Big Hearted Books & Clothing Absorbs Competitor

The following is a news release from prweb.com:

Big Hearted Books & Clothing Inc., a collector and redistributor of unneeded books and clothing, today announced it has acquired several assets from Got Books, a competitor firm. Under the terms of the agreement, Big Hearted Books & Clothing Inc. purchased Got Books’ name and trademark, logo, client and container management software, Web site, the rights to their book collection sites and the books presently in the containers. The deal for an undisclosed amount closed February 14, 2014.

“Although we were competitors, Big Hearted Books & Clothing Inc. and Got Books shared the same goal: to find a way to repurpose and reuse books,” said Kevin Howard, president and founder, Big Hearted Books & Clothing Inc. “This deal will support our efforts to expand our business locally and as a result, increase the volume of books we save from landfills.”

Got Books worked with sites across New England to collect used books from donation containers. Big Hearted Books & Clothing Inc. is hoping to add these sites to its own roster of book donation locations, including schools, churches, municipalities, shopping plazas and “mom and pop” businesses.

“We pride ourselves on delivering high quality customer service. We’re a local company and our customers appreciate that we frequently visit, monitor and maintain their donation sites,” said Howard. “If left uncared for, the collection containers can easily rust and become public dumping grounds. Any books left outside would be ruined. It’s important to us that our drop-off sites and the surrounding area remain clean and well-maintained and that we respond to client requests quickly.”

Salvaged books are either resold or donated to local organizations and charities that range from senior centers and hospitals to prisons.

Former Got Books host sites and partners can visit http://www.bigheartedbooks.com/frequently-asked-questions for additional information. To host a donation bin or request donated books, visit Big Hearted Books at bigheartedbooks.com.

About Big Hearted Books 
Based in Sharon, Mass., Big Hearted Books & Clothing Inc. collects unwanted media, including books, records, CDs, video games and DVDs, and redistributes them to people who can use them. In 2014, the firm expanded its collection services to include clothing and shoes.

Established in 2009, Big Hearted Books keeps more than 5000 tons of books out of landfills annually. Ninety percent of the books collected by Big Hearted Books & Clothing Inc. are repurposed. They are sold wholesale or on-line or given to groups in need, such as prisons, senior centers, kindergartens and town libraries. Badly damaged books are recycled back into paper. Wet or moldy books are the only books thrown out. Visit Big Hearted Books online at bigheartedbooks.com.