Business Acquisitions and Mergers
World Color's early dominance in the comics market led the company to diversify, their first move being the 1928 purchase of another St. Louis-based printer, Commercial Color Press, which specialized in printing weekly newspapers and circulars. This diversification helped the company survive the lean years of the Great Depression.
In 1968, World Color was purchased by New York-based City Investing, prompting World Color to move its headquarters from St. Louis to New York.
In 1974, as World Color shifted focus to the high-end magazine market, the company purchased Louisville, Kentucky-based Fawcett Printing. This acquisition enabled World Color Press to add the rotogravure printing process to its repertoire.
In 1984, the investment giant Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. bought World Color from City Investing, providing the company with continued financial backing. In 1989, World Color acquired Chicago's Bradley Printing, and in December 1991, they acquired California's third-largest printer, George Rice & Sons. In January 1993, they purchased catalog/direct mail printer Alden Press. With these acquisitions, in just a few years World Color became a major player in the catalog and commercial publishing arenas.
World Color pursued major expansions in 1996 and 1997, purchasing Ringier America and Rand McNally's Book Services Group, thereby becoming second in size only to RR Donnelley. In 1999, the company merged with Quebecor Printing in a U.S. $2.7 billion deal to create Quebecor World (USA) Inc., moving its headquarters to Montreal. At the time of the merger, World Color operated 17 production, distribution, and sales facilities throughout the United States.
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