Quad/Graphics to Reposition, Eliminate 50 Jobs at Its Waseca, Minn., Plant

Quad/Graphics is eliminating 50 positions at its former Brown Printing publication printing facility in Waseca, Minn., as part of a plan to better position the plant for long-term success by focusing on special interest publications and journals. Claire Ho, Quad/Graphics' director of corporate communications, told the Waseca County News that impacted workers at the roughly 488-employee operation will be offered other positions within the company, primarily within its Wisconsin network of plants.

According to the media outlet, Waseca employees with press and finishing equipment operations experience will be eligible for a $10,000 relocation payment and a $10,000 commitment bonus, provided that they remain employed with Quad/Graphics for another two years.

Aside from the staff reductions, the Waseca operation is also reconfiguring its shift schedules to a more employee-friendly, three-shift operation — Monday through Friday — reducing the need for employees to work weekend shifts and mandatory overtime.

Ho confirmed to Printing Impressions in a followup conversation that the Waseca operation will also focus on shorter-run, special interest publications and science, technology and medical journals with press runs between 5,000 to 150,000. According to Ho, the facility's equipment is best suited for the efficient production of this type of work.

Currently, as reported by the newspaper, the plant prints both short- and long-run magazines, including titles of up to 3 million copies like Vogue, Woman’s Day and Food Network Magazine.

“It will give [the Waseca printing operation] the ability to focus on where they really perform well,” Ho told the paper, noting that the changes will begin in March and will likely be completed by the second quarter.

Impacted employees who opt not to relocate will receive a separation package that includes pay, extension of healthcare benefits and job search assistance.

“There’s no intent to close this plant,” Plant Director Randy Gordon told the newspaper. “This is about securing this plant for the future.”

The Waseca facility, which was acquired by Quad as part of its April 2014 acquisition of Brown Printing, is said to be the town's biggest employer.

Click on the link below to read the entire article from the Waseca County News:

http://www.southernminn.com/waseca_county_news/news/article_75036a54-f902-5d7a-9db8-08c00349ce59.html