Effective immediately, Jeff Mayersohn and his wife, Linda Seamonson, are the new owners of the Harvard Book Store, Cambridge, Mass. Mayersohn will serve as president of the company.
Frank Kramer, who has owned the business, founded by his father in 1932, for 46 years, will act as a consultant, and Carole Horne continues as general manager.
In a statement, Kramer commented: "Jeff is both a book lover and a businessman who has a tangible affection for Harvard Book Store. When I met him, I liked him immediately. And when I found out that he and his family plan their vacations around the locations of great independent bookstores, I liked him even more." Kramer plans to spend more time on Cambridge Local First, which he co-founded in 2005, work as an industry consultant and learn Italian.
Horne added: "Frank said he wouldn't sell the store unless he found just the right person, and I think he has. I'm very happy for Frank, and I am excited about working with Jeff."
Mayersohn, who lives in Wellesley, said, "As a customer of Harvard Book Store for over thirty years, I'm overwhelmed and elated by this opportunity. My wife and I have wanted to own a bookstore for many years--I never imagined that it could be Harvard Book Store."
Mayersohn has worked at several high-tech companies in Massachusetts and for the last 10 years has been an executive at Sonus Networks, which is involved in IP communications infrastructure. He describes himself as a passionate reader, "politically progressive and an avid baseball fan" and said he plans to continue to run Harvard Book Store "as the community's locally owned and independent bookstore." Not surprisingly, Mayersohn intends to apply his technological knowledge to the store. "I understand that Harvard Book Store was one of the first independents to adopt inventory-control software, in the 1980s. I'd like to find new ways to continue the store's tradition of being on the leading edge of bookselling."
On Tuesday, October 21, Harvard Book Store is inviting the community to meet Mayersohn and "learn about his history and love of Harvard Book Store."