RR Donnelley

R.R. Donnelley
Company type	Private
Industry	Integrated communications, commercial printing, marketing services
Founded	1864 in Chicago, Illinois, United States
Founder	Richard Robert Donnelley
Headquarters	Chicago, United States
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Thomas Quinlan (CEO)
Products	Commercial printing, marketing and business communications, logistics, supply chain solutions, digital marketing services
Owner	Chatham Asset Management
Number of employees	36,400 (2019)

R.R. Donnelley is a privately held American company specializing in integrated communications, focusing on marketing and business communications, commercial printing, and associated services. Based in Chicago, Illinois, it held the title of the largest commercial printer worldwide in 2007 and remained North America's biggest as of 2021.

History

The company was established in Chicago in 1864 by Richard Robert Donnelley. It developed from the Lakeside Printing and Publishing Company, which began operations in 1870. After the devastation caused by the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, Donnelley rapidly rebuilt and expanded its operations, erecting significant facilities such as the Lakeside Press Building and Calumet Plant by 1902. The firm specialized in producing superior quality books, magazines, and mass-produced commercial print materials, serving prominent clients like Encyclopædia Britannica, Time Magazine, Life Magazine, Sears Roebuck catalogs, and promotional content for the Model T Ford.

Between 1922 and 1945, under the guidance of William A. Kittredge, R.R. Donnelley emphasized innovative design and typography, collaborating with well-known artists to strengthen its print quality leadership. The company also ventured into cartography by founding Geosystems in the early 1990s—a digital mapping enterprise that evolved into MapQuest—highlighting its pioneering role in combining routing technology with digital map systems.

The shutdown of the Calumet Plant in 1993, triggered by Sears' decision to discontinue its catalog, marked a pivotal operational change. This closure resulted in a widely publicized lawsuit accusing Donnelley of racial discrimination during the plant's termination process; the dispute was resolved with a settlement in 2003.

By 2019, R.R. Donnelley reported revenues totaling US$6.276 billion and employed around 36,400 personnel globally. Its comprehensive business model includes worldwide activities spanning printing, logistics, supply chain solutions, and digital marketing services. Ownership rests with Chatham Asset Management, with Thomas Quinlan serving as CEO.

Lakeside Press Apprentice School and labor relations

In 1908, T.E. Donnelley—son of the founder and a Yale alumnus—founded the Lakeside Press Apprentice School to elevate workforce professionalism and guarantee exceptional craftsmanship standards. This pioneering industrial training initiative combined theoretical instruction with hands-on experience and was inspired by the Chaix Printing Company’s model in Paris. At its peak, graduates from this program comprised about 90% of the firm's executives and supervisors, contributing to minimal employee turnover and robust internal career advancement. Nonetheless, racial divisions within Chicago’s labor market and unrest during the 1960s impeded the company’s ability to adapt to new technologies and intensifying global competition. These difficulties culminated in workforce reductions and ultimately led to the school's closure in 1993.

The Four American Books Campaign

In 1926, Donnelley introduced the "Four American Books" campaign aimed at proving that its state-of-the-art commercial printing equipment could produce illustrated books on par with those from European presses. This initiative sought to establish a reputation for fine trade editions while penetrating the mass-market book sector. Emphasizing American literary works as an expression of national pride, Vice President C.G. Littell alongside design director William A. Kittredge led this effort.

Key contributors included designer William Addison Dwiggins for Edgar Allan Poe's Tales, Edward A. Wilson for Richard Henry Dana Jr.'s Two Years Before the Mast, and Rudolph Ruzicka for Henry David Thoreau's Walden. The campaign’s centerpiece was Rockwell Kent’s illustrated edition of Herman Melville's Moby-Dick, published in 1930 as an exclusive three-volume set housed in an aluminum slipcase. Kittredge described it as "the greatest book done in this generation," a sentiment later affirmed by critical praise.

Shortly thereafter, Random House released a single-volume trade edition printed by Lakeside Press that prominently featured Kent’s name above Melville’s on its cover, significantly enhancing the novel’s market visibility. Kent’s woodcut-inspired ink-and-wash illustrations combined with a large Caslon typeface were crafted to reflect the novel’s introspective mood and dark themes.

The Four American Classics series received recognition from the Library of Congress through a 1992 exhibition, highlighting its enduring influence on American publishing and underscoring Lakeside Press's impact on the market.

Lakeside Press Galleries

In 1929, the organization inaugurated the Lakeside Galleries located on the eighth floor of their newly constructed building on 22nd Street. From 1930 until 1961, prior to moving their corporate headquarters, these galleries featured works from American and European painters, photographers, as well as typography and book design exhibitions.

Business acquisitions and mergers

Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, R.R. Donnelley experienced substantial growth through a series of acquisitions. In February 2004, the company merged with Moore Wallace Inc., maintaining the R.R. Donnelley brand name. Later purchases included OfficeTiger, a firm specializing in publishing and financial outsourcing, and the 2007 acquisition of Banta Corporation for $1.3 billion.

