Print factory closures have become a fixture of PrintWeek's news coverage. And while I have no desire to generate additional column inches on such a miserable topic, there's some activity of this nature going on across the big pond that is worth taking note of.

Quad/Graphics completed its acquisition of Worldcolor (the business formerly known as Quebecor World) on 2 July. As previously noted in this column, this is a significant move among print businesses of global size and scale.

Just a month later Quad has now swung into action with phase one of its consolidation plan. Five printing plants are to close, the majority of which are ex-Worldcolor (not particularly surprising given the relative health and back story of the two organisations prior to the deal).

The plants will close by the end of the year, 2,200 jobs will be lost, and the capacity will be removed.

This is from Quad's statement: "Most of the equipment housed in the plants will be shut down and scrapped, thereby permanently removing excess capacity. Quad/Graphics will consolidate work into plants with the most efficient and competitive platforms."

Given the current noise level about the need for further consolidation among web offset and gravure printers in the UK and continental Europe, I imagine Quad's progress will be closely monitored by more than one print exec over here. Would, for example, Polestar's manufacturing platform have as many plants as it does today if Barry Hibbert had access to the same sort of funds that Quad chief Joel Quadracci can tap into? Somehow I doubt it.