Business News

50 publishers attend gps launch event

(Left to right) CPI senior sales manager Jonathan Huddart, Pearson head of inventory Penny Court and Edwards Brothers account executive David Piekarz at the gps launch event in Foyles bookshop, central London

Thursday 14. April 2011 - More than 50 publishers attended the launch last week of gps Global Print Solutions, CPI’s new worldwide book manufacturing network.

Senior representatives from Elsevier, Penguin and Taylor and Francis were among those who gathered at Foyles bookshop in central London for the launch of the new service. The event was hosted by CPI, with speakers from Griffin Press in Australia, Edwards Brothers in the US and Markono in Singapore.
CPI, one of Europe’s largest print groups, has forged an alliance with international partners to meet what is sees as an unfulfilled demand from publishers for a global manufacturing network. The gps Global Print Solutions service allows publishers to exploit overseas markets while reducing the time and cost of shipping, by manufacturing books near the end user. Other benefits to publishers include reducing administration by dealing with one supplier for all territories, and reducing risk by tying up less cash in inventory.
Speaking at the event, CPI senior sales manager Jonathan Huddart told delegates: “The gps idea is a simple one – one order, one invoice, one file, but that file is available globally for local production. Give us your digital file and we can produce that in any format, anywhere, from one to one million books.”