VP of Operations, and Jeff Tegge, VP of Client Services, will remain in place to ensure continuity of service.

Founded in 2017 from Baker & Taylor’s acquisition of Bookmasters, BTPS has become a vital distribution resource for small and mid-sized publishers, an audience Lakeside sees as a significant growth opportunity. The combined organization will focus on serving existing BTPS clients, Lakeside’s warehousing customers who may benefit from order-to-cash services, and new publishers across the broader market.

With 6,000 employees and roots stretching back over 160 years to its origins within RR Donnelley, Lakeside Book Company is positioning itself as a fully integrated powerhouse for print and distribution. “We print, store, and sell books. It’s kind of simple,” Shea said. “Our goal is to serve the market. We’re all about books, and we want to keep the physical print book alive.”