Consolidation planned at big printing plants

Quad/Graphics, a commercial printing company located just outside Milwaukee, says closure of its 180,000-square-foot facility at 11005 Stead Blvd. this fall results from business acquisitions that offer upgraded printing equipment and services.

Quad/Graphics on July 2 acquired Worldcolor, which operates a 410,000-square-foot printing facility at 2200 Newlands Drive in Fernley that employs about 200 people.

Claire Ho, director of corporate communications for Quad/Graphics, says that as the two companies integrate, Quad/Graphics is trimming excess capacity, which led to its decision to close the outdated Stead facility formerly its only West Coast operation. The Stead plant will close in early October.

"We are consolidating and working our plans into the most efficient platforms," Ho says. "With the acquisition we now have many more West Coast facilities, and those facilities have more advanced technology and automation and distribution efficiencies which we will capitalize on."

Roughly 90 people work at the Stead printing plant, which was acquired by Quad/Graphics in 2006 when the company purchased the assets of Craftsman Press West. Many employees at the Stead plant will be offered employment at other Quad/Graphics facilities, including the Fernley operation, Ho says.

Quad/Graphics prints and distributes regional magazines, catalogues and retail inserts at the Stead printing plant. Ho says the company is negotiating with its clientele to relocate printing services for their contracts.

"We are contacting clients and working through transition plans for the work that is produced in the Reno plant," she says. "They will be transferred to other facilities within the network, and we are working with our clients on those announcements."