What the Quad-Brown Deal Tells Us About U.S. Printing, Publishing and Postal Services

Although Wall Street mostly yawned when Quad/Graphics announced this week it is acquiring Brown Printing, the pending transaction is a big deal for many major publishers. And it provides some interesting insights into the U.S. printing and publishing industries and even into the U.S. Postal Service.

Rather than trying to squeeze more years out of ancient equipment, as some Worldcolor plants used to do, Brown kept pace with Quad and RR Donnelley when it came to investing in new presses and bindery lines. But it wasn’t enough.