CB and Printforce integrate all book on-demand services

Integration of book production and distribution gets books to customers even faster

Logistics service provider CB and digital printing company Printforce are integrating their processes so that (on-demand) production and distribution of books seamlessly complement each other. Together, these parties offer publishers and booksellers better service by shortening the supply chain: books delivered even faster to the consumer. CB is sealing the partnership by acquiring 50% of the shares of Printforce.

Through this approach, CB and Printforce are responding to the changing market in which fast and wide availability is becoming increasingly important to the consumer. The integration ensures that distribution from stock and stockless on-demand production are fully aligned. This approach is unique in the world.

Today Printforce and CB signed an agreement which establishes the partnership and share transfer. For maximum integration of print and distribution, Printforce will be relocating its production facilities to CB in Culemborg in 2018.

Stockless publishing
Hans Willem Cortenraad, CEO of CB: ‘Together, we can provide the book sector with a unique service. Having the print facilities in house will enable us to deliver books even faster. So booksellers and their customers will never miss out.’

Mainly due to the unpredictability of demand and the related stock risks, more and more publishers are choosing to have books produced after they have been sold. So books are only made when they are ordered, yet are still available fast.
Together, Printforce and CB achieve such a high volume that they are able to reduce the print and logistic costs for the publisher.

Relocation
Rombout Eikelenboom, Managing partner at Printforce: ‘During the course of 2018, we will be moving from Alphen aan den Rijn to Culemborg. We have explained to all our colleagues how this will affect them. We realise that the implementation of our partnership will have an impact, so we will be working closely with all of our colleagues and stakeholders, to ensure that everybody will get the support that is required.’

‘By relocating, we will be able to combine best in class print with best in class logistics,’ says Eikelenboom.

International publishers
The new combination also offers plenty of opportunities to international publishers. Their titles will now be available to the European continent even faster, without requiring local stock or overseas transport.

About CB
CB has 145 years’ experience as an integral logistics service provider and offers solutions in the form of: logistics services, digital distribution, e-commerce logistics, financial services and information and communication services. With a fine-meshed distribution network, CB serves the entire Dutch and Belgian market in the media, healthcare and fashion sectors.

About Printforce
Printforce supports publishers in implementing and executing publishing processes with minimum stocks. To do this, Printforce uses the most modern print and binding techniques in order to produce books and magazines super-fast in volumes between 1 and 1500 copies, and deliver them worldwide. In recent years, Printforce has rapidly grown into one of the biggest digital printing companies in Europe. A unique Dutch company, with an efficient and high quality printer park. Besides delivering color or black and white softcover books, Printforce specializes in hardcover books, sewn books and stapled products. Its digital book warehouse guarantees optimal efficiency in stock management, logistics and production costs.

About JointBookServices
JointBookServices (JBS) is the current partnership between CB and Printforce. Since 2011, JBS has been supplying Print on demand in CB’s distribution center, focusing on single copies, for example titles with a low turnover rate.