Company Expansion
Since 1982, Southwestern has partnered with, acquired or established companies around the world for a total of 16 companies within the corporate family. These companies' services range from non-profit fundraising to public speaking to consulting to financial services to insurance and real estate. Since regaining independence in 1982, Southwestern revenues have grown from $24 million to more than $350 million.
In 1982, Southwestern acquired Favorite Recipes Press (FRP) from Fuller and Dees as a custom book publisher focused on cookbooks to be sold for the purpose of fundraising. FRP later expanded their custom publishing services and was renamed Southwestern Publishing Group in 2011. Also in 1982, Carl Roberts, who began in the summer sales program, established a career services and executive search company called Southwestern Business Resources.
In 1989, Scott Roy, who started in the summer sales program, founded the supplemental insurance company Family Heritage along with Howard Lewis under Southwestern.
In 2002, Jeff Dobyns, who started in the summer sales program, founded Southwestern Investment Group, currently the largest Raymond James Financial affiliate. Also in 2002, Southwestern Consulting was established by Rory Vaden and Dustin Hillis, who each started in the summer sales program, and by Gary Michaels, a twenty-plus year veteran of Great American Opportunities.
In 2004, Southwestern Company acquired majority ownership of Wildtree, a direct-sales company whose all-natural gourmet culinary products are sold through home tasting parties.
In 2005, Southwestern Company established GEC, a summer work experience program for qualified students around the world to participate in work opportunities in the United States.
In 2007, Pat Roach, a fifteen-year veteran who started in the summer sales program, established Southwestern Real Estate, a residential real estate brokerage.
In 2012, Great American acquired the assets of QSP making Great American the largest school fundraising company in North America.
Read more about this topic: Southwestern Company
Famous quotes containing the words company and/or expansion:
“In the old days, one married a wife; now one forms a company with a female partner, or moves in to live with a friend. And then one seduces the partner, or defiles the friend.”
—J. August Strindberg (1849–1912)
“We are caught up Mr. Perry on a great wave whether we will or no, a great wave of expansion and progress. All these mechanical inventions—telephones, electricity, steel bridges, horseless vehicles—they are all leading somewhere. It’s up to us to be on the inside in the forefront of progress.”
—John Dos Passos (1896–1970)