Distribution services provider NBN International (NBNi) has announced that during the summer of 2010 the business will be expanding to larger premises in Plymouth. The company has outgrown its present location (where there has been a specialist book distributor since MacDonald and Evans opened the distribution centre in 1976) – and will move to a new facility that offers 35% more operations space – less than a mile from its existing premises.

This move represents a new 10-year commitment to the UK business on the part of NBNi’s parent company, the US-based Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, and is part of an ongoing major investment in the business’s internal infrastructure. Expansion heralds the next phase of development and growth for NBNi. In 2009 total publisher sales revenues were in excess of £28.5 million – up from £11 million six years ago. The company now needs modern premises in order to maximise business efficiencies and to provide a better working environment for staff. By relocating, NBNi, which employs 73 people in the UK, can continue to improve and diversify services to publishers and customers.

Today’s announcement has been made possible by over a year of intense behind-the-scenes work on the part of NBNi’s senior management team, and news of the expansion is accompanied by two key promotions. With immediate effect Sheila Bounford who joined NBNi from the IPG over five years ago becomes Deputy Managing Director, and Ian Wordsworth, the company’s long-standing IT Manager, becomes Operations Director. Both roles report to MD, Chip Franzak, who is also CFO of the international Rowman & Littlefield Group of Companies. Group CEO, Jed Lyons says “Chip Franzak has done a great job in supporting and empowering the excellent leadership shown by both Sheila and Ian as the business has grown. These promotions recognise the outstanding work they do for us, our clients and our customers.”

NBNi is confident that expansion is the best option. Franzak summarises by saying that “the consolidating distribution market, increasing use of Print-on-Demand and digital publishing channels do not mean the end of customer services or print book distribution. Our UK business is growing healthily and we need more space to accommodate inherent sales growth and the new publisher clients moving to us. Our UK business is stronger than ever, and we are working with our publishers to ensure NBNi remains at the heart of their customer service offering.”