Ingram Buys NBN’s International Division

Ingram Publisher Services has added to its international capabilities with the acquisition of National Book Network International (NBNi). Located in Plymouth, England, NBNi was founded 14 years ago by the Lanham, Md.-based National Book Network and does international distribution for both print and digital books.

According to Ingram, NBNi’s client services business will complement Ingram’s range of digital, physical, and print-on-demand solutions. “NBNi is a sound, established, and widely respected distributor in the British book trade with a reputable base of publisher clients, well-supported by the excellent and experienced team in Plymouth,” said David Taylor, senior v-p of international content acquisition at Ingram Content Group, in a statement. “Our plan is to build on this strong foundation and grow the business.”

The decision to sell NBNi was made to allow its parent company, Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, to focus more of its international efforts on publishing rather than distribution, RLPG CEO Jed Lyons explained. Lyons has done something similar in the U.S., where he has pared back NBN’s North American distribution division to devote more resources to publishing. Lyons noted, however, that he plans to continue to operate NBN’s North American unit. RLPG will also continue to use NBNi for all of its international distribution, Lyons added.

The purchase of NBNi follows Ingram’s acquisition of the Perseus distribution arm in March 2016, which made the company the largest distributor of independent presses in the country.
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