Quad/Graphics

SUSSEX, WI—Quad/Graphics is continuing its growth initiative with the report that it is hiring approximately 125 part- and full-time employees at a new commingling plant in New Berlin, WI, The Business Journal reported.

Quad/Graphics Inc. will hire about 125 full- and part-time employees at its new facility in New Berlin (WI), The Business Journal has learned.

About 150 employees will work at the facility, said Quad/Graphics spokeswoman Claire Ho. About 25 of those employees are being transferred from a Quad/Graphics facility in Pewaukee (WI), she said.

The facility will serve as a regional commingling center to drive higher postal savings and efficiencies for direct mail marketing customers, said Don Terkel, Quad/Graphics executive director of operations for the direct marketing group.

In an effort to strengthen its direct marketing platform and solutions this year, Quad/Graphics recently made multimillion-dollar investments that will help create two regional commingling centers and expand print capabilities in its Effingham, IL and Westampton, NJ plants.

It would be presumptuous to say that M&A activity, across the board, has taken a hit. There has been a fair amount of activity near the $5 million to $15 million range, situations where unions have taken place due to the complementary nature of their products and services, while others have forged working relationships in order to cross-sell off each other's platform. But what isn't receiving much attention—or ink—is the phantom tuck-in, simply because many companies just aren't trumpeting asset purchases.

SUSSEX, WI—Quad/Graphics will build on a 93,800-square-foot storage area onto its Oklahoma City facility, a move that carries a $7 million price tag, The Oklahoman reported. It reportedly will be used to store up to 30 million pounds of paper. Construction is expected to be completed this fall.

Quad/Graphics is expanding its sprawling Oklahoma City printing facility and adding to its workforce. The Wisconsin-based company is adding a 93,800-square-foot storage area to its building at 6801 S Sunnylane Road at an estimated cost of $7 million. The company also is installing a press for magazine and catalog work.

Quad/Graphics has been consistently growing its Oklahoma City presence since opening the plant in 2003 at 218,000 square feet and 100 employees. The Oklahoma City workforce is up to 600 and will top 700 once the openings are filled.

Quad/Graphics was recognized by the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) for excellence in driving technology innovation and supporting growth for the mailing industry. “Our collaboration with Quad/Graphics demonstrates how technology is making mail more powerful and transforming the mailing industry,” said Postmaster General and CEO, Patrick R. Donahoe.

A dispute between former employees of Vertis Communications in Stevensville (Ontario, Canada) and Quad/Graphics Marketing will most likely be resolved in a courtroom and not on the picket line. And, it will likely take some time before all the legal issues are ironed out.

More than 100 workers at the Eagle St. printing plant found themselves out of work in January when their jobs were terminated without severance pay.

The plant has been closed, but the equipment has been purchased by Quad/Graphics, which is in the process of having it removed and taken to another location.

Quad/Graphics Inc. has reported fourth quarter and full-year 2012 results that were in line with management's originally announced annual guidance with the exception of Recurring Free Cash Flow, which surpassed the company's upwardly revised guidance. “We anticipate our 2013 revenue, which will now include Vertis, to be approximately $4.8 billion to $5.0 billion,” said Joel Quadracci, Quad/Graphics chairman, president and CEO.

The USPS has certainly played a starring role in creating many of the problems it faces. But it also deserves credit for being proactive in finding solutions, despite being hamstrung with retiree pre-funding requirements and inflexible union labor contracts. Now is the time for all hands on deck in Congress to throw the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) a much-needed lifeline.