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WHY BMS?

OUTSTANDING MANAGEMENT

LEADERSHIP TEAM

James E. LaPrade Sr

James E. LaPrade Sr

CEO / President
James provides the vision, leadership, strategy, and general management skills necessary to grow and expand BMS. His dedication to employee development inspires our team to work hard every day.

James E. LaPrade, Sr. is a second generation owner of BMS Direct, a family founded business. His leadership and experience of over twenty years in the direct mail industry can be attributed to his management experience, service with the United States Army National Guard and community involvement.

As a graduate of Radford University and a member of Sigma Chi Fraternity, James’ management style incorporates camaraderie, family values, loyalty and hard work.

It is important for James to keep balance between physical well being and community involvement. He does this by being an active member of the Lynchburg Member Rotary Club and by his commitment to competitive running and triathlons.

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Tom Lawrence

VP Sales & Marketing
Tom is responsible for the development and execution of Sales and Marketing strategies that deliver the greatest value to our customers. This includes working closely with our customers and other members of the BMS team to ensure the solutions we offer are customized to meet the unique needs of each customer.

Tom is an industry veteran with over 37 years of related Sales Management and Marketing experience. His strong record of performance recruiting, developing and leading high-performance Sales and Marketing teams is a critical component of our focus in driving results for BMS and our customers. This includes identifying new markets and products/services that will add additional value to these relationships. Tom’s experience includes the sharing of “best practices” within various vertical markets including; Healthcare, Manufacturing, Financial Services, Education, Government, Retailing

Tom and his wife relocated from Mobile Al to join the BMS team. They both enjoy camping and spending time in the outdoors, especially when it involves grilling.

Tom and his spouse are from Alabama.

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John Smoot

Controller
John serves as Controller for BMS Direct. In this role he leads strategic financial decisions, directing the accounting and financial management for the organization. His responsibilities include the accounting, human resources, and purchasing functions.

His experience spans over three decades, with the majority of those years devoted to the manufacturing and healthcare industries, including business ownership. John’s prior roles include experience in controllership, accounting, treasury, information technology, supply chain, and project management.

John approaches his role with a heart for the people of BMS Direct, focused on helping others achieve personal growth and success. He is driven by a desire to help the company achieve financial success and remain good financial stewards of the resources.
John was born and raised in Lynchburg and earned his accounting degree from Lynchburg College.

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Jeffrey Betterton VP of Customer Service and IT

Jeffrey Betterton

VP of Customer Service and IT
Jeff is responsible for all technical advancements of BMS. With his unique perspective and strategic vision, he leads a team of project managers and IT professionals that help provide our customers with quality products. His experience and thoughtful guidance helps our team provide clients with superior customer service on every touchpoint before, during, and after each project.

Jeffrey Betterton has over 25 years of experience in direct mail and marketing. With BMS Direct since 1993, Jeffrey plans and supervises all activities and services related to the information system design, data processing, operations, programming, documentation, and data communications.

As a graduate of Lynchburg College with a BS in Information Systems, Jeffrey is able to apply his knowledge and experience to the company’s ever-changing technology.

Actively involved with the Mailing & Fulfillment Service Association and All Point EAP Organizational Services, Jeffrey is married and has a son.

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Tony Tysver General Manager

Tony Tysver

General Manager
Tony’s unique role is at the heart of our company. He is our go-to person for getting it done! He is responsible for BMS production and product services. He oversees all aspects of managing quality assurance programs, supervising, hiring, and training other employees, monitoring existing processes and analyzing their effectiveness; and creating strategies to improve productivity and efficiency.

Tony Tysver brings over 20 years of management experience to BMS Direct. While his responsibilities include managing the production area and overseeing materials and distribution, Tony maintains focus on meeting customer needs and exceeding their expectations.

Tony holds a degree in business administration and is actively involved in the Society of Human Resource Management, Central Virginia Safety Network and All Points EAP.

As a volunteer soccer coach, Tony follows the mantra “Work Hard, Do the Right Thing”. His community involvement and commitment to his family keep him busy while he is away from the office.

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Contact Our Team

info@bmsdirectinc.com | 866-816-2378

37 Millrace Drive
Lynchburg, VA 24502-4343
(866) 816-2378

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