Christianbook, LLC, formerly known as Christian Book Distributors (CBD), is a Christian catalog and internet retailer.
| Formerly | Christian Book Distributors |
|---|---|
| Company type | Private company |
| Industry | Christian retail |
| Founded | 1978 |
| Headquarters | Peabody, Massachusetts |
Key people | Ray Hendrickson, President & CEO |
| Products | Books, Bibles, DVDs, CDs, mp3s, gifts, toys, games |
Number of employees | 500+ |
| Website | www.christianbook.com |
Christian Book Distributors was started in 1978 by Stephen Hendrickson, a sophomore at Central Bible College in Springfield, Missouri, out of his parents' home in Lynn, Massachusetts. Hendrickson incorporated the business, first as a nonprofit, and subsequently as a for profit corporation on September 10, 1981.[1] Hendrickson's family – including his parents, the Rev. George and Lena Hendrickson,[a] his younger brother Ray, and older brothers Paul and Dave – assisted in running the business, helping to fulfill orders, fund the business, and programme its website. The business was run out of the family home until 1981, when it moved to its first of five future locations in Peabody, Massachusetts, as Stephen graduated from Central Bible College, and Ray graduated from high school.[citation needed]
In 1984, the company built a 24,000-square-foot (2,200 m2) facility in the Centennial Industrial Park in Peabody. By 1996, CBD had completely outgrown the site and built a new facility across the street, where it remains today. The facility is now 300,000 square feet (28,000 m2). CBD employs a staff of just over 500 while continuing to be a family affair — Ray Hendrickson is the President and CEO, in addition to his 81-year-old mother and 27-year-old son.[2]
CBD was selected by The Boston Globe as one of the Top 100 Places to Work in Massachusetts five years running, from 2009 to 2013.[3]
History
This section needs additional citations for verification. (February 2022) |
CBD was started by Stephen Hendrickson out of his parents' home in Lynn, Massachusetts in 1978. CBD originally carried several hundred academic titles and offered them at discounted prices to pastors and Bible school students. With the assistance of his family in funding the business, completing orders and programming its website, the business grew quickly, with the family home overflowing with stock for customer orders.[citation needed]
In 1980, CBD hosted their first showroom sale at the Holiday Inn in Peabody, MA. The showroom sales, which were eventually hosted in their warehouse,[when?] became an important event for the business, regularly drawing thousands of customers several times a year.[citation needed]
A year later in 1981, CBD moved out of the Hendrickson family home into a business space in the neighboring city of Peabody, which would remain its home, despite the company moving several times in later years.[citation needed]
In 1984, CBD became the largest company in the direct-to-consumer Christian catalog business. With a staff of 30, CBD moved into a newly-built 24,000-square-foot (2,200 m2) facility that accommodated the entirety of the business. The company remained at that site until it relocated across the street to its current location in August 1996.[citation needed]
By 1989, the number of employees grew to 90, while the company's building was expanded from 24,000 square feet (2,200 m2) to 52,000 square feet (4,800 m2). In 1995, CBD expanded their product line to include Christian music. In 1996, CBD moved into its newly constructed 240,000-square-foot (22,000 m2) facility – its current location today. 1996 was also the year CBD introduced their website, Christianbook.com. With the development of Christianbook.com, CBD was able to offer customers a wider range of products. The company grew to a staff of 320.
In, 2003, CBD sent out more than 50 catalogs, and towards the end of the year had expanded their music offering to include digital downloads from various major Christian music companies. The following year, CBD moved into a new phase of ownership as Ray Hendrickson replaced Stephen Hendrickson as President/CEO.[4] CBD celebeated its 30th anniversary in 2008, and announced that they had entered into a partnership agreement with Focus on the Family to take over the ministry's e-commerce site and product distribution. The partnership took effect in early 2009.[5]
In 2009, Christianbook.com re-launched their MP3 store, featuring an expanded selection of 100% DRM-free MP3 music titles for download to computers, iPods, and other devices. CBD was selected by The Boston Globe as one of 2009's Top 100 Places to Work in Massachusetts, ranking #22 overall and #8 in the mid-sized company category.
In June 2019, Christian Book Distributors changed its name to Christianbook, Inc., due to confusion with CBD, a chemical from cannabis.[6]
Notes
- ^ Both parents were ministers in the Assemblies of God denomination; Lena became one of the first employees of the company, working at CBD and Hendrickson Publishers for over three decades.[citation needed]
References
- ^ "Christian Book Distributors Articles of Incorporation" (PDF). pdfhost.io. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-08-09. Retrieved 2021-08-03.
- ^ http://twp.workplacedynamics.com/company_survey/christian-book-distributors-inc_ma/ma_09 Archived March 9, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Boston.com - The Globe 100's Top Places to Work - 2009 - Christian Book Distributors - Jobs". archive.boston.com.
- ^ "CHRISTIAN BOOK DISTRIBUTORS SOLD, REMAINS A FAMILY BUSINESS". www.christianretailing.com.
- ^ "Christian Book Distributors Company History - BibleGateway with Christianbook.com". biblegateway.christianbook.com.
- ^ Vigdor, Neil (July 13, 2019). "The Other CBD: Christian Book Distributors Changes Name After Cannabis Confusion". New York Times. Retrieved July 21, 2019.