Baker & Taylor Appoints New President
Baker & Taylor( 05/23/2007 )
CHARLOTTE, North Carolina - May 23, 2007 -- Arnie Wight has been promoted to President of Baker & Taylor, the world's largest book and entertainment distributor. Mr. Wight will oversee purchasing, operations, information technology and the institutional market, as well as the legal and human resource functions of Baker & Taylor. "In his new role, Arnie will continue to work with the senior management team to make sure we grow and adapt as our business changes and to insure that excellence in customer service remains our primary focus," noted Richard Willis, Chairman and CEO of Baker & Taylor.
Since joining Baker & Taylor in 1980, Mr. Wight has held various positions in operations, finance, purchasing, sales and marketing. He has served as one of the company's Executive Vice Presidents since 1999 and the COO since 2003. Prior to joining Baker & Taylor, Mr. Wight worked for several years in the binding and printing industry. Mr. Wight earned a B.A. from the University of Virginia.
In addition, Gary Dayton has been promoted to Senior Vice President of Operations, and as such is responsible for overall operation and management of Baker & Taylor's 7 service centers, including 2 facilities recently added with Baker & Taylor's acquisition of AMS. Mr. Willis added, "We created this position to provide more management focus on operations service levels and to insure we meet the ever increasing requirements of our customers."
Since joining Baker & Taylor in 1970, Mr. Dayton has held various positions in purchasing, operations, information technology, transportation and logistics. He has served as an Operations Vice President since 1995. Mr. Dayton earned his B.S. degree in Management Science from Rutgers University.
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, and 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 Castle Harlan Partners IV, L.P., a leading private equity investment firm.
About Castle Harlan Castle Harlan invests in controlling interests in the buyout and development of middle-market companies in North America and Europe. Its team of 10 managing directors has completed 45 acquisitions since its inception with a total value in excess of $8.7 billion. The firm traces its roots to the start of the institutionalized private-equity business in the late 1960s. Castle Harlan's current portfolio companies, which employ more than 42,000 people, include Ames True Temper, a leading manufacturer of lawn and garden tools and accessories; RathGibson, Inc., a leading manufacturer of highly engineered premium stainless steel and alloy welded tubing products, and Perkins Restaurant & Bakery, the operator and franchisor of 480 family restaurants.
Media Contact:
Jenny Johnson
Baker & Taylor, Inc.
(704) 998-3190
johnsoj@btol.com
This info is not to be construed as a solicitation to buy/sell securities. Hdogtx reserves the right to either BUY/SELL shares in a company's stock he mentions.
This info is not to be construed as a solicitation to buy/sell securities. Hdogtx reserves the right to either BUY/SELL shares in a company's stock he mentions.
