Building collapse, fire at huge printing plant (Lomira Wisconsin between Fond du Lac and Milwaukee)

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel ^ | 7-12-02 | Journal Staff

[petuniasevan]

Building collapse, fire at huge printing plant

Journal Sentinel staff

Last Updated: July 12, 2002

Lomira, Wis - A portion of a building at the Quad/Graphics plant in Lomira collapsed Friday night, leading to a massive fire at the largest single printing facility in the Western Hemisphere, authorities said.

The building was reported to have collapsed about 9:30 p.m. at the plant complex, located at 952 Badger Road, said company spokeswoman Claire Ho.

Ho could not confirm a report from the Dodge County Sheriff's Department that injuries and fatalities were possible but said a number of workers from the plant's second shift were in the building at the time.

Employees from the building were evacuated after the collapse and authorities were attempting to account for all those who were in the building late Friday, Ho said.

The 2 million-square-foot plant, which opened in 1985, employs more than 2,000 workers on two shifts.

The 7 p.m. to 7 a.m shift was working at the time of the collapse, Ho said, although she could not say how many workers were inside the building at the time.

[petuniasevan]

I didn't find this posted and I'm surprised. Anyone have more news?

[ozaukeemom]

Hello! Yes, I just saw it on channel 4 & 6. All I heard was that there was a building collapse first and then the fire. And that it is the newer building.

[freebilly]

Yow! Quad Graphics prints all my coupon magazines. They are by far the largest print company in the US.

[creeping death]

I tried posting this about an hour ago, but it didn't work.
Been listening to the whole thing on my scanner. They have at least 17 fire and/or EMS units at the scene. Dodge County is not confirming casualties, but they have called several coroners to the scene. They may be there on a standby basis. The part that collapsed contains a lot of paper.

[RCW2001]

Prayers that those inside got out and for those fighting this fire...

[kayak]

This sounds really bad. Prayers going up now!

[2sheep]

First the stock market is crashing, and now this fell!

Quad/Graphics

Quad/Graphics 2

"Employing more than 10,000 people at printing plants and sales offices across the country and around the world..."

[Brad’s Gramma]

WHERE is Lomira????? (do NOT say Wisconsin....!!)

[petuniasevan]

From the Fond Du Lac Reporter:

Firefighters pour water onto the southern end of a 10-story warehouse structure that collapsed and burst into flames about 9:45 p.m. today. More than 10 fire departments and a caravan of ambulances were still on the scene at 11:30 p.m. Fire trucks were positioned on Badger Road south of the plant. This photo was taken along Highway 175 east of the warehouse tower. Keith Vandervort/The Reporter

[petuniasevan]

See in the parentheses in the TITLE?

About 10 miles south of Fond Du Lac; about 30 miles northwest of Milwaukee.

[Brad’s Gramma]

See in the parentheses in the TITLE?

Yes, AFTER I posted I did, hoping and hoping and hoping that no one caught that stoooopid mistake of mine.

[spanky_mcfarland]

Oh fer cry eye...hope no cheese curd was lost in the blaze!

[creeping death]

Preliminary report just announced on Channel 4 indicates that all employees have been accounted for.

[petuniasevan]

Best news I've heard all evening.

[petuniasevan]

I work in a print/press/cut/finish packaging plant. This place was HUGE!

PLANTS
	Lomira, Wisconsin Quad/Graphics 952 Badger Road Lomira, WI  53048 920-269-4700 Directions to Plant

FAQs

• Year Opened: 1985
• Plant Size: 2,055,229 million square feet
• Employees: 1,800+
• Plant Manager: Gayle Kugler
• Best-Kept Claim to Fame: One of the plant's drum stitchers processed 443,000 inserts during a 12-hour shift in 1997 -- that's 10 inserts per second -- which registered as a world record.
  

