Quad/Graphics Plant Earns LEED Certification

SUSSEX, WI—Jul 30, 2010—Comprehensive recycling, water conservation and energy management programs are among the environmental efforts that helped Quad/Graphics' Hartford, WI, manufacturing facility achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, Silver rating, from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

The new LEED certification means Quad/Graphics now has more than 3.2 million square feet of LEED-certified space. Quad/Graphics' Hartford plant is the company's second facility to qualify for LEED certification. In 2009 the printer's corporate headquarters and plant in Sussex, Wis., received the LEED for Existing Buildings Silver rating, making Quad/Graphics the first major printer to achieve any level of LEED certification for a manufacturing site.

The 1.6-million-square-foot Hartford plant opened in 1992 also qualified for the LEED for Existing Buildings certification. The facility has more than 900 employees and houses 50 pieces of heavy printing equipment, including an array of high-tech, high-speed web offset presses supported by perfect binders, saddle stitchers and polywrappers for finishing printed products.

"Our Hartford plant's LEED certification is another step in our quest to become an environmental leader of not just the print industry, but of all industries," said Quad/Graphics Chairman, President & CEO Joel Quadracci. "Our company's long-standing approach is simple: We believe doing what's good for the environment is also good for business, so we make business decisions that are both environmentally responsible and sustainable. We plan to continue to build our environmental record and LEED certification is a key element of our strategy."

LEED Certification and the Hartford Plant LEED is a voluntary green building rating system developed by USGBC, a nonprofit group that promotes sustainable building practices. There are four levels of certification available — Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum — for meeting criteria in five specific areas:

1) sustainable site development;
2) water efficiency;
3) energy efficiency;
4) materials and resource selection; and
5) indoor environmental quality.