Sorting, Stacking and Strapping in a Single System Solution At Graph Expo and Converting Expo 2002 Custom-Built System Expected to Achieve 217% Savings STAMFORD, Conn., Oct. 2 -- Pitney Bowes Inc. (NYSE: PBI) will exhibit "the complete solution" for direct mailers at Graph Expo and Converting Expo 2002 October 6-9 in Chicago, (Booth 3238) showcasing its FlowMaster inserter system fully integrated with ink-jet printing, sorting, stacking and strapping in a single operation for significant labor and cost savings. The new printing and mail fulfillment solution was custom-built by Pitney Bowes Direct Mail Solutions and partner Sure-Feed Engineering for their client, Superior Mailing Services, Inc. The customized project for the Chicago-based direct mailer integrated the FlowMaster with existing customer equipment to achieve higher productivity and profitability. Preliminary testing indicates Superior Mailing Services should achieve a substantial labor-related cost savings of 217 percent per thousand mail pieces processed. "Mailing almost 500 million pieces of mail last year and looking forward to even larger volumes, we turned to Pitney Bowes for help in gaining a competitive edge.  They rose to the challenge by integrating the best ideas of several vendors to create, what we now call The Complete Solution," said Slade Edling, Vice President/Operations of Superior Mailing Service. The complete solution brings together several print and mail innovations, including running flats on the custom-built FlowMaster at a new, higher speed of 12,000 cycles per hour.  For Superior Mailing Services, this will represent a 240 percent increase in their previous cycle time of 5,000 flats per hour. "This is a cutting-edge solution to achieve cost savings across the entire direct mail market," said Bill Dale, General Manager of Pitney Bowes Direct Mail Solutions.  "By integrating these technologies into one in-line system, we have eliminated several, previously separate processing steps that drained productivity and profitability in the letter shop environment." The single work cell environment allows one operator to control the system.  It integrates labeling, ink-jet printing both prior to- and after mail piece insertion to respectively automate mail piece sorting with a unique identifier and then spray-on customer addresses.  Mail is stacked, then mechanically strapped in-line based on pre-sorted zip codes and delivered for presentment. "Technological advancement is only useful when it is combined with a complete understanding of the demands that will be placed upon it during actual operational conditions," said Richard Smith, Senior Engineer/Operations for Superior Mailing Services. "We have been able to reduce equipment inventory and increase capacity at the same time! It is a beautiful concept made possible through the efforts and expertise of Pitney Bowes Direct Mail Solutions." Pitney Bowes Pitney Bowes is a $4.1 billion global provider of integrated mail and document management solutions headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut.  The company serves over 2 million businesses of all sizes through dealer and direct operations. Additional information on the company, its products and solutions is available at http://www.pb.com