LAVERGNE, Tenn.- - July 8, 2002--J. Kirby Best, a veteran executive and leader in the printing and book manufacturing industries, today was named President and Chief Executive Officer of Lightning Source Inc., the leading provider of digital content management solutions to the book industry. A native of Toronto, Mr. Best since 1997 has been Chairman of Publishing Solutions, Inc., which provides data collection and risk management tools for the book publishing industry. Prior to that post, he was President and CEO of Royal Book Manufacturing, Inc., which was regarded as the most modern and efficient company in the book printing and binding field. He also serves on the board of directors of Coldlogic LLC, a firm that collects point of sale and inventory information for use in manufacturing. His appointment was announced by John R. Ingram, Chairman of Lightning Source Inc. "Kirby Best is the right leader to guide Lightning Source into the next phase of our growth in this exciting field of digital distribution," Mr. Ingram said. "Lightning Source helped pioneer `print on demand' five years ago - now an accepted and valued part of the publishing industry - and we are leading the way today in the growing field of digital content fulfillment that will have so much to do with the future of our industry. "Kirby's interests and experience span both aspects of Lightning's core business - digital fulfillment and print on demand. He grew up in the printing industry, understands how Lightning fits in that arena, and he's excited about the possibilities for Lightning Source in the electronic distribution business, as well." Mr. Best said he is eager to join the Lightning team, noting the company's recent announcements of important new alliances with a growing roster of publishers and retailers, including publishers of professional and scientific publications as well as titles of general interest. "For the past 20 years, I've dedicated my career to advancing computer-integrated manufacturing and sales-tracking systems for the book industry," Mr. Best said. "I am thrilled to be part of this visionary team at Ingram that is poised to utilize the most advanced technology in digital printing and digital fulfillment to revolutionize our dynamic book market." Mr. Best is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario, with a bachelor's degree in computer science. He was Chairman of the Canadian Book Manufacturers' Association from 1989 to 1991 and also served on the boards of the Canadian Printing Industries Association and the Book Manufacturers' Institute.