RRD Finalizes Acquisition of Digital & Print Marketing Businesses from Vericast

FCL Graphics, located in suburban Chicago, has upgraded two of their commercial web offset presses with color control and ink delivery technology from Baldwin Vision Systems. Technology upgrades on these first two full-web presses resulted in significantly higher print quality and an immediate 50% reduction in waste. Based on these results, a third upgrade on a half-web press is scheduled for August of 2021. According to Kurt Kunde, FCL’s Vice President of Operations, “We have presses that have been in operation for 15-18 years and are mechanically very sound. We basically scrapped everything on the machines from a controls standpoint, replaced it with the Baldwin Vision Systems technology, and made them brand new presses overnight.” The full-web presses are Harris M1000s and the half-web press scheduled for upgrade in August is a Harris M110B. “Our very experienced press operators love the systems,” said Mr. Kunde, “and because the interfaces are so easy to use, we’re able to train new operators more quickly.”

As part of its ongoing commitment to relentless innovation and product development, Quad acquired North Carolina-based DART Innovation, an in-store digital media solutions provider. The strategic investment expands and seamlessly integrates into Quad’s full suite of products and services, enabling brands and marketers to more effectively offer consumers an integrated purchasing journey, whether they are at home, online or in a physical store. Combining digital media with brick-and-mortar locations has been heralded as the next iteration for the online marketplaces that have exploded in recent years[1]. The strategic intersection of physical and digital expands the brand-to-shopper experience beyond e-commerce to innovative on-screen engagement at the store shelf. With DART’s capabilities and technology Quad strengthens its place as a leader in revolutionizing the shopping experience for retailers, consumer packaged goods (CPGs) and consumers.

When the owners of Brown Printing and Modern Litho-Print Co. merged their businesses under a corporate holding company on January 1, 2000, the decision was made for both companies to continue operating autonomously at their respective facilities and under their existing brand name. Since then, our planned growth has taken us from 60 employees to 385 today, with operations in St. Louis, Kansas City, Columbia, and Jefferson City. Modern Litho, Inc. currently ranks as the 92nd largest printing company (based on revenue) in North America, in an industry of over 15,000, and is proud to serve great customers in all 50 states and internationally. And of course, that includes you! Brown Printing’s emphasis has always been on serving the local (Jefferson City, Lake, Columbia) market while supporting the national efforts of Modern Litho, and that remains unchanged. However, with the recent acquisition of Direct Impaqt in Columbia, and their subsequent rebranding to Modern Litho-Columbia, we’re excited to announce that the time has come to rebrand Brown Printing to Modern Litho-Jefferson City.