At Washington and Main in Crawfordsville, Indiana. Image – Getty iStockphoto: Roberto Galan
By Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief | @Porter_Anderson
Malaviya: ‘A Welcome Future for Print Books’
In media messaging today (June 11), Penguin Random House has announced a substantial expansion of 650,000 square feet (60,386 square meters) at its distribution and fulfillment center in Crawfordsville, Indiana.
The company tells the press that this will make it possible for PRH to double its annual shipments of print books, “enhancing the company’s worldwide supply chain” and “resulting in more rapid and efficient daily deliveries to booksellers in the United States.”
As Publishing Perspectives readers will recall, Penguin Random House in February named a new role for its operational center in England, at Grantham. That facility, starting next year, is expected to “more efficiently deliver the company’s US titles to its European customers.”
For the PRH administration, the Crawfordsville expansion, then, is “an integral step forward in its ongoing growth planning for its global supply chain.” in terms of climate-crisis awareness, the company’s statement says, “As with its Indiana initiative, both facilities will positively impact the publisher’s environmental and sustainability priorities.”
De Reza: ‘This Commitment of Our Civic Leaders’
Announced by PRH worldwide CEO Nihar Malaviya and Annette Danek, the company’s executive vice-president and chief supply officer, the expansion is to be supported by US$5.6 million in tax incentives (£4.4 million), approved by Crawfordsville’s city council’s meetings, the last of which was held Monday (June 10). PRH’s statement says that the Crawfordsville facility has a workforce of 900 employees, the site having been acquired in 2001.
Todd Barton
In a prepared comment from the mayor of Crawfordsville—reported to have had a population of some 16,500 in 2022—Todd Barton reflects the importance of this major commercial installation, saying, “This new investment in their Crawfordsville operations further solidifies their position as an industry leader and as a premier employer in our region.
“We greatly appreciate their ongoing confidence in this community, and look forward to working alongside them to ensure the success of this new expansion.”
Nihar Malaviya
Malaviya in his statement, connects this US Heartland operation west of Indianapolis to Penguin Random House’s industry leadership on issues of the freedom to publish and read, saying, “We are deeply grateful to Mayor Barton, the city council of Crawfordsville, and the office of economic development for their ongoing support and enthusiasm for our mission to provide our authors with the widest and fastest distribution of our books.
“The cooperation we receive daily from the city, from Montgomery County, and from our wonderful employees who live here, ensures a welcome future for print books, and for those who sell them, as well as for our commitment to freedom of expression, and to freedom of reading choices for everyone.”
Lori De Reza
Lori De Reza, PRH’s senior vice-president of distribution, says, “My Crawfordsville colleagues and I are thrilled by this commitment of our civic leaders to the work we proudly perform at our facility on behalf of Penguin Random House authors, illustrators, and publishers.
“It’s a privilege for us to contribute to our community’s economy, as we help get our books into the hands of America’s booksellers and book buyers.”
Penguin Random House’s information this morning puts its overall annual output at 450 million print copies, handled by Crawfordsville and three other facilities—one in Nevada and two in Maryland. “From Indiana, every month, the company ships newly published hardcovers and paperbacks, and daily replenishes backlist titles, from its Penguin Young Readers, Random House Children’s Books, DK Publishing divisions, and also from many of its third-party publisher clients.”
With more than 300 imprints now, Penguin Random House produces print and digital English-, German-, Spanish-, and Portuguese-language trade book publishing businesses in more than 20 international markets.
More from Publishing Perspectives on Penguin Random House as a whole is here, more on book distribution is here, more on Penguin Random House UK is here, and more on the United Kingdom’s book publishing market is here.
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