CHARLOTTE, NC (June 16, 2003) -- Printers' Service - PRISCO made the first installment of their "Pennies Per Pound" program to PrintForce in late May. Patrick Cleghorn, Director of Business Development with Prisco, presented a check for $2,319.00 to James Gordon of Winston Printing in Winston-Salem, NC, and Ralph Moore, president of Commercial Printing in Raleigh, NC, on May 23. Gordon and Moore are members of the Board of Directors of The Printing Industry of the Carolinas, Inc. (PICA). PrintForce is a workforce development initiative for the graphic communications industry in North and South Carolina. Created by the PICA Foundation in 1998, it has four main objectives: to increase career awareness of the printing industry; to increase the quality and quantity of graphics programs in high schools and two-year colleges throughout the Carolinas; to offer continuing education to current employees in the industry; and teacher development. In its commitment to the industry, Prisco will donate a penny for every pound of coating it sells in both North and South Carolina directly to the PrintForce program. Prisco sees this as a natural fit and an extension of their business philosophy. "The industry faces its greatest challenge today, as production personnel retire and the need for new, qualified personnel continues to grow," said Cleghorn. "The PrintForce program is a strategic way to bring knowledgeable, qualified personnel into the industry by choice, not chance." The "Pennies Per Pound" program is Prisco's commitment to the PrintForce initiative as an important means of creating a viable pool of future industry personnel. The potential of this program to raise fund to support PrintForce is huge, if every printer in the Carolinas supports the program. Prisco kicked off the "Pennies Per Pound" program coinciding with the plant opening of their newest manufacturing facility in Charlotte, NC. The new 50,000 square foot site was built specifically to manufacture both aqueous and UV coatings used in the offset, flexo and gravure markets. The Prisco "Pennies Per Pound" program is one of several different ways PICA supplier members have stepped up to the plate in supporting PrintForce. Mac Papers made the founding five-year pledge to the workforce development initiative. Xpedx made a five-year pledge and will make an additional contribution to PrintForce on behalf of new contributors pledging at the $30 per employee level. Coyne Textile Services made a five-year pledge, and The Twin Oaks Team, since 1999 has donated, through the Educational Rebate Program, 10% of the fees paid by PICA members to The PICA Foundation. Harper Corporation of America contributed, and purchase of products and services through the PICA Insurance Group provides on-going support to PrintForce. The Printing Industry of the Carolinas, Inc. (PICA) is a trade association representing the graphic communications industry in North and South Carolina. North Carolina ranks as the 14th largest state print market in the United States with 1,047 total printing establishments and 27,342 employees. South Carolina ranks 30th in the nation with 392 establishments and 9,742 employees. PICA is headquartered in Charlotte, NC.