In 2007, Donnelley also acquired Von Hoffmann, a printer of books and educational materials, along with its creative branch Anthology Inc., as well as Perry Judd's Holdings Inc., a company focused on catalog and magazine printing. In 2005, it bought Asia Printers Group based in Hong Kong from CVC Capital Partners, which encompassed South China Printing.

The company broadened its financial printing portfolio by acquiring the IPO documentation division of Canadian Bank Note Company in 2006. It showed acquisition interest in Quebecor World in both 2007 and made an unsolicited offer in 2009.

A significant agreement with F+W Publications Inc. in 2008 secured roughly $80 million worth of book and magazine printing contracts. That same year, Pro Line Printing was also added to its assets.

Between 2010 and 2011, R.R. Donnelley expanded further by acquiring Bowne & Co., Nimblefish Technologies (to enhance multi-channel marketing), Helium.com, and LibreDigital (to improve e-reader services).

From 2011 to 2012, the firm undertook operational restructuring that included closing several facilities such as those in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania; Windsor; and Danbury, Connecticut.

In August 2012, Donnelley strengthened its data service offerings by purchasing EDGAR Online. The following year it acquired Consolidated Graphics for $620 million.

In August 2015, R.R. Donnelley announced a strategic division into three separate entities: R.R. Donnelley & Sons, LSC Communications, and Donnelley Financial Solutions; this reorganization was finalized by October 2016.

The company withdrew from the Brazilian market in 2019. In September 2021, it revealed plans to shut down its plant in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.

In October 2021, Chatham Asset Management agreed to purchase R.R. Donnelley at $7.50 per share in cash. Following competing bids, Chatham raised its offer to $10.85 per share, valuing the transaction near $900 million; this acquisition was completed in February 2022.

Most recently, in July 2024, R.R. Donnelley enhanced its digital printing and marketing capabilities by acquiring operations from Vericast Corp., thereby expanding its service offerings and productivity solutions.

Lakeside Press

Lakeside Press was an imprint based in Chicago under R.R. Donnelley Company renowned for producing premium-quality books, mail-order catalogs, telephone directories, encyclopedias, and advertising materials. Its signature publication was the annual Lakeside Classics series initiated in 1903 by company president Thomas E. Donnelley. These hardcover editions featured cloth bindings with gold embossing and highlighted American history alongside significant speeches, symbolizing the company's dedication to superior printing standards.

Lakeside Classics

The Lakeside Classics collection originated as a distinctive corporate gift aligned with R.R. Donnelley's strategy to emphasize artisanal quality and reinforce its brand identity. Instead of offering these books for sale, the company annually presented them to employees and clients during the holiday season, turning them into prized collectibles that fostered a strong corporate culture and boosted employee morale.

Initially, the series included titles such as Benjamin Franklin’s autobiography and gradually expanded to feature rare firsthand American historical accounts focusing on subjects like the Civil War, frontier experiences, and exploration. In the 1990s, mirroring R.R. Donnelley’s growing international presence, the collection added narratives penned by Americans living overseas.

The production process highlighted the training of apprentices in traditional bookmaking skills, underscoring the company’s commitment to superior craftsmanship—a key differentiator in the printing industry. The design underwent several updates, notably in 1995 and a major redesign in 2003 orchestrated by Bruce Campbell, which enhanced the visual appeal by restoring gold framing and adopting the Garamond font.

Print quantities increased from an initial 1,500 copies to tens of thousands by the 1970s; however, comprehensive production documentation is sparse. Certain editions remain rare due to limited print runs or collector retention. Rights to republish early titles were granted to Chicago-based publisher Reilly & Britton under the imprint “The Patriotic Classics.”

By 2015, the series had reached 113 volumes. After corporate restructuring, LSC Communications assumed publication responsibilities in 2017 and issued the final volume in 2019, bringing the total to 117 books. The Lakeside Classics series exemplifies R.R. Donnelley’s visionary approach to blending product excellence with employee recognition and brand prestige within the printing sector.

These exclusive volumes were never commercially available but distributed internally, nurturing loyalty among staff and clients while establishing a lasting tradition in fine printing and corporate gifting. Their limited availability has heightened demand among collectors, further solidifying the brand’s cultural significance within its specialized market.

Publications

A Study of the School for Apprentices of the Lakeside Press (1922) – R. R. Donnelley & Sons Company
Official Pictures of a Century of Progress Exposition (1933) – Reuben H. Donnelley Corporation
Rules for Compositors (1915) – R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company
The School for Apprentices of the Lakeside Press (1913) – R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company
The Lakeside Press (1933) – R.R. Donnelley

External links

Corporate homepage
Design Archives – Showcasing typographic and book designs from Lakeside Press
Inventory of the R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company Collection 1844-2005 held at the University of Chicago Special Collections Research Center