Book Publishers

A Gala Party Will Take Place on June 26th 2004 to Celebrate The Anniversary of One of The Last Independently-Owned Medical Publishers In America

Philadelphia, PA  - /Send2Press Newswire/ -- F.A. Davis Company (www.fadavis.com), one of the last independently-owned medical publishers in America, will celebrate its 125th anniversary in Philadelphia on June 26th. More than 300 guests are expected to attend the company's celebration.

When asked what contributes to the company's long-time success, President Robert Craven, Jr. stated, "We have a tremendous advantage over our competitors because we publish at the grass roots level. Management at all levels makes informed decisions due to their proximity to our customers -- health care educators, students and clinicians. We stay close to the action."

It's also clear that F.A. Davis's success is based on employee loyalty. At just over 100 employees, Mr. Craven is proud to point out that, "One-third of our employees have been with the company more than ten years and many have migrated from much larger companies."

"I worked for a major publishing house before coming to F.A. Davis and always felt like a number among thousands of employees," pointed out Neil Kelly, Executive Director of Sales. "F.A. Davis has the same mission and purpose as when I started in 1987 -- to publish quality health science textbooks based on what the market is demanding, while staying independent."

Senior Vice-President Judy Ilov Neely, who's been with the company for 20 years, said, "I've personally experienced and been able to offer others unlimited opportunity for personal and professional development, which I hadn't anticipated finding at a smaller company. The size of the company has allowed me to expand my experience into several areas and has made my current and previous positions very challenging and rewarding."

She added, "Because of our size, each employee has a unique role and therefore every employee matters. F. A. Davis doesn't have a corporate parent dictating certain profit margins each year regardless of market conditions."

Rob Craven, Jr. summed up his employees' comments by saying, "In today's unstable world, F.A. Davis stands tall as a refuge from corporate chaos."

F.A. Davis Company was founded in 1879 by Frank Allston Davis. Frank died in 1917 leaving the company to his widow, Irene (Craven) Davis, who ran the company until 1960. During her tenure, F.A. Davis published the first edition of Taber's Cyclopedic Dictionary, which continues to be one of the country's best selling professional books.

Irene Davis's nephew, Robert Craven, Sr., managed the company's commission sales force, but Irene would not allow her nephew to work in the field with the reps, lest he have his morals corrupted. "I've heard about the ways of salesmen," she said. He later gained the sales experience he needed and in 1960 became president.

In 1989, shortly after the first edition of another best-selling F.A. Davis book was published, Davis's "Drug Guide for Nurses," Rob Craven, Jr., succeeded his father as president, becoming only the fourth person to lead the company in its 125 years.

Under his guidance the company has had its most impressive sales ever, breaking new ground with its latest best-selling publication, "RNotes" and the related titles in the entire Davis's Notes Series. "In retrospect, we did most of our growing after our competitors were swept up by foreign corporate giants," Rob stated.

Website: www.fadavis.com

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