Quadracci: Printing Company Has Been Transformed

MILWAUKEE—Rumors of printing's demise continue to spread, but the rumors can't wipe the smile off Joel Quadracci's face.

Quadracci, chairman, president and CEO of Sussex, WI-based Quad/Graphics, told a lunch gathering at the Greater Milwaukee Committee that the firm has transformed itself in the past three years via its acquisitions, going public and investing in new technology, the Milwaukee Business Journal reported.

"As you know, print is dead. We read about it all the time…in print," the paper quoted Quadracci as joking.

Quadracci told the audience that a strong balance sheet helped it to survive the recession. Another critical factor was the ability of the Quadracci family to retain 80 percent of voting control when the company was taken public.

Despite more than a dozen plant closures, Quadracci noted the company is reinventing itself by playing a critical role in online and mobile ads and helping clients leverage the "multichannel world."