UNDATED (WSAU-Wheeler News) A co-founder of Wisconsin’s largest commercial printing company has died. Funeral arrangements are pending for original Quad/Graphics’ investor Irwin Purtell. He had a long battle with heart disease before he passed away last Thursday at his home in West Bend on his 79th birthday.
Purtell was a cousin of co-founder Harry Quadracci’s wife Betty. Purtell served on Quad’s board from its inception in 1971 until he retired in 2005.
Former Quad official John Fowler said Purtell had strong business and financial talents — and he showed them in a “creative and almost artistic way.” Today, at the company’s annual stockholder meeting, current C-E-O Joel Quadracci will spend part of his address recalling Purtell and his contributions.
Quad/Graphics, which is now based in Sussex, has grown to one of the world’s largest commercial printers. It employs 7,000 people who help print magazines ranging from Time, Rolling Stone, and In-Style — to numerous advertising circulars and paper-bound books.
