Lakeside Book Company

Lakeside Book Company

Lakeside Book Company operates as a vertically integrated manufacturer, warehouser, and distributor for publishers across North America. The business runs production facilities in Warrenville, Illinois and has expanded its Canadian footprint through Marquis Book Printing, which operates plants in Quebec and Ontario, alongside a logistics center. The corporate family also includes Phoenix Color, a full-color printer and component manufacturer with over 40 years of experience, and the publishing imprint Dover Publications, known for children's books, adult coloring books, music scores, and educational resources. Its core model spans three functions the company labels as 'Print, Store, and Sell.' On the print side, services include book printing, prepress, file layout, design, and specialty embellishments with sustainability options. Warehousing and fulfillment handle global distribution and inventory management, while the sales operation provides order processing and retail channel connections. The company also publishes directly through Dover and REA — the latter produces test-prep materials for AP, CLEP, and teacher certification exams — making Lakeside simultaneously a manufacturer and a publisher holding its own catalog. The group runs paper-based manufacturing at scale but does not publicly disclose total production volume, financial metrics, or professional headcount. Its Canadian division Laurentien specializes in student planners and yearbooks for schools, keeping all production steps within Canada for data-security purposes. Lakeside's stated commitment to sustainability includes responsibly sourced materials and reforestation programs, with an annual Sustainability Report. Lakeside's structural differentiator is owning both the manufacturing base and a consumer-facing publishing catalog, which creates a dual identity rare among book-production companies. Instead of being solely a vendor to publishers, it competes with its own customers in the trade and education markets while also serving as their supply-chain partner — a tension that defines its portfolio architecture.