As part of its plan to integrate all of its operations into a single unit, Ingram has formed the Ingram Content Group Inc. and will move its newest business, Ingram Digital, into the company that already includes the Ingram Book Group and Lightning Source. Skip Prichard will oversee the operation as president and CEO of Ingram Content Group. Ingram chairman John Ingram said the reorganization is keeping in line with his original vision of providing customers and clients with a “one-stop place to go to have their digital and print distribution needs met.” He noted that in response to demands from the market, Ingram has morphed from being a traditional distributor of books to a company that handles digital distribution through Ingram Digital and provides print-on-demand services through Lightning. Though both companies were started as separate companies, John Ingram said it was always his intention to put them into one group that could provide customers with a suite of services for both the print and digital markets.
The reorganization will take several months to complete but will result in providing publishers with one key contact rather than having a multitude of reps call on customers, John Ingram said, something that should make it easier and quicker to work with the company. The integration will also result in the departure of Frank Daniels as chief commercial officer of Ingram Digital in July. John Ingram said the company’s digital business is growing at a double-digit rate and hinted that an expansion of its print-on-demand capabilities is in the offing.
