Our History
TBC Had Humble Beginnings.
Brent Dyer, Founder, and CEO of TBC credits TBC’s birth to a decision he made in 1971 as a young college student. Needing a part-time job to help pay for college, he answered a ‘help-wanted’ sign displayed in the window of his campus bookstore. Seeing firsthand how the cost of college textbooks could impact students, he realized the importance of bringing affordable options to campus. In August of 1975, Texas Book Company was born.
Initially offering a limited supply of used books to small colleges and universities, TBC has grown to be one of the largest wholesale textbook companies in the United States, working with thousands of college bookstores in all 50 states. In 1982, TBC answered the call for bookstore management services. With the Company’s innovative leadership and trademark textbook expertise, TBC’s College Store Division has since grown to be the leader in customer-focused campus store management and operates college stores across the Southwest.
As a long-standing member of the academic community, TBC offers unequaled college store management expertise, service excellence, and financial strength. Unlike all other academic retailers, we guarantee our bookstore partners immediate access to executive management and a rapid response from Company decision-makers.
TBC’s Wholesale Division provides universities and colleges a comprehensive used textbook program, which in turn, earns maximum profits for bookstores. Beginning with a nucleus of Texas bookstores, the company has grown to serve 2,000 stores in 50 states.
TBC’s 60,000 square foot corporate office and distribution center located in Greenville, Texas, is one of the city’s largest employers. This facility houses 18,000 square feet of office space and a 42,000 square foot warehouse and distribution center with over 250,000 titles in stock. State-of-the-art material handling and distribution systems can process over 5,000 shipments daily to customers around the country.
TBC buyers travel the nation purchasing textbooks from bookstores, students, and faculty. This buying effort, combined with the success of contracted independent buyers across the nation, supplies our vast used textbook demand.
TBC offers customers easy access to our inventory. By accessing our toll-free number, fax, easylink, e-mail, and websites, our customers receive a prompt response to book orders of any length. Our online inventory systems provide customers immediate responses to book availability, price quotations, and customer service issues.
The partnership between our Wholesale and College Store Division is the foundation of TBC’s success. Our future promises to challenge our determination and reward our perseverance.
Campus Store Division
The campus store is a destination point on every campus. TBC’s store products and services are focused on the diverse educational and personal needs of students, faculty, administrators, alumni, and campus visitors. A visit to one of TBC’s stores will offer a full range of emblematic products, clothing, gifts, personal effects, school and art supplies, trade books, reference material, and a large selection of new and used textbooks.
Wholesale Division
TBC’s Wholesale Division is a multimillion-dollar supplier of used textbooks in the U.S. and works with thousands of college bookstores in all 50 states. Customers rely on TBC to provide industry-leading product selection and fast, reliable order fulfillment. Our track record is strong and our clientele diverse. We embrace challenge and truly live the phrase “stand and deliver”. Because of this, TBC is the chosen textbook service provider for the U.S. Naval and Airforce Academies.
Executive Management Team
Brent Dyer
Chief Executive Officer
Brent Dyer began his career in 1971 as a student worker at the East Texas Bookstore while attending East Texas State University. Mr. Dyer started the company in 1975 and served as the president until 2016. TBC began as a used book distributorship and today has grown into a multi-division corporation. Mr. Dyer is a past member of the Associate Advisory Board to the National Association of College Stores.
Career Highlights: B.B.A. in Economics and Finance, East Texas State University, 1975; Highest ranking senior in business and economics, East Texas State University, 1975; Wall Street Journal Student Achievement Award; exceeded over $1 million in scholarship and endowment contributions
Expertise: Financial Management; Capital Expansion; Total Quality Management; Growth Management; Campus Relations; Textbook Management; Conflict and Change Management; Contract Negotiations; Corporate Policy and Procedures
Darren Croom
President
Darren Croom began his college bookstore career in 1994 as an assistant manager at the South Texas College of Law Bookstore, and has held the positions of manager, general manager, district manager and regional manager. Darren took the position of assistant vice president of TBC’s retail division in November 2001. He was promoted to vice president in 2009 and then president in 2016. In his time with TBC, Darren’s focus has been on maximizing operational efficiency and client satisfaction. Darren has overseen management of critical performance stores and new store transitions as well as remodels and technology implementation. Darren’s focus on “New Store” transition accounts enables new store personnel and education partners to experience a smooth transition and an ongoing administrative partner for strategic decision making and growth planning. As president, Darren works with each division level of management to ensure that the interaction between TBC personnel and clients is one of the highest in terms of caliber of partnership and collaboration.
