Quad/Graphics Donates $100K to Cal Poly

SUSSEX, Wis.-American printing company Quad/Graphics helps the Graphic Communication Department at Cal Poly reach a fundraising goal of $200,000 through a matching grant. The company donated $100,000 to help the institution reach its target.

Quad/Graphics chairman, president, and CEO Joel Quadracci presented the matching donation to the department during a Jan. 23 event in San Luis Obispo, California. The initial $100,000 raised for the endowment came from Quad employees; Cal Poly alumni, faculty and staff; and corporations and investment funds. Funds also came from family and friends of Eric Steinbach, the former president of publishing solutions for Quad. Steinbach served on Cal Poly’s Graphic Communication Department Advisory Board for 24 years and was an advisor to faculty and a mentor to many students. The school describes Steinbach as “instrumental in developing resources for the construction of a computer management lab at Cal Poly.”

“Eric touched so many lives during his time at Quad, and many more at Cal Poly and throughout the graphics communication community,” states Quadracci. “This endowment allows his incredible printing industry legacy to continue for generations to come. I’m particularly proud that so many of our employees chose to contribute to the endowment. Their support symbolizes the respect they had for Eric; a man whose business acumen was only overshadowed by his genuine desire to help others.”

L-R: Quadracci receives a token of appreciation from Graphic Communication Department Chair Ken Macro. (Image courtesy Cal Poly) 

Quadracci addressed several topics during the banquet event which featured more than 200 attendees including Cal Poly faculty, staff, administrators and industry leaders. During an on-stage interview conducted by Cal Poly Professor Emeritus Harvey Levenson, the company CEO discussed topics such as a commitment to the printing industry, Quad’s corporate culture and its commitment to gender equity and diversity, and where the graphic communication industry is heading and how students can prepare themselves.

“It is an honor and a privilege to have Mr. Quadracci here for this momentous occasion,” states Ken Macro, department chair of Cal Poly’s Graphic Communication Department.  “His tribute to Eric Steinbach’s contribution to the industry and education is commendable and will be forever memorialized here at Cal Poly. Many thanks to Quad/Graphics and to the Steinbach family.”

For more information, visit www.qg.com.