Our History
Established in Nashville, Tennessee in 1855, Southwestern Family of Companies is a diversified, growing, international, and employee-owned company built on a foundation of principles and purpose. Comprised of companies with a shared mission of building people and helping others, Southwestern Family of Companies provides a large range of products and services, including educational books and websites, school fundraising efforts, healthy meal solutions, luxury travel packages, financial advising, consulting services, sales and leadership coaching and more. In its early days, Southwestern Family of Companies had one focus: publishing and selling first Bibles and then educational books door-to-door. In the aftermath of the Civil War, door-to-door book sales provided an opportunity for young people to earn money to pay for a college education. Today, the business—now known as Southwestern Advantage—remains the company’s core business entity, with college-aged entrepreneurs around the world promoting educational study systems that combine the best features of print and online media. Southwestern Family of Companies has expanded beyond Southwestern Publishing House and Southwestern Advantage to include member companies across a range of industries and continues to grow each year.