Imprint Group and Book Travelers West, both independent publisher rep groups covering the western U.S., are merging, effective January 1.
Kurtis Lowe, Book Travelers West, and Derek Lawrence, Imprint Group, heads of the respective groups, will be co-heads under the moniker Imprint Group. The combined sales team will consist of five full-time reps, with its home office in Denver, Colo. In addition to the group heads, John Votaw, Kevin Peters and Suzi Hough will be covering the territory. Fifteen-year Book Travelers West veteran Phoebe Gaston will be leaving the group at the end of the year to relocate to the Midwest.
Both groups cover the same 13 western states and have long histories serving publishers and bookstores in the territory. Book Travelers West was founded in 1951 by Stan Gould. Imprint Group was founded by Bill Maher in 1977 as Bill Maher and Associates, then operated as Thomas McFadden and Associates, and became Imprint Group in 2011.