Lightning Source Buys 15 Océ Digital Presses to Boost ‘On Demand’ Book Quality

LAVERGNE, TN—Lightning Source Inc. (LSI), the leading provider of demand-based book manufacturing and distribution solutions to the book industry, has acquired 15 new state-of-the-art Océ printing presses.

“This is a significant investment in our quality, our customers, and our future,” J. Kirby Best, President and CEO of Lightning Source Inc., said today.

The new equipment, which will bring Lightning customers dramatically enhanced graphic and halftone capability, is the Océ VarioStream® 9210 black and color ready digital printers. Lightning Source has begun installing the new presses at its printing facilities in both the United States and United Kingdom. The installation process is expected to be complete by March, 2007.

“The publishing industry’s acceptance of the Lightning Source demand-driven business model has grown tremendously in the last few years,” Mr. Best added. “It is amazing to be at a point to purchase fifteen new presses for our manufacturing operations so early in LSI’s life.

“We are committed to the success of our publishers, the publishing industry and the high quality book solutions that we provide to it. We manufacture over one million books per month, and I look forward to doubling, or even tripling that number with the addition of our new presses.”

David Taylor, Senior Vice President of Lightning Source for Global Sales, said the new equipment will address the very high standards expected by Lightning’s publisher customers worldwide.

“Our first order of business is to provide our customers with the service and quality they require, and we are now moving to a greater capability for delivering on that requirement,” Mr. Taylor explained. “It is of the utmost importance that we manufacture quality books for our customers, while maintaining competitive pricing and benchmark turnaround times.

“Publishers expect good quality books from us quickly, at a fair price, and through continuous improvement we have set the standard in the industry,” Mr. Taylor added. “Our quality program, paired with leading technology, has truly made us the authority in the demand driven market. We are eager to have our new presses up and running at full capacity.”