The Buffalo plant, which employs 400 and is focused primarily on mass-market paperbacks, will be shut in Q4 2011, as Quad/Graphics removes excess and inefficient capacity following its acquisition last year of WorldColor.
The company was quick to stress that this was not a retrenchment, adding it will invest more than $15m in the coming months to strengthen its book manufacturing platform in Martinsburg, W. Va., including upgrading press equipment, and replacing all binders with more productive models.
That move comes on the heels of capital investments in its book-component manufacturing capabilities in Leominster, Mass., as well as multimillion-dollar investments in digital press technology at the company's Fairfield, Pa., and Dubuque, Iowa, book facilities.
Quad/Graphics declined an interview request from PrintWeek, but in a statement, chairman, president and chief executive Joel Quadracci said: "We recognize that the landscape is changing for book publishers and their interest in shorter runs and print-on-demand services is growing. To that end, we are adjusting our offering to be more responsive and flexible, and improve quality and turnaround times."
Quad/Graphics added that it will be assisting employees impacted by the Buffalo closure in finding new jobs, including those available at other company printing locations.
"The plant closure is necessary to remove excess capacity from our platform and strengthen our overall competitive position, and in no way reflects on the performance of employees or the quality of service to clients," said Quadracci. "The age and condition of the facility, and its current capacity utilization, make this action necessary."
Quad/Graphics noted that concentrating more of its book publishing at the Martinsburg facility that is nearer the company's existing magazine and catalog plant, will also enable it to consolidate freight shipments.
"Timely, efficient, cost-effective delivery is key to our clients' success, and we are committed to helping them succeed through a strategically placed East Coast distribution center," Quadracci said.
