2022 Innovator: Quantum Group Focuses on Technology and People

(Editor's note: In today’s printing industry, the concept of innovation is wide in definition, but rather narrow in its goal. Leading companies have grasped many tools to define themselves, increase profitability, and differentiate. They utilize new technologies, systems integration, an expanded product mix, exemplary customer service, and more.

The company profiled below — among the 2022 class of six Printing Impressions’ Innovators of the Year — was nominated by a group of printing industry experts and consultants who identified the business as notable. The summary that follows shares what makes it innovative, interesting, and exceptional.) 

Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, Quantum Group isn’t a commercial and direct mail printer that believes in standing still. In fact, the Morton Grove, Illinois-based company — located outside of Chicago — is always watching the latest technologies to see where it can improve and evolve to better meet the needs of customers. That’s just one reason it’s earned the distinction as a 2022 “Innovator of the Year.”

And that drive to always stay ahead of the curve has not only carried them through the difficult past few years, but has put them on a path to more growth and higher margins than ever before, which in turn leads to even more innovations. Just this year, the company installed a Canon ProStream 1800 inkjet web press, which has increased its digital production output volume. The press also allowed Quantum to migrate some offset work to digital, helping it keep up with the direct mail boom it is experiencing. In addition, Quantum just purchased a Landa S10P Nanographic digital printing press to further expand its capabilities in that space, with the press expected to be installed by the end of the year.

“When I came on board in 2018,” Cheryl Kahanec, CEO of Quantum Group, recalls, “we were already doing quite a bit of investment in direct mail, and really trying to move into more personalization. We were doing pretty good with that — but then COVID happened. And the interesting thing with COVID is that the need for personalization of content delivered to a specific person just went to the extreme.”

Quantum Group recently installed a Canon ProStream 1800 inkjet web press with Hunkeler unwinder and rewinders.

This is especially true in the markets Quantum Group targets: pharmaceutical, healthcare, insurance, retail, and financial sectors being the top verticals it serves. The pharmaceutical and healthcare spaces, in particular, saw the demand for personalization skyrocket.

“They had to reach patients with information about their treatments, how to take their medications, and training materials on how to take care of themselves,” she notes. “There was just a lot going on.”
Adding to the complexity of the problem, Kahanec says, was that the supply chain came to a halt, so the pharmaceutical reps that would have gone to healthcare providers such as hospitals, clinics, medical offices, etc., to provide medical education materials that the physicians would have passed on to their patients, suddenly stopped. “Because the reps couldn’t visit the healthcare providers, they needed a way to get the information to them without going through that supply chain that had been so ingrained in the traditional structure. Direct mail that not only provided information to the patients, but led them to online sources for further follow-up”

Quantum Group immediately began talking to those customers about direct mail — and in the process went from producing a million similar kits that would be sent out to 50,000 reps to hand out, to producing a million individual, personalized kits that went to each patient. “Our direct mail volume increased drastically,” Kahanec says.

Quantum’s MBO finishing line includes an unwinder, digital perf unit, sheeter, sheet transfer unit, diecutter, and auto stacker.

“Quantum has always understood that data is essential to quality customer communications and experiences,” Barbara Pellow, manager of Pellow and Partners, points out. “They also understand the importance of time to market for their client base. Quantum invested in the right technology to address client needs for personalized communications and getting the job done quickly.

“They were early investors in high-speed inkjet, including an HP PageWide T240 and a Canon ProStream,” she adds. “This data-driven marketing approach has yielded results for Quantum — in the past four years, they have grown from delivering 30 million personalized pieces annually to more than 200 million.”

Beyond the Technology

However, as impressive as the technology installations and growth rate of Quantum has been — and Kahanec is incredibly proud of where Quantum is today — that isn’t the whole story. She is equally proud of her staff, and the changes the company has made to be more inclusive.

Like most companies, Quantum Group has encountered major difficulties finding and hiring good people. But that didn’t deter Kahanec, who decided to look in a different direction, reaching out to a local company, Shore Community Services, to see about partnering with them to give jobs to individuals with developmental disabilities.

“They reached out to us, which was amazing and very unusual. In fact, that hasn’t ever happened before,” Alexis India Alm, CEO of Shore Community Services, notes.

Shore mostly serves adults with cognitive or developmental disabilities, and one of the services it offers is job coaching, job development, and working with businesses to connect these adults with open jobs. They help companies match job descriptions to potential individuals, and then coach those individuals through the process, helping them with things like how to interview, or how to connect with co-workers.

“We’re focused on getting people jobs in the business community. It’s all about training and preparing them, and then finding partnerships,” India Alm explains. “We need 100 more Cheryls — she has been amazing!”

Quantum Group has been partnering with Shore for two years now, and Kahanec couldn’t be more pleased with the results. “These are people that just want to be respected and valued,” she says, “and while I was convinced it would work, I knew it would take some patience on our end understanding their abilities.” However, with help from Shore to train everyone in how to communicate effectively, the end result has been incredible to see.

“During the busy season, management personally hands out lunch to everyone in the facility every Friday,” Kahanec says. “And, as we were going out, it gave us an opportunity to observe these folks — and we found they were fitting right in. They were just part of the group.”

Kahanec notes that when they received word that Shore was naming Quantum Employer of the Year, they brought donuts and the award back to share with the team. It really drove home how much a part of Quantum Group these individuals had become, and how much of a positive impact they were having. “Every single one of them asked if they could hug me,” she recalls. “And then our other employees followed suit and asked to hug me as well, and thanked me for being so good to them. I almost started crying. Understanding human nature, and seeing how we went from being unsure and a little uncomfortable, to embracing them and making them part of the team, has been incredible.”

For those looking to explore similar options in their own communities, India Alm suggests starting with ANCOR (www.ancor.org), a national organization that offers many of the same services Shore does, just on a much wider scale. She notes that ANCOR can also help connect businesses with organizations like hers in their own communities.

At the end of the day, Kahanec credits that blending of technology and people as the ultimate key to Quantum Group’s success. “I love technology — every vendor out there is amazing — and I’m so proud of our people. I’m excited I get to put them both together. You really can’t be successful without both.”

Innovation ultimately comes in all shapes and sizes. Quantum Group is proving that, even within a company, it doesn’t have to be limited to a single area of the operation. Innovation is a state of mind, and a drive to always improve and find new ways to connect and communicate — both with customers and employees. Quantum Group is the perfect example of how to do both extremely well.