Sheridan Books, Inc. (SBI) was formed through the merger of Braun Brumfield and BookCrafters in June 1999 and has facilities in both Ann Arbor and Chelsea, Michigan (SBI headquarters). Over the years SBI has evolved into one of the nation’s leading manufacturers of quality short to medium run books. Although there have been many changes at SBI over the years, our superior service remains the same.
Here is a look into the events that have shaped the existence of SBI.
Braun Brumfield
Braun Brumfield was founded in Ann Arbor in 1950 when Carl Braun opened a small commercial printing facility with six employees. Five years later, land was purchased at 100 N. Staebler Road (the present Ann Arbor location) and Braun Brumfield built a 20,000 sq. ft. building.
In 1967, Braun Brumfield merged into Shaw-Barton, Inc. which later merged into Heritage Communications. In 1988, Braun Brumfield became a part of The Sheridan Group, which also included a sister company, The Sheridan Press, in Hanover, Pennsylvania.
BookCrafters
In 1965, William Nuffer founded LithoCrafters in Ann Arbor.
In 1967, LithoCrafters merged with KMS Industries and moved to more spacious facilities in Ann Arbor. With the addition of case binding equipment in 1968, LithoCrafters could proudly offer complete book manufacturing services.
American Business Products, Inc., an Atlanta-based holding company, purchased LithoCrafters in 1971. In 1972, a sister company, under the name BookCrafters, was established in Fredericksburg, Virginia and pioneered a fully automated Cameron Belt Press with a completely integrated in-line binder-trimmer and casebinder.
In 1977 LithoCrafters moved from Ann Arbor to Chelsea.
Just two years later, in 1979, LithoCrafters merged with BookCrafters. With this newly consolidation came a reorganization of sales and marketing, and an overall strengthening of administrative forces that resulted in better service.
BookCrafters built the Michigan Distribution Center in 1983-84 which brought additional service offerings for our expanding customer base. This building now serves as the Headquarters and Production facility of SBI.
In May 1999, BookCrafters was officially made part of The Sheridan Group.
Sheridan Books, Inc.
The merger of Braun Brumfield and BookCrafters in June 1999 formed a new company – Sheridan Books, Inc. with facilities in Ann Arbor, Chelsea, and Fredericksburg. The Fredericksburg plant was closed in 2004 as a part of a consolidation plan for improving the effectiveness of the organization.
Over the past few years, SBI has invested heavily in equipment to expand our services for web press production, four-color printing capacity, and prepress automation. These investments enhance our ability to provide superior quality and service to all of our customers. In 2008, SBI launched two initiatives to increase services in the digital arena: Digital Print Advantage, which allows customers to order their print-on-demand titles via a fully automated web interface, and the Digital Services Team, which provides consultative services to assist our customers in the automation of prepress production. Both initiatives have met with tremendous success. In 2010, SBI launched its Electronic Content Services offering to provide customers with a way to convert, enrich, and distribute eBooks.
By creating a strong foundation, SBI has achieved a sustained level of performance and success. This is reflected through consistent on time delivery and earning the distinction as Best of the Best Work Places in America. SBI has also been listed as one of the Top 30 Printers by Book Business Magazine, has been named one of the Ann Arbor Business Review's Top 100 Employers, has participated in the Michigan Great Printers project, and has received Forest Stewardship Council certification.
Today Sheridan Books proudly works with customers worldwide. Our customers represent a wide variety of publishing market segments including trade and educational publishing, university presses, associations, and independent publishers. We welcome the opportunity to work with you on your next publishing project.