January 27, 2003 -- PIA-MidAmerica recently inked an agreement to provide discounted environmental consulting to the membership. Rita Zebian, one of the most knowledgeable environmental consultants specializing in the printing industry, will provide this new service. "Our members are going to receive the services of an extremely talented individual at special pricing because of their membership in our Association," stated regulatory director Matt Kaarlela, who was instrumental in creating this arrangement. "The Association and many of our members have worked with Rita for over 10 years, and we're pleased to announce this special arrangement." Zebian specializes in air permitting, emission inventory, and other regulatory projects dealing with air or waste issues. She is a graduate of the University of Scranton with a B.S. degree in Chemistry. She spent her first 9 years working in the graphic arts industry (Sun Chemical and St. Regis Packaging), and subsequently entered the consulting field and has spent the past 14 years working as an environmental consultant. For more information about this service, or any other regulatory services provided by the Association, contact Member Services at (800) 788-2040 or email [email protected]. New Discount Program Available To PIA-MidAmerica Members It’s a program that took nearly a year to create, but PIA/GATF members across the US now have another dollar saving program available. PIA/GATF and its affiliates are partnering with EFS to provide discounts on credit card transactions. The program should save members hundreds, if not thousands of dollars a year on fees paid every time they receive payment through a credit card transaction. Because more and more of the industry accepts credit cards for payment, the idea of negotiating with a transaction provider began in early 2002. As with many of these types of programs, finding a supplier with a good track record and a willingness to provide a meaningful discount program was a challenge. Thanks to the efforts of several PIA staff members and board member Charlie Vaughn of Nashville, Tennessee, the program becomes reality this month. A mailing will be sent to all PIA/GATF members outlining the program and how to participate. Although discounts will be provided on all three major credit card providers (MasterCard, VISA, and American Express), the deepest discounts will be offered on MasterCard and VISA. Member Discount on Government Print Services PIA has entered into an exclusive agreement assisting its members in the acquisition of government work. The relationship with ABC (a division of e-LYNXX Corporation) provides PIA members with a 30% discount off the list price of ABC’s Government Printing Office (GPO) bid specification service. For 27 years, ABC has been offering a government bid solicitation service to the printing industry. ABC gathers printing contract opportunities from hundreds of federal, state and local government offices around the country, categorizes the jobs, sorts them according to printer-chosen capabilities, and provides them to printers over its website at www.abcadvisors.com. The ABC site also gives printers access to available bid results, data, reports and other information relating to government printing contracts including ABC’s exclusive print order reports that offer an in-depth view of GPO annual contracts and Simplified Purchase Agreements. In addition, ABC provides both basic and advanced training to help printers win and produce government contracts. The discount will be available to PIA members through PIA-MidAmerica or directly through ABC. Members interested in the program can contact their ABC Advisors at (800) 288-8250 or PIA-MidAmerica at (800) 788-2040/(214) 630-8871. Industry-wide Credit Union Offering Unique Services It’s a credit union that was started by PIA-MidAmerica in the late 60's to provide financial services for its member companies and their employees, and it still has a lot to offer. New and used auto loan rates, as well as RV loan rates are at an all time low. Low interest home loans are now offered, too. Members may earn a .25% discount on loan rates if they have a checking account with direct deposit, a Money Market account, an IRA, or even a MasterCard. Dividend rates on shares, checking, Money Market, and Individual Retirement accounts are among the highest found based on a recent Ratewatch survey, and it only takes $25 to open an account and share draft (checking) accounts are free with a minimum balance of $100. The Credit Union offers MasterCard, ATM cards, debit cards (no fee when used at more than 300 Dallas/Fort Worth 7-Eleven stores), cashier checks, as well as other financial products found at banks. To find out more about the Credit Union, drop by the office at 910 W. Mockingbird Lane in Dallas, or call member services at (214) 630-9166 or toll free (866) 332-9033. Members of the Credit Union are invited to attend the annual membership meeting Thursday, April 24 at 5:30pm. Bar-b-que and door prize tickets will be provided free to all credit union members present. More than $2,500 in cash prizes will be given away, as well as several hundred dollars in merchandise.