Career Highlights: B.A. in History, Texas A&M University, 1993; Oversight of 18 continuous years surpassing budgeted profit goals; Overseen 19 new store transitions with TBC; Designed and coordinated 16 TBC store remodels; Managed oversight of 24 Point-of-sale installations; 2012 TBC Eagle Award for recognition of continuous outstanding achievement in management.
Expertise: Contract Negotiations, Corporate Policy and Procedures, Multi-unit Store Management Operations; Training and Personnel Development; Textbook Management; Campus Relations; Store Transition Implementation
Thomas E. Steele, C.P.A.
Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer
Tom Steele’s retail and bookstore experience began when he was in college. Tom worked full-time at the University Co-op while attending The University of Texas at Austin rising from a textbook order clerk to the vice president of operations. During his tenure, Tom was responsible for seven stores with an annual volume of over $50,000,000. Tom now directs the financial plans and accounting practices of TBC. He oversees the financial and accounting system controls and standards and ensures timely financial and statistical reporting.
Career Highlights: B.B.A. with High Honors, University of Texas at Austin, 1995; First Del Webb employee to make Employee of the Year in their first year of employment; 1996; Passed CPA exam on first attempt, 1997; ICBA Board of Directors, 2000-2003; ICBA Outstanding Store Performance Award, 2005; Harvard School of Negotiation, 2007
Expertise: Financial Management; Lease Negotiations; Budgeting; Accounting; Customs and Importing; Licensing Negotiations; Store Operations; Loss Prevention; Human Resources and Employee Development; Online Fulfillment; Warehouse Operations
Dana Poag
Vice President, Campus Store, Military & OnCourse Divisions
Dana has over 25 years of experience in retail merchandising, with additional expertise in store operations, customer satisfaction and campus participation programs. After facilitating a hugely successful transformation of the USAO campus store operation, Dana was invited to join TBC’s general merchandise team as coordinator, assisting store managers with merchandise and display options. Dana then became a regional manager providing guidance and support to TBC’s Northern Region. For 15 consecutive years Dana has been a member of TBC’s President’s Club for achieving budgeted financial objectives. Dana now holds the position of vice president, focusing on store efficiencies, leadership and store team leadership, campus administration and faculty relations, and financial oversight.
Career Highlights: B.B.A. in Marketing, University of Oklahoma 1984; VP, Grady County United Fund; President, Chickasha Kiwanis Club; Honorary member and past president, Junior Social Workers; TBC 2006 Store Manager of the Year; 2011 TBC Spirit Award Recipient; 2018 TBC Eagle Award
Expertise: Campus Relations, Contract Negotiations, Purchasing; Sales Promotions, Merchandising, Inventory Management, Store Operations
Michael J. Kelly
Vice President, Wholesale Division
Mike Kelly began his career in the higher education support industry in 1990 when he joined Nebraska Book Company to help build an Internet company. After 15 years at Nebraska Book in numerous roles ranging from president of the Campus Hub to senior vice president of the textbooks division and complimentary services, Mike took a short break from higher education support. After 18 months as chief operating officer of a health care company in Nebraska, Mike moved to Texas to get back into textbooks.
Career Highlights: B.S.B.A. with Highest Distinction Bellevue University, Master Arts Business Management with Highest Distinction, Bellevue University; Past external board of advisors for Genesys Labs in Phoenix, Arizona; Past external board of advisors Leadership Resources Lincoln, Nebraska; Adjunct Professor for Masters Level Organizational Behavior, Bellevue University
Expertise: Financial Management; Change Management; Capital Expansion; University Administration Relations; Textbook Management; Acquisitions; Contract Negotiations; Corporate Policy and Procedures; Technology Design and Implementation
John Hutchings
Director of Information Technology
John Hutchings began his career in 1984 as a programmer analyst for Campbell Soup Company, and quickly became manager of development at the Paris, Texas Campbell Soup Plant. Mr. Hutchings has led IT efforts as an IT director or IT manager for several companies including: Bush Brothers, Walsh Lumpkin Drug Company, Spring Air Mattress Company, Covidien, and Lear Corporation, and HCL.
Career Highlights: BS in Physics and Math Texas A&M Commerce 1982; Highest ranking senior in Physics Texas A&M Commerce. Additional graduate studies in Physics at Texas A&M Commerce and in business at University of Southern California and University of Tennessee. Completed an additional under graduate major in Computer Science at Texas A&M Commerce in 2014. Award of Excellence recipient at Campbell Soup Company for development of a company wide Warehouse Management System. John has led complete ERP transformation projects for several fortune 100 companies.
Expertise: Business Process Redesign and Transformation, Enterprise Resource Planning, Application Development Management, Infrastructure Design, Project Management, Manufacturing, and Supply Chain Management.
TBC
8501 Technology Circle,
Greenville, Texas 75402
800-527-1016
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