What’s the scoop on BJU Press?
Do you know about this business? If you are heading out of downtown Greenville to Greer along U.S. 29, it looks like a quiet 1970s strip mall. But it’s a growing, bustling 24-hour printing press and media production studio with 400 employees.
What is the company’s history?
In 1974, two Bob Jones University professors created a physical science textbook for families. Over several decades, The University Press grew quickly. Products ranged from handwriting manuals to textbooks to parenting guides. In the 1990s, the company even began to experiment with multimedia like a science film series.
What has changed recently?
Three years ago, Bob Jones University divested its interest in the printing company to maintain its tax-exempt status. The printing press is now a wholly owned private corporation with a president and board of directors. BJU Press, as the company is now called, has a president who is very optimistic about growth.
Who is the president?
Bill Apelian, a seasoned manufacturing executive and retired Marine, has been president for 20 years. While the revenue numbers are private, Apelian does share that the company has doubled in size in the last 20 years.
Who is the customer?
Thirty percent of all sales are to home schooling parents; the rest are to private schools. According to the U.S. Department of Education 2018 report, there are 2 million home-schooled children in the United States, approximately 3.4% of the total student population.
As international shipping costs decrease, Apelian says the company now ships to 117 countries.
What is unique about this business?
The products include textbooks and distance-learning materials (videos) for students from kindergarten to grade 12. Apelian outlines the company’s focus: to produce biblical worldview-learning products that are academically rigorous. Like all textbook companies, he also emphasizes the importance of preparing students for standardized tests such as the Stanford, Iowa, SAT and ACT tests.
Does the product change?
Wait — isn’t high school physics just physics forever? Apparently not. Textbooks are updated every five years, Apelian says. As soon as they are printed and shipped (typically in the summer), the three-year process for updating begins.
How does a printing company stay current?
“You have to look into the future and see what is trending and evaluate and plan for it,” Apelian says. Digital learning is a large growth sector, and the company produces 5,000 hours of digital learning. All media is produced on-site and accessible in multiple ways — even chemistry labs. Remote areas of the world may still lack high-speed internet access, so a teacher or parent can request a DVD for a course.
What is the secret to the company’s growth?
It is probably not a secret as the home schooling market and the private school populations grow. Apelian states that the business’s largest sales force is a group of 200 home-schooling moms who are the engine behind the sales team. These parents work on a commission basis and sell the products worldwide.
What’s next?
According to the BJU Press website, there are more than 30 job openings ranging from digital teachers to accounting positions. To check out more, visit www.bjupress.com. The company is gearing up for its 50th anniversary in 2024.
My product pitch: Send the calculus textbooks to home-school parents with complimentary soothing tea and headache relief.
Amy Ryberg Doyle most recently served on Greenville City Council for 12 years. She began her career in the internet space working for America Online and QVC. She is married and has four children and is an outdoor enthusiast. She likes to bike, swim and run, but not all in that order. She power–naps daily.
Photos provided by BJU Press
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