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Southwestern Advantage

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Last verified Monday, November 9, 2026

Southwestern Advantage Current Status and History

Southwestern Advantage traces its roots to Southwestern Publishing House, founded in Nashville in 1855 by Baptist minister James Robinson "J.R." Graves. After the Civil War, the company developed a door-to-door sales program in 1868, giving young people an opportunity to sell Bibles and educational books to earn money for college. That program eventually evolved into Southwestern Advantage, now part of the privately held Southwestern Family of Companies, a Nashville-based group encompassing more than 20 businesses. Southwestern describes its program as the oldest continuously operating entrepreneurial/direct-selling program for college students.

Today, Southwestern Advantage markets educational products directly to families, primarily through college-age independent sales representatives. Its product line combines printed books with subscription-based digital learning programs for preschool through high school, college preparation, parents and families. Products include Advantage4Kids, Advantage4Teens, the Advantage Series, Honors Advantage, College Entrance Advantage, Explore & Learn, Family Bible Library, Guiding Principles and LEAD, along with the Southwestern Advantage Global Academy subscription platform.

Students participate as independent contractors rather than employees. They generally travel to a sales territory during their summer break and sell door-to-door through cold calls, referrals and appointments. Dealers purchase products from Southwestern at wholesale prices and earn the difference between the wholesale and retail price. They do not have to purchase inventory in advance, may return unsold merchandise in good condition, and receive their sales kit and training without charge. Dealers are responsible for their own transportation, food, lodging and other business expenses. The company says successful participants commonly work 12 to 13 hours per day, six days per week during the summer selling season.

Southwestern describes itself specifically as a "single level marketing company" and says representatives are not paid simply for recruiting another participant. There is, however, a team-building component to the compensation structure. Southwestern's current disclosure states that qualified dealers can receive a "dealer discount" or rebate based on their team's production, in addition to personal retail profit and residual income from digital subscriptions. Dealers may also qualify for prizes based on sales or team-building performance. The company separately states that representatives who build teams receive a discount on the wholesale cost of the merchandise they personally sell.

Southwestern publishes unusually detailed participant earnings information. For 2025, it reported 917 total participants. First-year representatives included in its annual earnings table averaged $7,127.45 in gross income over an average of 64 selling days, with results ranging from $0 to $41,208.66. Second-year participants averaged $24,472.34, while those in their fifth year or later averaged $62,445.37. These figures are gross income before individual business and living expenses

Company timeline

  1. 1855 Baptist minister James Robinson "J.R." Graves founds Southwestern Publishing House in Nashville, publishing religious newspapers, tracts, and related materials.
  2. 1868 Graves begins training young men as independent door-to-door agents selling Bibles and educational books, starting the student sales program that later becomes Southwestern Advantage.
  3. 1968 Times Mirror Company acquires Southwestern.
  4. 1982 Southwestern employees buy the company back from Times Mirror and rename it Southwestern/Great American Incorporated (SWGA Inc.).
  5. 2022 Longtime President Dan Moore retires after 49 years with the company, and Dave Causer succeeds him as President of Southwestern Advantage.

Related companies and people

These people and companies appear in the public record around Southwestern Advantage:

  • James Robinson "J.R." Graves — Founded Southwestern Publishing House in 1855 and launched the door-to-door student sales program in 1868.
  • Times Mirror Company — Acquired Southwestern in 1968 before selling it back to company employees in 1982.
  • Southwestern Family of Companies — Owns Southwestern Advantage within its Nashville group of businesses.
  • Henry Bedford — Serves as CEO and Chairman of the Board of Southwestern Family of Companies.
  • Dave Causer — Serves as President of Southwestern Advantage.
  • Dan Moore — Served as President of Southwestern Advantage until retiring at the end of 2022.
  • Global Educational Concepts — Employs Dave Causer as President alongside his Southwestern Advantage role.

Sources

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