Thursday, 31 January 2013 12:30

Excelling in a Digital World: Quad Graphics Keeps Thriving

By Patricia Older | Business

SARATOGA SPRINGS – From humble beginnings inside of a small warehouse in Wisconsin, Quad Graphics continues to grow and expand in an ever-changing world of technology, print and social media. 

 

“Print is the launching pad – the call to action,” explained plant director Dan Frankowski. “We are maintaining the viability of print – Quad Graphics is redefining print.” 

Quad Graphics, while it has a local plant that employs approximately 800 full-time people, is a global contender in print media. It began in 1971 when Harry Quadracci took out a second mortgage on his home and then secured a $600,000 line of credit to purchase his first printing press. One year later, his company turned out its first print job – Investor magazine. 

By 1973, Quad had sales of $2.8 million and a work force of 25. By 2002, it had grown to have $1.8 billion in sales and 11,000 employees. 

Quad Graphics opened their Saratoga plant, a 150,000 square-foot warehouse, in 1984. It is now over one million square feet and features a full size fitness center with a physical therapist and fitness coordinator, a wellness center with two full-time doctors and a staff of nurses and 50,000 square-feet dedicated to just photo imaging, complete with four photo studios and a staff of 75 for photo enhancement alone. 

“We even manufacture our own ink,” explained Frankowski, who has been with Quad Graphics for over 25 years and at the Saratoga plant for five. “It is all about cost saving strategies.”

Quad Graphics also continues to be one of the areas’ largest employers with nearly 800 year-round full time and part-time employees. An additional 40 to 80 employees are added during peak season, which typical occurs September through December. 

“Our portfolio is pretty diversified with a couple of hundred print products,” said media representative Claire Ho. She said the Saratoga plant prints approximately 250 magazines, catalogs, inserts, and photo imaging products.

“Helping our clients understand how to use all the other media channels is one way we strive to save our clients on costs,” said Ho. “As a printer, we are in a unique position to help them use print to their best advantage – it is a multi-channel media campaign.”

That campaign involves social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter and You Tube, but it also involves interactive print – a new technology involving QR codes that enables readers to use their smart phones and devices for a more interactive and informative experience when reading a magazine, looking through a catalog, or comparing ads. 

Ho explained that a free application allows users to find out more information on writers, articles and products featured in a print medium, whether it is a magazine, an advertisement, or an insert. 

“With interactive print we are helping extend the greatness of print,” said Ho. “By using a smart phone or an iPad, readers can be taken to a web page or available sites and learn more about the product or item. It is a way to enrich the print media and improve response and revenue.”

“It’s pretty exciting stuff,” added Frankowski. “It is making print more exciting and creates a call to action.”

Frankowski pointed out that Quad Graphics was the first printer in the United States to be “100 percent digital,” and that their Saratoga plant is a central hub for the East Coast, creating the digital file that can be used to produce burned plates in other Quad plants in the east including Georgia, West Virginia and Oklahoma. 

One of the newest pieces of equipment for the Saratoga plant is what is known at Quad as the 64-page press. Installed about seven years ago, the press is capable of producing 64 pages for every revolution, double what previous presses were capable of. 

“Twenty-three hundred feet per minute goes through the press,” explained Frankowski. 

To keep up with the fast-pace of producing the printed material, Quad Graphics stores 50 million tons of paper in one section of the warehouse. They also recycle virtually everything, even the old, out-dated presses, cardboard and paper. 

“The old presses are melted down and used to make new presses,” said Frankowski, adding that even the chemicals for the digital variable press are recaptured and used for save on fuel costs. “We capture 99 percent of residual chemicals and create energy with it. That reduces our use of gas to operate the press.”

He said that while many of the newer machines cut down on physical labor, a need for skilled employees continues to expand as Quad expands. 

“It is creating a need for a higher skilled workforce – programmers, mechanical engineers, electricians,” said Frankowski, noting that the partnership with the New York State Apprenticeship program has been a win/win for everyone. 

“They get to go to school and get paid for learning and then they get to apply what they learned by working with mentors,” said Frankowski. “It is good for them and it is good for the company.”

Frankowski said that many of Quad’s employees have been with the company 14 or more years and the majority of the supervisors for over 20. 

“Here is Saratoga Springs, the retention rate is 14 plus years and in leadership it is 23 years.”

Quad Graphics does not show any signs of slowing down. 

Two weeks ago Quad acquired Vertis Holdings which produces insert advertising programs, television listing magazines, comics and special supplements for newspapers. The company also engages in the design, development, and production of personalized and data-driven direct mail, as well as database solutions, response management services and one-to-one digital printing and marketing services.  

“Vertis will strengthen our offering of inserts, supplements and large format signs,” said Ho. 

Frankowski added that while the company is still accessing Vertis, he did not know exactly how the acquisition could affect the Saratoga plant. 

In September, the company also announced a new, extended contract with Gannett Co. to print copies of USA WEEKEND, a Sunday magazine insert that goes into over 700 newspapers each week. They also secured a $900 million agreement with Time, Inc. that “significantly extends and expands its magazine print work.” Some of the magazines produced by Time are People, Sports Illustrated, Entertainment Weekly, InStyle, Money, Real Simple, Fortune, Essence and Golf. In addition, additional printing volume will come from expanded regional printing of Time and People, giving Quad Graphics 100 percent of the print work for these weekly titles for the first time. 

“Other clients are renewing or expanding their services with us,” explained Ho, adding that Quad Graphics continues to seek ways to cut costs and improves services and products for the client. “A big part of the value is helping them take advantage of cost saving strategies.” 

“There are exciting things happening,” said Frankowski. “And we’re helping extend the greatness of print.” 

 

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