Bellwether Media was founded by John Martin as Bellwether Media, Inc., in 2005 as a privately held publishing firm. Bellwether Media's headquarters is nestled in the lakes area of Minneapolis, Minnesota. The mission of Bellwether is to improve literacy around the world. Toward this end, the company publishes engaging and accessible reading materials for beginning and struggling readers. Its products, published under the Blastoff! Readers and Torque Books brands, can now be found in most libraries throughout the United States. The company also has a significant international presence including Canada, South Africa, and the far East.