MIDLAND, Michigan (From news reports) -- In an unexpected meeting on Friday morning, employees of the Midland branch of the Quad/Graphics marketing agency were informed the facility will be closing by Sept. 10.
According to a media statement released by Quad corporate communications manager Claire Ho, the decision to close the Midland location was made as part of the company's strategy to "streamline operations and create efficiencies" across its nationwide manufacturing platform.
"The decision in no way reflects the quality and performance of employees in the (Midland) plant, all of whom have worked hard to make the plant succeed," Ho said. "Given the continued migration of advertising dollars to digital channels, Quad and the printing industry must continue to take steps to align declining volume with capacity."
In an email sent to all employees of the company on Friday, Quad chairman, president and CEO Joel Quadracci said the company is determined to maintain print as an economically-feasible alternative to digital media.
"Quad's competition is not only other printers, but also other forms of media," Quadracci said. "Given the continued migration of advertising dollars to digital channels, Quad and the printing industry must continue to take steps to align declining volume with capacity. In turn, this will make print a more effective and affordable media option to digital channels, and support print's value as part of the marketing media mix."
The Midland plant employs about 300 people, and specializes in producing special interest publications. Work currently performed in the Midland plant will be consolidated into other Quad locations nationwide, the release states.
Quad is offering full-time employees who choose to work through the Sept. 10 closure date a separation package that includes severance pay, continuation of health care benefits and career transition assistance through a career counseling company, said Rick Frank, the plant director of the Midland facility, in an email sent to employees of the facility on Friday morning.
Quad is a printing company based in Sussex, Wisconsin. The company has 39 printing facilities in the U.S. in addition to facilities throughout Europe, Canada and Latin America. Magazines printed by Quad include Businessweek, Time, Sports Illustrated, People, and Milwaukee Magazine.
The location of the Midland plant operated as Pendell Printing for many years before being acquired by Quebecor Printing in 1985, which later became Quebecor World and then Worldcolor. Quad acquired the Midland plant in July 2010 as part of its purchase of Worldcolor.
The 220,000 square-foot plant is currently owned by the Quad. The company intends to sell the facility in the near future.
Quad continues to have a presence in the Midland community through its QuadMed subsidiary, which manages an onsite primary care facility at through Dow Inc.
Onlypulpandpaperjobs.com has taken off like a rocket! Over fifty jobs are posted, in many interesting categories. These jobs are in at least ten different US states. [06.19.19]
****
Employers are on board with Onlypulpandpaperjobs.com. There are nearly forty employers located in fifteen different US states and six other countries. [06.19.19]
