Carmichael’s Bookstore has been voted PW’s Bookseller of the Year, while Tom Benton has taken the award as Rep of the Year. Carmichael’s finished first in a close race with several other nominees, while Benton had a more comfortable edge.
Founded in 1978 in Louisville, Ky., by Carol Besse and Michael Boggs, Carmichael’s is still owned by the couple and employs seven other full-time employees plus 13 part-timers. The Besse-Boggs team owns two stores in Louisville, the 976-sq.-ft. store on Louisville’s Bardstown Road and the 1,521-sq.-ft store on Frankfort Avenue. Both stores are located in historic buildings and reflect the tastes of the owners. Carmichael’s has been in touch enough with its customers that over the past 10 years sales have doubled and profits tripled.
Benton has been a sales rep for almost 25 years and now works for Penguin.
Both Carmichael’s and Benton will receive their awards at a presentation at this year’s BEA and will be featured in PW’s April 27 pre-BEA issue.
