With the economics of university press publishing becoming tougher and the demands of the retail and wholesale marketplace becoming greater, in 2005 the UNC Press analyzed its warehouse storage and distribution functions. UNC Press wanted to meet the escalating technological demands of the publishing marketplace, which only a large press could afford on its own, and to lower overall fulfillment costs.
To meet these challenges and achieve these goals, the UNC Press created a new model: a separate 501(c)3 organization that operates with a collaborative philosophy to provide total fulfillment services for not-for-profit scholarly publishers. The new company was named Longleaf (after a native pine tree), and it commenced operations in 2006.
Today, Longleaf Services, Inc. serves four leading university press publishers; it enables client publishers to enhance their competitiveness, improve operating efficiencies, and create economies of scale, resulting in better service to their customers and lowering overall operating costs for both publisher and book buyer.
To join Longleaf Services as a client publisher, please contact:
Robbie Dircks, President
(919) 962-1400
e-mail: dircks@email.unc.edu
B. J. Smith, Operations Manager
(919) 962-1230
e-mail: BJ_Smith@unc.edu