In a major surprise, Mark Suchomel, the driving force in building Independent Publishers Group into one of the country's major distributors, has left the company. He had been president for 15 years and earlier was v-p, sales and marketing. In 1986, a year before Chicago Review Press bought IPG, Suchomel joined Chicago Review Press as sales manager.
"I'm proud of the fact that in the time I was at IPG, we didn't have a year when revenue didn't increase," Suchomel said yesterday. He noted, too, that during his tenure, IPG grew from a small operation employing about 10 people to a company with 175 employees.
Under Suchomel's watch, IPG bought Trafalgar Square Publishing, which imports books from U.K. publishers; Paul & Co., the academic book distributor now called River North Editions; and a majority interest in Triumph Books, the sports book publisher. He also launched Small Press United, which focuses on distribution of small presses; developed Spanish-language programs; started a line for the gift trade; and expanded the company's presence in Canada.
Suchomel and IPG were in the news in February 2012, when the company became the first major publisher or distributor other than one of the Big Six houses to refuse Amazon's demands to change terms. That led Amazon to stop selling all digital editions of books distributed by IPG, a widely reported impasse that lasted three months.
Throughout the period, Suchomel was forceful but diplomatic, acceding to Amazon's desire that he not discuss specific terms but making the facts of the situation known and suggesting ways that IPG publishers and consumers could continue publishing and reading e-books without Amazon. At the time, he spoke about the situation in a way that described his approach at IPG in general: "I've never encountered anything like this before. We're reasonable. We're helping publishers be better publishers and be healthy publishers. We're easy to work with. We perform a valuable service to both sides of industry."
In a "special alert" to IPG publishers yesterday, IPG CEO Curt Matthews, the majority owner of the company, announced what he called "an important change in IPG's senior management." He thanked Suchomel "for his years of thoughtful service. He certainly had a great deal to do with the growth and success of IPG and your publishing programs over many years."
Several IPG publishers yesterday expressed concern about the change, and appreciation of Suchomel's leadership at IPG, his business acumen, his concern for clients' needs and his deep involvement in all aspects of the company. Typical was this comment from MaryAnn F. Kohl, owner of Bright Ring Publishing, Bellingham, Wash.: "Mark Suchomel is the single finest man in the publishing business I have ever worked with. His integrity, management skills, and sense of the industry are unmatched. My favorite thing about Mark is this: if he said it, it was true, and if he did it, it was good, and if he suggested it, he was right. Mark's future is as bright as can be. I can't wait to see what's next for him."
Suchomel may be reached at MarkSuchomel4@gmail.com or 312-316-9618. --John Mutter