Quad to Close The Rock, Georgia, Printing Plant, Impacting 250 Workers

Quad announced plans to permanently close its 797,000-sq.-ft. printing facility in The Rock, Georgia, in March 2026. Quad opened The Rock long-run printing facility in 1995 to replace an older plant in nearby Thomaston that it acquired from W.R. Bean & Sons in 1989. The Sussex, Wisconsin-based mega printer expanded south to Georgia back then to serve Time Inc. and titles such as Time, Sports Illustrated, and People.

Quad indicated the decision reflects ongoing industry declines in long-run print categories — like the weekly magazines the plant was built to produce — driven by frequent postal rate hikes, which have exceeded inflation, as well as persistent U.S. Postal Service delivery delays. Consumer habits of news and entertainment consumption have also changed.

“Making decisions that affect people’s lives is the hardest part of leading a business,” Joel Quadracci, Quad chairman, president and CEO, noted in a prepared statement. “After careful evaluation, we felt it was important to communicate openly and without delay, so employees had time to prepare for what’s next.

“Our Georgia team has been an important part of Quad’s success for decades, and we are committed to supporting them through this transition,” he added. “Even as we make this change, print remains a vital part of our integrated marketing platform and a major point of differentiation among our competitive set.”

Quad also indicated plans to support affected employees by offering relocation opportunities for skilled equipment operators and tradespeople, or a separation package that includes pay, extended healthcare benefits, and career counseling assistance. The company is also planning an onsite job fair in January to connect workers at the facility with other potential job opportunities.

The plant will be put up for sale once it has closed. Work currently performed in The Rock will transition to Quad’s Wisconsin manufacturing platform, which will create greater efficiencies, such as volume-driven postage-saving programs. Quad’s Wisconsin manufacturing platform includes locations in Burlington, Franklin, Hartford, Lomira, Pewaukee, Sussex, and West Allis.

Despite the decline in the long-run publication printing market, Quad has experienced sales growth in 2025 for its targeted print offerings, such as direct mail, in-store signage, and packaging.

Quad serves more than 2,100 clients across industries, including publishing, retail, consumer packaged goods, direct-to-consumer, financial services, and healthcare. The publicly held company, which was ranked Number 4 on the 2025 Printing Impressions 300 list —reporting $2.7 billion in most recent fiscal year sales (a 10% decline from the previous fiscal year) — employs more than 11,000 people in 11 countries, with most of its operations in the U.S.