Color Ink Invites Customers and Prospects to a ‘World of Pure Imagination’

In response to election-year political gridlock on common sense reform for the struggling United States Postal Service, I sent the following letter to roughly 300 U.S. Senators and Representatives this week. This isn’t just a matter for the postal industry — it’s in the best interest of the nation’s overall economy. Dear Senator: Quad was founded by my father in 1971, when he took out a second mortgage on our home and he along with a handful of dedicated partners opened the doors to what today has grown into the nation’s largest long-run printer with nearly 20,000 employees spanning across 20 states. I was two years old when Quad began, so I have quite literally grown up as part of the industry. My father’s vision has transformed many lives through hard work, dedication and smart business. However, that vision would not have happened without the tremendous partnership Quad has forged with the United States Postal Service. Today, Quad mails more than 10 billion pieces of mail each year on behalf of our clients. This accounts for 13% of the overall marketing mail volume in the country. The USPS continues to be a vital partner to the mailing/marketing industry — an industry that is comprised of retailers, marketers, catalogers, directories, direct mailers, magazine and book publishers along with paper manufacturers, timber producers and many others. The industry employs over 7 million people and accounts for $1.6 trillion of economic activity on par with industries such as air travel, automotive and oil and gas. The industry provides family supporting jobs throughout the country and over 90% of the Postal Service’s revenue. Leading Quad at this critical time gives me a sense of urgency in knowing that the future of our industry is at stake if our leaders do not act in our best interest.

Specialty Print Communications (SPC), a Niles, Illinois based direct mail and digital solutions provider, marked 25 years in business on May 19th with a ceremony outside its offices. From humble beginnings in 1996 as a print and promotional products provider, SPC has grown into one of the country’s largest independent marketing organizations, with nearly 400 employees providing print and digital solutions to blue chip clients in retail, etail, healthcare, financial services, automotive, travel & leisure, and other industries. To commemorate 25 years in business, SPC has partnered with One Tree Planted (www.gofundme.com), a non-profit organization focused on reforestation, which will plant 2,500 seedlings in hard-hit areas across the United States. “We really wanted to focus our positive energy outward to include our larger community.

Arandell Corp. President and CEO Bradley Hoffman issued the following statement regarding the decision to close the company’s Kentucky facility as a result of business disruption resulting from the economic impacts of COVID-19: This week, we made the difficult decision to close our Kentucky facility as a result of the economic disruption resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to COVID-19, Arandell had been on pace for a strong year and Arandell Kentucky was playing a key role in that growth and success. Unfortunately, the pandemic has had a significant impact on our customers – many of whom have experienced closures, supply chain disruptions and complications from stay-at-home orders. These challenges have affected our production schedules which has led to this week’s difficult decision. Arandell will be consolidating production to its facility in Wisconsin, which will best position the company to continue to meet customer needs while positioning us for long-term success. Our Kentucky facility will ramp down production in the coming weeks, closing operations by July 31, 2020.