The History of Oldham Beckley
OLDHAM BECKLEY INVESTMENT GROUP originated many years before taking a formal name. In 1994, a woman who had worked in Todd McWhirter’s Sales Organization, approached Todd about investing in MediaStore-- a start-up founded by her husband Mike Hummel.

Todd was intrigued by the opportunity, and MediaStore became the first OLDHAM BECKLEY investment.

After Todd initially invested, he let his alumni network of bookpeople know about open job opportunities with the new company. Brian Fleener, who had been a member of Todd’s sales organization for several summers, packed up his car and headed from Tennessee to Los Angeles to join Mike Hummel and Joe Pearce at MediaStore.

Todd believed that he had made a sound investment. He also knew that Brian’s sales ability and stick-to-it-ness would lower the risk of investing in start-ups in general. So, he began to let the word out that Media Store was looking for more seed money. A few friends and family saw the opportunity and decided to join Todd as shareholders in the company. Sales were made, business was done, and the company began to maximize shareholders’ wealth. Media Store multiplied investors’ money 3 times in 3 years.

About that time, Mike decided to branch off and start another company. He convinced Brian to join him. It would become the second OLDHAM BECKLEY Company: Stomp, Inc. With the success of MediaStore under their belt, raising the funds was a bit easier. More ‘book people’ invested in what would become a start-up story to surpass even our loftiest goals.

Soon after came Zoom Culture. Fortis Riders was next, then Artillery, Smith Center, Renewable Choice, Lewis & Clark , US Americom, and Echota Beverage Group. With each investment came more ‘book people’ wanting to invest. As the numbers of investors grew, so did the opportunities for some to do consulting work for equity. Calls kept coming in from summer book selling alumni who were starting companies. The word was out, and OLDHAM BECKLEY was in full bloom.


The Name
In 2002, Todd saw the need to put a face on what had gone 7 years without a formal name. OLDHAM BECKLEY is named in honor of an amazing man who, if it were not for him, Summer Book Selling alumni would likely not be alumni at all.

His name is Dortch Oldham. He is the true entrepreneurial spirit of the summer sales program. “OLDHAM” represents the entrepreneurs of Oldham Beckley. Beckley , West Virginia , is where Dortch spent many of his summers selling in the program. He eventually bought the Summer Sales Company in 1958. "BECKLEY" represents the Investors who fuel new businesses.

If half of OLDHAM BECKLEY’s entrepreneurs do half the job Dortch Oldham did with leading companies in the 50s and 60s, the group will be a wild success: Dortch bought the Summer Sales Company in 1958 for $150,000. 10 years later he, and his business partners, successfully sold the Company for $17 million. Not a bad ROI for the folks who Dortch offered shares to along the way.

Dortch was brilliant in that he was humble. Knowing that he could not grow this Sales Company by himself, he had the wisdom to share his company by selling shares to his key people. Through this co-ownership philosophy, his ruthless commitment to quality, and his Christ-like philosophy of serving customers and employees, Dortch built a loyal team of amazing people as sharp as himself, which jointly lead the company to great heights.

That team, consisting of a young men such as Spencer Hays, Fred Landers and Rich Penuel, built and sold a Company that gave the shareholders a 110 times R0I in 10 years.

“Humble and brilliant,” is how Todd described Dortch after talking with him about old times at that Summer Sales Company. Much of Todd’s ‘due-diligence’ philosophy with OLDHAM BECKLEY companies comes from Dortch’s proven business philosophies.

Today, OLDHAM BECKLEY is in a similar position that Summer Sales Company during the 1950s. OLDHAM BECKLEY has holdings in several young ‘book people’ start-ups, and is actively involved with most of these companies. From funding to doing sales training, from consulting to recruiting many of the key partners, from helping with board decisions to adding future growth and value, OLDHAM BECKLEY aims to maximize shareholder value through this unique alumni synergy and through proven philosophies that OLDHAM BECKLEY holds fundamental

To find out more about OLDHAM BECKLEY investors, entrepreneurs, or consultants, click the appropriate link. Or contact us.