Alco Gravure

Alco Gravure was originally the printing division of Crowll Collier, which published This Week Magazine. Sometime in the 1960s, the magazine folded, and McMillan, Inc. purchased the company, calling it Crowell Collier Macmillan, and later Macmillan Publishing. Alco had five plants: Hoboken, New Jersey; Glen Burnie, Baltimore, Maryland; Whitehaven, Memphis, Tennessee; Chicago, Illinois; and North Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. Their business was split between two markets, Sunday magazines for major newspapers and mail pieces and newspaper inserts for major retailers. Customers included Sears, Walgreens, Montgomery Wards, W.T. Grant, Macy's, The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Washington Star, Philadelphia Bulletin and Los Angeles Times. It operated as a commercial gravure printer under Macmillan's ownership until 1981.

Unfortunately, Macmillan used the company for its cash flow, and did not fund needed upgrades as technology changed the way the industry operated. There were also high operating costs due to strong union presence. In 1981, Macmillan put the company on the market, and it was purchased by the Alco management. They operated the company as an esop until 1987, when they sold it to Maxwell Communications Corporation. Maxwell Communications held ownership until Robert Maxwell's death in 1991. Alco was last purchased by World Color, now Quebecor. The only facility remaining is the Memphis location.