Michael Shoemaker is the new owner and CEO of Bookmobile and Itasca Books in Minneapolis, MN. Don Leeper, founder of Bookmobile, is retiring after 44 years of successful ownership.
Bookmobile was founded in 1982 as Alphabet Express, providing book design and typesetting services to university and literary presses. The company later added short-run digital printing (Bookmobile in 1996) and distribution and fulfillment services (Itasca Books in 2004). The company has over 40 team members who operate out of a 55,000 square foot combined office, print shop, and distribution center in Minneapolis.
Today, Bookmobile is synonymous with high-quality book design and digital printing for independent literary and institutional presses, as well as hybrid and self-publishers. Itasca Books serves similar customers with full trade distribution capabilities and a special focus on direct distribution to readers via drop-ship fulfillment services and its ItascaBooks.com e-commerce site. The company is known for its excellent customer service and commitment to quality.
In this era of consolidation, Bookmobile and Itasca Books are proud to continue their mission as an independent company serving small and medium publishers, through the sale to Michael Shoemaker. Michael is a Minnesota-based business leader with extensive experience as CEO, COO, and Managing Director of diverse technology-based companies in the United States and Latin America. His academic training includes a bachelor’s degree in the social sciences from St. Olaf College, a post-graduate Fulbright fellowship at Los Andes University in Colombia, and an MBA from INSEAD in Fontainebleau, France.
“I feel so fortunate to have met Don and found such a special company in Bookmobile / Itasca Books,” says Michael. “The team’s tenure and passion for the book industry is unmatched, and their dedication to partnering with our publisher customers to promote their success is inspiring. I am excited to apply my own experience growing successful companies to further this work and extend Bookmobile’s legacy as an independent business providing critical services for its publisher customers.”
“Mike is the perfect buyer for Bookmobile/Itasca, with the passion, skills and resources to continue and improve our services to publishers. From the beginning of our discussions he displayed an aptitude for grasping the complexities of book publishing in the 21st century and bringing to bear his deep experience in technology, ecommerce, and business in general. Last but not least, he has an understanding and appreciation for the importance of book culture. I am damned lucky we connected.”
Michael has been working with Don over the past months to ensure a seamless transition, with a focus on maintaining the company’s current strong trajectory. No major changes are planned. Under its new ownership, Bookmobile and Itasca Books will continue to invest in the growth of the business and the success of its publisher customers.