GAP Books: Celebrating 50 years of Directory Publishing
Although Gail and Alan Philipp only created GAP Books in 2008 – they have been publishing leading Directories and databases for 50 years.
In 1977, Alan and Gail Philipp created the company that became AP Information services Ltd and for 30 years, the company very successfully published a range of Award winning Business Directories in sectors such as Pensions, Marketing, HR and Corporate Finance.
GAP Books acquires ELC International
Alan Philipp of GAP Books, London and William Snyder of ELC International announced the completion of the sale of all ELC International assets and publications in January 2011.
ELC International has been publishing specialised business directories since 1977. The company has always focused on providing information on the largest companies in either a country or geographical area.
Their major publications include Europe’s 15,000 Largest Companies and Asia’s 10,000 Largest Companies
According to Alan Philipp, Managing Partner of GAP Books “This is a very logical expansion and integration of companies directories to our existing list of Dun & Bradstreet titles we publish and distribute including Key British Enterprises and D&B Business Registers.”
DPA honours Alan Philipp with lifetime achievement award
Alan Philipp was presented with the Data Publishers Association’s lifetime achievement award, the George Henderson trophy, at a reception for 120 publishing professionals at the Reform Club, Pall Mall-London on the 20th January 2010.
The George Henderson Award was established to commemorate outstanding contribution to the UK directory and data publishing sector.
Alan said he was ‘tremendously honoured’ to receive the Award, following previous illustrious recipients, John Condon of Yell and Tom Hempenstall, who for many years ran Metal Bulletin.
“This is so special as it is made to me by my peers in publishing and caps the earlier achievements of winning DPA Awards for Publisher of the Year and Directory of the Year.”
Dun & Bradstreet
In 2004, we were asked by D&B (Dun & Bradstreet) to take over the publication of all their UK based Directories and to act as the UK agent for books published in other countries as part of D&B.
This business now forms the key part of GAP Books.
Printed directories are still a key source of information for libraries, information professionals and above all, the whole business Community.
The D&B Directories that we publish list not only the top 800,000 companies in UK and Ireland but have substantial information on the structure of Group Companies throughout the world, which are listed in the 18 volumes of Who Owns Whom.
These publications are invaluable for companies large and small as a key information source.
Address Books
Alan Philipp started publishing the Address Book for the Alumni of INSEAD in 1969.
INSEAD (then known as The European Institute for Business Administration, as well as by the acronym INSEAD) was already one of the most important and oldest Business Schools in Europe and just over 1000 alumni were listed in the first edition of their Address Book.
INSEAD is now known as “The Business School for the World” and the Alumni Address Book that we edited and published this list 50,000 Business men and women throughout the world for 47 years. They have studied at the INSEAD Campuses in Fontainebleau, France or in Singapore.
This Alumni Address Book was the longest established and most successful one of its kind in the world.