Joel Quadracci is chair, president and CEO of Wisconsin-based Quad.
The grocery business has a way of coming full circle. Joel Quadracci knows that well, steering Sussex, Wis.-based Quad as the global marketing experience company has expanded its sphere of influence beyond its original work in printing and into intelligence, creative services, production, integrated media, technology solutions and more.
The chairman, president and CEO of Quad learned the proverbial ropes from his father, the late Harry V. Quadracci, who founded the company in 1971 and who was, in turn, guided and inspired by his own grandfather who started a grocery store in Racine, Wis. Progressive Grocer recently talked with Quadracci about how both those grocery and family roots have shaped his company’s path and his own journey in helping retailers, brands and others ultimately connect with consumers.
Progressive Grocer: It’s been said that the grocery industry gets into your blood. How is your family business, Quad, inextricably linked to the grocery sector?
Joel Quadracci: My great-grandfather’s family came from outside of Rome, in Amelia, Italy, a farming town. He emigrated from there through Ellis Island and as a young man, ultimately brought his wife back and settled in Racine, Wis. He did a lot of different jobs and eventually started an Italian grocery store in Racine. They lived upstairs. We have a great photo of him behind the meat counter with the neighborhood children lined up around him, including my grandfather and great-uncle.
Joel Quadracci’s great grandfather, Virgilio Quadracci, started his own Italian grocery store after coming to Racine, Wis., and Joel’s grandfather, Harry R. Quadracci, later bought a printing press to promote the store.
PG: How did that auspicious beginning lay the groundwork for Quad?
JQ: In those days, your customer was within a 12-block radius. When the Depression happened, all of the neighbors were his customers and you didn’t turn them away, so my great-grandfather racked up debt through that period. My grandfather, who was 18 at the time, bought a printing press and started printing up retail flyers, out of necessity to help his father. So, it’s really the grocery industry that got us into printing.
My grandfather ended up building a nice little business out of that and in 1934, he sold it to William Krueger and it became the W.A. Krueger Company. My grandfather joined that company and through the next decade, it became one of the most innovative printers. When my father was a kid, he grew up like I did — always at the printing plant. My father became a lawyer and practiced law before he came back to W.A. Krueger Company. He ultimately left that company and wanted to work for himself, and started Quad.
PG: Did Quad’s earlier work involve food retailing in some way, too?
JQ: Yes, back to grocery. Retailer flyers were where my father came from and that got us on track into grocery when we were in the free-standing insert business. We also acquired Vertis, which was retail printing.
PG: How does your business continue to serve food retailers and brands?
JQ: Now, and where we are going, we are playing a role in helping CPGs and grocers be successful and solve their daily needs, including through in-store retail media.
In general, we work with a lot of large and medium companies and also do work with smaller grocers, so it’s across the gamut in retail. For us, as the market is changing, grocery is an exciting place for us to play with the capabilities. It all comes together.