SARATOGA SPRINGS — Longtime magazine printing company Quad Graphics will be permanently closing its Saratoga Springs location no later than May 4.
There are 435 employees at the 56 Duplainville Road location, according to the company.
The announcement was broken to employees of the marketing and printing company Friday morning, according to an email obtained by The Daily Gazette.
“This is a strategic business decision that reflects several industry trends, including volume contractions in certain print categories like newsweeklies (on which this plant built its reputation) as well as increases in postal costs, which Quad is offsetting through enhanced co-mail solutions that require centralized volumes for optimal processing,” states the email sent by Kevin Brasser, the plant manager, to employees following a morning meeting.
The company also announced in a press release it will cease operations Feb. 24 at its Bolingbrook, Illinois location, which handles mail processing and logistics.
Last year, the company closed five locations in the United States.
The company said the decision was based around industry trends and its “ongoing strategy to optimize our platform within the ever-changing media landscape.”
“Since our company’s founding, we have prided ourselves on prioritizing our people and our communities,” said Quad Chairman, CEO and President Joel Quadracci in a press release Friday. “We took great care to discuss and evaluate all options before making the decision to close these plants, and we communicated the news in-person to employees. I would like to once again thank all our employees in Saratoga Springs and Bolingbrook for their hard work and many contributions over the years. They are true professionals who should be proud of everything they accomplished as a team and in service to so many clients.”
The company has $3 billion in revenue and works with companies such as Adidas, Chevrolet and General Mills, according to its website. It has printed publications such as Time Magazine.
City and county officials called the announcement shocking.
“Quad has been such a great contributor to our community and I am saddened to think about how this will impact our neighbors who work there,” said Todd Shimkus, the president of the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce. “Helping those employees must be priority No. 1 and we are already reaching out to local employers who we know have job openings.”
Saratoga Springs Mayor John Safford also said it's really sad news for the employees at the company.
“The city and all of our services will be actively doing everything we can for them,” he said.
County Board of Supervisor Chairmen Phil Barrett and Vice Chairmen Matt Veitch said the county will also help employees find new jobs.
“We are disappointed to learn today of Quad Graphics' decision to close its Saratoga Springs facility,” Barrett said. “As the lowest taxed county in New York State, Saratoga County does everything possible at the local government level to maintain positive policies that keep the cost of doing business low here. The Saratoga County Department of Workforce Development will work to identify new career opportunities for displaced employees and the County will continue to work closely with Saratoga County Economic Development Corporation and our local Chamber of Commerce to attract new private sector business investments in Saratoga County.”
Veitch said they have been a staple in the community for years. Quad Graphics built its facility in the Spa City in 1984, according to the company.
“Their loss will definitely be felt throughout the community,” he said.
Now, the city will have to look at how to fill the 1 million-square-foot facility Quad Graphics will be leaving behind.
“We’re constantly working on getting other manufacturing organizations to come here and it’s an attractive place to come, too,” Safford said.
Work produced at the Grande Industrial Park facility will now be done in Hartford, Wisconsin; The Rock, Georgia; and Springfield, Massachusetts.
Work done at the Illinois location will now be handled primarily in the company’s Sussex, Wisconsin and Martinsburg West Virginia sites.
Brasser said they anticipate work will begin ramping down in early March, with the last day May 4.
“Saratoga has played a critical role in Quad’s print operations over the last four decades, and as such, you have all deservedly earned a stellar reputation for quality, service and overall performance within our company, among our client base and within the printing industry,” Brasser said in his letter. “I am very proud of this and am sincerely grateful for the privilege of working with all of you. You are experienced and skilled printers.”
Letters regarding the closure were provided to employees in attendance of a meeting at the plant Friday morning, with additional letters going out via FedEx.
The company is offering people the option to potentially relocate to other plants, according to the email.
“Relocation packages will be offered for several Press, Finishing and Manufacturing Support positions at the operator and general employee level,” Brasser said.
Beginning next week, Quad’s human resources staffers will begin meeting with employees to discuss severance packages, according to the email.
Packages will include “separation pay and career counseling assistance,” the email states.
“Full-time employees will continue to receive healthcare benefits for either 60 or 120 days, depending on the number of years you have worked with the company,” the email states.
Employees must continue working at the company until their last day of employment to receive the severance package.
“Once again, I know this is difficult news to hear,” Brasser said at the end of the email. “I also know that you are dedicated professionals, possess a tremendous amount of pride and will remain focused on working safely and exceeding our clients’ expectations until the very last product is shipped, and I thank you for that.”