POINTS OF INTEREST

• At more than 2 million square feet, the Lomira plant is the largest single printing facility in the Western Hemisphere.
• Clients are free to tour the plant at any time and meet the plant's 2,000-plus customer service reps: the employees.
• Plant grounds include an upscale log cabin for overnight guests, an expansive green space featuring two lagoons, volleyball courts and a softball diamond. Within walking distance is Lithostone Meadow, a company-run luxury apartment complex.
• Among the plant's many employee amenities are a full-service medical clinic and pharmacy, a child-care center, a fitness center and injury rehabilitation services.
• Lomira, located just south of Fond du Lac, Oshkosh and Appleton, is a one-hour drive north of Milwaukee and a 45-minute trip from the company's Sussex plant.
  

SERVICES/CAPABILITIES

Gravure Printing

• Lomira's gravure presses are among the most advanced in the industry and are ideal for medium- to long-run insert, catalog and publication work.
• Special inline capabilities include stitching, trimming and imprinting while robotic stacking, bundling and palletizing also help bolster production efficiencies in the gravure pressroom.
  

Web-Offset Printing

• The web-offset pressroom offers clients the choice of printing their work on 32-page (short and long cutoff) or 48-page presses.
• 32-page presses boast eight or nine printing units, double former pinless folders and plow pre-folders.
• 48-page presses feature eight printing units, gapless blankets and double former pinless folders.
• Currently, Quad/Graphics is undergoing an aggressive program to install color control and signature handling systems on all web offset presses companywide by yearend 2000. QTI's Color Control System is a revolutionary, online scanning and control system that uses color measurement information to increase the accuracy of color reproduction during the printing process. The signature handling systems, manufactured by QTI subsidiary SMC, automate and accelerate the transfer of product from pressroom to bindery.
  

Gravure Imaging

• Direct-to-cylinder engraving (a.k.a. digital engraving), a process that is more controllable and consistent than film-based processes was introduced in Lomira in 1993. Today, all cylinders are engraved from digital information.
• Automated cylinder transportation, color profiling and an all-digital workflow have substantially reduced turnaround times and improved quality.
• Lomira's digital engravers are capable of engraving cylinders in 16 sizes (diameter and circumference).
  

Web-Offset Imaging

• A member of Quad/Graphics' nationwide network of imaging facilities, Lomira offers complete digital prepress services for web-offset printing, from scanning to page assembly to platemaking.
• Since 1994 we've perfected the digital workflow to offer clients improved registration, fewer mechanical errors and quicker turnarounds.
  

Finishing

• The Lomira plant has the largest combined saddle stitching and perfect binding capacity of any Quad/Graphics facility.
• Stitchers and binders featuring overhead grippers and conveyors are capable of sophisticated in-line capabilities including personalization, multiple cover accommodation, polywrapping and paper wrapping.
• High-speed Ferag-manufactured drum stitchers can process up to 40,000 pieces per hour. Efficient makereadies and minimal spoilage make these revolutionary stitchers -- the first of their kind in North America -- ideal for short- to medium-run, non-personalized work.
  

Distribution

• Lomira is homebase to numerous mailing service representatives that investigate ways to maximize mailing efficiencies and minimize costs.
• Quad/Graphics enlists several mailer-friendly programs like drop-shipping and co-mailing, which, when combined with zone skipping, intensify U.S. Postal Service discounts.
• Quad/Graphics consolidates and drops more than 60 million pounds of mail each week to more than 200 postal entry points accross the nation.
• More than 350 trucks comprise the company's Duplainville Transport fleet which delivers client product to newsstand and retail wholesalers, as well as to postal centers and even local post offices.

01/14/2002

[terilyn]

Looks like it's just south of Fon du Lac.

[creeping death]

Fire is spreading big time. They are calling four more fire dept's.

[StriperSniper]

Just another isolated incident.

[Brad’s Gramma]

I'm gonna get out my WisCONsin map.....for Pete's sake, I was born and RAISED in that state. Ya think I can remember anything?????

nooooooo (thanks anyway)

[sheik yerbouty]

Nothing to see... move along..