SUSSEX, Wis., Aug. 18 -- Quad/Graphics announces it has purchased Craftsman Press West, a privately held commercial printer in Reno, Nev. The acquisition immediately expands Quad/Graphics' geographic capabilities to the West Coast, giving it a competitive position in every region of the country.
"Through this acquisition we have fine tuned our domestic printing and distribution network," said Joel Quadracci, Quad/Graphics President & CEO. "Now clients on the West Coast can take better advantage of our brand of timely, top-quality print services."
The Craftsman Press West facility becomes Quad/Graphics' 10th printing plant, joining the company's other facilities in Lomira, Hartford, Pewaukee, Sussex and West Allis, Wisconsin; Saratoga Springs, New York; Martinsburg, W. Va.; The Rock, Ga.; and Oklahoma City, Okla. Its strategic location near the Nevada-California border enables expedited distribution of product to major cities throughout the Western United States, including San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, Seattle and Phoenix.
The acquisition will not create additional capacity for Quad/Graphics, Mr. Quadracci said. Quad/Graphics will replace Craftsman Press West's existing presses with newer, more technologically advanced presses already in use at other Quad/Graphics facilities. "These presses are made available as a result of our companywide platform transformation from 32-page presses to 64-page presses over the past three years," Mr. Quadracci explains.
"This acquisition provides fresh and exciting opportunities for both new and existing clients," said Diane Hatch, a 36-year employee who is also an owner in the company. Since April, Ms. Hatch has served as the company's principal executive, taking over for George Prue who died unexpectedly after leading the company for many years. "We look forward to continuing our long-standing tradition of personalized customer service and quality as part of the Quad/Graphics family," she said. Ms. Hatch will stay with Quad/Graphics in a sales and marketing role, and will be key to promoting the Reno plant's future growth.
"We look forward to welcoming Craftsman Press West employees into the Quad/Graphics family," Mr. Quadracci added.