KMC Music helps to keep amateur and professional musicians plugged in to the latest and greatest. Formerly Kaman Music Corporation, it's the largest independent distributor of musical instruments and accessories in the US. KMC's products portfolio includes Ovation and Hamer guitars, Gibraltar hardware, Latin Percussion, and Toca drums. It also sells Takamine guitars, Gretsch drums, Sabian cymbals, and Genz Benz amps. KMC peddles its products in the US, Asia/Pacific, Australia, Europe, and South America and through wholesale catalogs with more than 36,000 products. KMC was founded in 1966 as Ovation Instruments and in 2007 it was acquired by industry behemoth Fender Musical Instruments Corporation.

LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention helps to spread the teachings of Jesus. The company is a not-for-profit Christian publisher; it also sells Bibles and other good books, CDs, gifts, software, church furniture, signs, and other supplies through more than 150 LifeWay Christian Stores in about 25 US states, online, and through its catalog. In addition, LifeWay operates two of the nation's largest Christian conference facilities (and summer camps). LifeWay Ridgecrest Conference Center in North Carolina and LifeWay Glorieta Conference Center in New Mexico together welcome about 2,000 conference and overnight guests per year. LifeWay was founded in 1891 by Dr. J.M. Frost.

MBS Textbook Exchange gives college kids around the country some spending cash at the end of every semester. In addition to distributing new and used textbooks to more than 4,000 colleges and universities nationwide, the company also develops and sells the systems that enable bookstores to sell books and buy them back. MBS is organized into MBS Wholesale, MBS Direct, and MBS Systems. The wholesale division supplies campus bookstores, while the direct division provides books to private K-12 schools, vocational schools, teaching hospitals, and community colleges. The company was founded in 1909 as The Missouri Store Company and became MBS Textbook Exchange in 1980.

Monsoon Commerce Solutions (MCS) helps online retailers and booksellers through its Marketplace Services and Selling Solutions divisions, providing retail management software, distribution assistance, and hosted store services. Its roster of more than 15,000 customers includes libraries, wholesalers, retailers, and consumers in about 50 countries. The Alibris Retail unit operates Alibris.com, an online marketplace for independent sellers of books, music, and movies. Founded in 1998, the firm acquired Monsoon in early 2010 and then reorganized and changed its name. MCS is owned by Oak Hill Capital Partners.

Nebraska Book Company (NBC) can help college students across the US with book learnin'. One of the largest textbook distributors in the nation, NBC sells more than 7 million books annually. It serves a client base of some 2,500 booksellers and operates more than 275 bookstores on or adjacent to college campuses that sell and rent textbooks and other merchandise. In addition, NBC provides educational materials to students in private high schools, nontraditional colleges, and corporate and correspondence classes, as well as store management and e-commerce software. The company was founded in 1915 as a single bookstore near The University of Nebraska. It is controlled by investment firm Weston Presidio.

Sam Ash Music has been instrumental in many a musician's livelihood. The #2 musical instrument retailer in the US (behind Guitar Center), Sam Ash Music (SAM) operates about 45 stores in more than 15 states including California, New York, and Texas. Besides instruments, SAM sells sheet music, recording equipment, lighting, computers, and music software. It also sells online. SAM also sells vintage guitars, offers custom-built instruments and music clinics, and buys used musical instruments. It also runs a pro services and parts division, Sam Ash Professional, and an Educational Division serving schools. The company was founded in 1924 by Sam and Rose Ashkynase, whose descendants still own and run the company.

Source Interlink wants to have a hand in the transaction. A major distributor of magazines in the US and Canada, its customers have included Barnes & Noble, Target, CVS, 7-Eleven, and Wal-Mart. In addition to distribution, Source Interlink publishes special-interest magazines, such as Motor Trend, Soap Opera Digest, and Stereophile. It also owns and produces content for about 90 websites. The firm filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2009 and emerged in June as a privately held company.

Sweetwater Sound helps musicians and recording engineers make sweet music. The music technology retailer sells professional recording and live sound equipment, musical instruments (guitars, basses, keyboards, and drums), computers and software, and accessories through its website and catalogs. Manufacturers include Roland, Yamaha, and Kurzweil. The company was founded in 1979 by Chuck Surack as a four-track recording studio. The retail division grew out of Surack's need for a source for affordable, high-quality gear. Sweetwater Sound moved into its new corporate headquarters in Fort Wayne, Indiana in 2006. The following year, it acquired music retailer Lentine's Music from GE Capital for $4.5 million.

Tattered Cover Book Store, an independent seller of new books in Denver. Tattered Cover stocks some half a million titles in three locations: inside the Lowenstein Theater on Colfax Avenue, historic lower downtown (LoDo) Denver, and suburb Highlands Ranch. Each store encourages customers to linger by offering overstuffed chairs and reading lamps. Tattered Cover attracts customers with activities such as book groups for adults and children and author readings and signings. The company was founded by owner and CEO Joyce Meskis, a former librarian, in 1974.

The Booksource Inc. company sells new hardcover and paperback books to school libraries and classrooms across the US. It's part of a growing trend to place small libraries in classrooms to encourage kids to pick up a book and read. Booksource also owns San Val, which operates two binderies that turn paperback books into hardcovers for use in schools and public libraries. Its Peaceable Kingdom Press makes cards, calendars, posters, and other paper products for kids that are sold in book and toy stores worldwide. The firm is owned by founder Sandy Jaffe and his children Neil (president), Gary (COO), and Donna (head of Peaceable Kingdom).

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