Lightning Source has expanded into France through a joint venture with Hachette Livre to build a print-on-demand facility in Hachette’s distribution center in Maurepas, a city near Paris. The operation is expected to be ready in the first quarter of 2010. The plant will initially be used to manufacture POD titles for Hachette and its distribution clients and at a future date the service will be expanded to include books from third party publishers. This is Lightning’s second overseas plant, joining a facility in the U.K.