Edwards Brothers is Michigan’s largest privately owned book and journal manufacturing firm, specializing in short, medium, and ultra-short runs for publishers, authors, scholarly societies, industrial firms, universities, and others. Established in 1893, the fourth-generation, family owned company employs more than 700 people in three short-to-medium run production facilities located in Ann Arbor, Mich. and Lillington, North Carolina. In 2000, the company established a satellite warehouse operation at Rowman and Littlefield in Blue Ridge Summit, Pa., followed in 2001 by another warehouse operation for The University of Chicago Press, a small digital book center in the Landover, Md. warehouse of National Academies Press in 2004, and a print on demand facility at NBN International in Plymouth, England, established in 2005. Most recently, Edwards announced that it would equip and staff a remote digital book center inside Houghton Mifflin’s Geneva, Ill. location later this year. Each remote center is a focal point of the company’s “Life of Title” inventory management strategy to print smaller quantities, turn inventory at a faster rate and reduce the total cost of manufacturing. Sales in 2006 topped $78 million.

The company’s longevity and success are all the more remarkable, given the fiercely competitive market it serves, along with industry Goliaths like R.R. Donnelley, Quebecor, Courier and others. WhatTheyThink spoke with Edwards Brothers President and CEO John J. Edwards to learn how book printing differs from commercial printing, and how he views the challenges unique to Edwards Brothers market niche.

WTT: The Edward Brothers web site refers to ”stewardship responsibilities” that go with running a family business. What do you mean by this?

JE: Legacy is very important to us. Our goal is to keep the business in the family. I’m just the guy running the show, together with my brother Jim and sister Laura, while we figure out how to pass it on to the next generation. We’ve invested heavily in the business to keep it viable and competitive and creative, and to provide better value-added services that will keep people keep coming back. If that happens, we’ll be around for the next generation.