DEMCO, Inc. is a Madison, Wisconsin-based supplier of equipment, furniture and supplies to libraries and schools.

History

DEMCO was created in 1905 by Madison's Democrat Printing Co. as its Library Supplies Department,[1] with a focus on printing forms for the University of Wisconsin-Madison Library.[2]

Norman D. "Smiley" Bassett bought the company in 1931 and renamed it DEMCO Library Supplies, Inc.[3] "A hallmark of Bassett’s leadership of one of the nation’s premier library supply companies was his close relationship with the library community and his commitment to helping libraries carry out their mission more effectively."[4]

With Bassett remaining the owner, John E. Wall was named DEMCO's president in 1968,[5] and under his management, the company expanded as an industry leader. Bassett retired from DEMCO in 1972, selling the company to George Banta Company of Menasha, Wisconsin, with himself as the director of Banta at that time. DEMCO remained a wholly owned subsidiary of Banta Company, Inc. until 1978 when DEMCO's management, including president and CEO Wall, acquired the company's stock in a leveraged buyout.[6] Wall assumed full ownership of the company in 1988, remaining the controlling owner until 2006, and becoming Chairman Emeritus and passing the business on to his children in 2017.[7]

DEMCO has continued acquisitions and mergers. In 2003, DEMCO acquired one of its long-time rivals, Gaylord’s supplies and furniture operation as well as the Gaylord brand name.[8] In 2010, it acquired Highsmith, another library vendor rival, from W. W. Grainger, Inc.[9] Looking to provide services beyond library supplies and furniture, DEMCO acquired Evanced Solutions, a library software company in 2011.[10] In 2015, DEMCO acquired Boopsie, a company specializing in developing mobile-friendly apps and content platforms for libraries.[11] And in 2017, the firm consolidated Evanced Solutions and Boopsie, through the formation of DEMCO Software as a new technology-focused corporate division.[12]

References

  1. ↑ "Norman D. Bassett (1891-1980)". Wisconsin Library Heritage Center. Retrieved 2020-07-01.
  2. ↑ "History of DEMCO, Inc". FundingUniverse. Retrieved 2020-07-01.
  3. ↑ "Norman Bassett papers, 1936-1954". www.aaa.si.edu. Retrieved 2020-07-01.
  4. ↑ Buchel, John (September 3, 2005). "100 Years of Serving Libraries DEMCO Has Grown into an International Heavyweight". madison.com. Retrieved 2019-07-12.
  5. ↑ Breeding, Marshall (2017-06-01). "Demco Software Established". Smart Libraries Newsletter. 37 (6): 4–5.
  6. ↑ "Wall Family Enterprise, Inc.: Private Company Information - Bloomberg". www.bloomberg.com. Retrieved 2019-07-24.
  7. ↑ "About Us". Wall Family Enterprise. Retrieved 2019-07-24.
  8. ↑ Rogers, Michael (June 15, 2003). "Gaylord revamps: Blauer out, Demco buys supplies biz: automation operation renamed GIS Information Systems; company veteran Schickling succeeds as president. (Industry News)". Library Journal. 128: 25 – via Literature Resource Center.
  9. ↑ Demco acquires Highsmith. (2011). College & Research Libraries News, 72(2), 74.
  10. ↑ "DEMCO, Inc. Announces the Acquisition of Evanced Solutions". www.businesswire.com. 2011-05-18. Retrieved 2019-07-26.
  11. ↑ Schwartz, M. (2015). Demco buys library app vendor Boopsie. Library Journal, (18), 20.
  12. ↑ Breeding, Marshall (2017-06-01). "Demco Software Established". Smart Libraries Newsletter. 37 (06): 4–5.
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