EBSCO Industries
EBSCO Industries is a privately held, widely diversified corporation with headquarters in Birmingham, Alabama. It was founded in 1944 by Elton B. Stephens (hence the EBSCO acronym Elton B Stephens COmpany). EBSCO is the largest privately-held company in Alabama and one of the top 200 in the nation, based on revenues and employee numbers, according to Forbes Magazine. In 1997 sales surpassed 1 billion. In 2008 revenues exceeded $2.5 billion. EBSCO is a diverse company which includes over 30 business:
- Publishing of journal article Bibliographic databases
- Subscription provider for more than 300,000 journals serving more than 50,000 libraries worldwide
- Fishing lures (the world's largest manufacturer)
- Steel joist and metal roof deck manufacturing
- Real estate development
EBSCO is also well known for its employee benefits. It has been rated among America's Best Companies to work for by Forbes.
History
Elton Bryson Stephens earned money to attend Birmingham-Southern College by selling magazines door-to-door. He soon became a sales manager and began hiring salespeople and sending them across the country to sell magazine subscriptions. In 1936, Stephens earned a law degree from the University of Alabama, but decided that managing the sale of magazines was more profitable than practicing law. In 1944, Stephens formed a partnership with his wife, Alys Robinson Stephens, to sell magazine subscriptions, personalized binders and magazine racks to the U.S. Armed Forces. They named this Military Service Company, and over the next decade acquired several other companies that were eventually combined to form EBSCO Industries Inc.
EBSCO companies
- Information Services
- Manufacturing
- Moultrie Feeders
- General Services
- Real Estate
- Mt Laurel
- Alys Beach
References
- EBSCO Industries. (March 21, 2007). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Accessed March 21, 2007.