In 1972, Quebecor went public in order to raise capital to finance its growth and development. The goal was to transform the Company into a full vertically integrated communications provider. Quebecor was listed first on the New York Stock Exchange and then on the Montréal Exchange several months later.

Printing
Quebecor spent $2 million to build the ultramodern Montréal-Magog printing plant. The new technology enabled the Company to offer its customers substantial economies of scale and land its first contracts to print American magazines. Quebecor also began its expansion into the printing market outside Québec with the acquisition of Graphic Web in Ontario.

Dailies
Buoyed by the success of Le Journal de Montréal, Pierre Péladeau decided to try the same formula in another city of comparable size and launched the Philadelphia Journal, Quebecor's first foray into the United States. After a promising start, the paper turned into a money-loser and survived only four years. It did, however, give Quebecor valuable experience and helped pave the way for the Company's future expansion.

Other markets
While newspapers remained Quebecor's core business, the Company continued branching out into related fields to drive its growth and increase its vertical integration, adding a string of publications, magazines, publishing houses and distribution networks to its properties.