Citing industry shifts as well as disruptions in the publishing supply chain caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, Ingram Content Group said it is investing millions of dollars in an upgrade to its global printing and distribution network.
In the U.S., Ingram said it is investing “millions of dollars” to increase capacity in its print-on-demand manufacturing plants located in Allentown, Pa., Jackson, Tenn., and La Vergne, Tenn. New printing, binding, trimming, and shipping/sortation equipment will be installed now through October, which the company said will increase U.S. capacity “by double-digit percentages,” adding that it expects to “hire hundreds of new associates in these facilities.”
In the U.K., Ingram has completed the move of the NBNi warehouse operation (acquired in 2017) from Plymouth to a new 98,000-sq.-ft. facility in Milton Keynes, near its print-on-demand operation in that city. The company is also completing upgrades to its POD business there that it said will increase its print capacity by double-digit percentages.
Ingram expects to bring a new 50,000-sq.-ft. printing and shipping plant in Melbourne, Australia, online this fall. The expansion, Ingram said, is designed to give overseas publishers an Australian-based manufacturing and fulfillment option. The upgrades will double print and shipping capabilities in Australia, the company added.
"Ingram remains committed to supporting the industry and our Lightning Source business," Ingram CEO and president Shawn Morin said in a statement. "We look forward to working with clients and customers as our new capabilities come online, and continuing to help content reach its destination."
