INGRAM INDUSTRIES INC.
NEWS RELEASE
Monday - December 18, 2006
CONTACTS:
Keel Hunt (615) 321-3110 keel tsgnashville.com
David Lindley +44 (0)1425 471160 dlindleycouttsinfo.com
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Ingram enters academic library supply field
acquiring Coutts Information Services and MyiLibraryTM
NASHVILLE, TN - Ingram Industries Inc. today announced its
acquisition of Coutts Information Services and its
MyiLibrary
affiliate - heralding Ingram's entry into the academic
library
supply business.
Coutts is based in the United Kingdom and has offices in the
United States, Canada and Holland. The company specializes
in
book and electronic content supply to academic, government,
corporate, public and institutional library and information
sectors. In August, Coutts was awarded a major three-year
contract with Stanford University to provide comprehensive
approval plans (with an integrated e-book service). Coutts
will
supply over 50,000 titles to the university annually.
Coutts also recently contracted with the University of
Toronto to
supply electronic content through the MyiLibrary platform,
in
addition to the existing approval plans. John R. Ingram,
Vice
Chairman of Ingram Industries Inc., welcomed the Coutts team
and
said the marriage will offer a high level of service and
expertise to academic librarians.
"The Coutts team is well known for its strengths and
high level
of service to librarians," Mr. Ingram said. "This
will accelerate
our service in the important academic library field,
providing
the highest level of wholesale, distribution, information,
and
print-on-demand services."
Jim Chandler, President and CEO of Ingram Book Group, noted
the
impressive range of services provided by Coutts in North
America.
"This is a market we have never before served
directly," Mr.
Chandler said. "Coutts has developed a broad range of
library-centric digital and physical services that will
provide a
great platform for the future. Ingram has long served other
retail and library markets, offering the broadest range of
titles
and fast, consistent and accurate fulfillment. This rounds
out
our service to academic and professional libraries
throughout
North America."
MyiLibrary is a unique e-book hosting platform offering
access to
the world's leading digital content collections. It is used
by
academics, researchers and professionals and is considered
an
indispensable reference tool for all businesses and
institutions
looking to provide their users with access to the most
current
digital content available today. Librarians use MyiLibrary
to
build multi-publisher collections of titles in the same way
they
have done with print publications.
The MyiLibrary announcement follows Ingram's recent
acquisition
of Vital Source Technologies, Inc. of Raleigh, North
Carolina.
Vital Source is a leading provider of digital content
delivery
solutions in education and professional learning
environments.
James Gray, CEO of Coutts, today commended Ingram's long
tradition of innovation in the book industry and its
emergence in
the past decade additionally as a leader in providing
digital
content delivery services to both publishers and librarians.
"We are delighted to join the Ingram family of
companies," Mr.
Gray said. "Ingram has a well-deserved reputation,
internationally, for its great record of committed
service."
Coutts will continue operations at its current locations in
Canada, the U.S. and Europe.
ABOUT INGRAM INDUSTRIES INC.
Ingram Industries Inc., based in Nashville, Tennessee, is
one of
America's largest privately held companies. It consists of
diversified businesses in distribution, marine
transportation,
aggregate supply, and digital fulfillment services. Ingram
Industries Inc. includes four operating divisions: Ingram
Marine
Group, Ingram Book Group, Lightning Source Inc. and Ingram
Digital Ventures.
ABOUT COUTTS INFORMATION SERVICES
Coutts is based in Ringwood in the United Kingdom. The
company's
services include the supply and full shelf-ready processing
and
cataloging of print monographs, the provision of standing
order
and approval plan services along with full seamless ILS
integration covering both print and electronic content.
Coutts
supplies services to over 5,000 customers in more than 100
countries, positioning Coutts at the forefront of today's
rapidly
changing information supply industry.
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