GCA to Spin Off from Printing Industries of America

["Elledge, Marion" <melledge@printing.org>]

PRINTING INDUSTRIES OF AMERICA (PIA) BOARD AGREES TO
GRAPHIC COMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATION (GCA) SPIN OFF

David J. Steinhardt New Chief Operating Officer of GCA

ALEXANDRIA, VA-April 19, 2001-The Printing Industries of America (PIA),
Incorporated Board of Directors has agreed to spin off its Special Industry
Group, the Graphic Communications Association (GCA), as an independent
association, effective on June 30. The GCA Board of Directors unanimously
approved the spin off at its meeting on April 4. 

"As a separate entity, GCA will have the ability to grow and to support its
diverse membership base in the rapidly emerging world of information
technologies," said Diane Romano, GCA Chair and President, Applied Graphics
Technologies, e-business Publication Division, New York, NY. "It is the goal
of GCA to be the group to represent all industries working together to
enable the information process and to help to direct the technology
application process that can advance the total industry, including, but not
limited to, print media. We will, of course, continue to work with PIA in
those areas that are mutually beneficial to both membership bases."

This decision sets in motion the process to allow GCA to establish itself as
a separate 501(C) 6 association with the transfer of assets into the
organization's own accounts, from under the umbrella of PIA authority. The
transfer of funds will take place June 30. For the immediate future, GCA
will continue to lease office space in the PIA headquarters building in
Alexandria, VA.

As an independent entity, GCA will continue its core mission of
cross-industry coordination and communication, representing print media
publishers and vendors, and expand its role in information technology and
the need for information interoperability and standards in print and
electronic mediums. This amicable spin off further allows GCA to enhance its
representation of traditional print media industries, and to further develop
its representation of information technology industries, particularly as it
relates to the Extensible Markup Language (XML). GCA and PIA will continue
to cooperate in many areas, including commercial standards and eCommerce.

To help lead GCA in this effort, GCA President Norman W. Scharpf has named
David J. Steinhardt the Chief Operating Officer. Throughout his accomplished
career in executive positions for printing and imaging associations,
Steinhardt has forged solid business relationships with all segments of the
industry, including printers, dealers, manufacturers and associations. Most
recently, Mr. Steinhardt was Vice President of Industry Relations for
PrintNation.com. Before that, Steinhardt served as President of PrintImage
International (formerly the National Association of Quick Printers-NAQP). He
also served as the first President and CEO of the North American Graphic
Arts Suppliers Association (NAGASA), Vice President of GCA and Director of
Member Programs for PIA. 

In making the appointment, Mr. Scharpf said, "From the time that he first
joined GCA in 1985, David has continued to demonstrate the leadership
abilities that will be of tremendous value to us as we approach this moment
of profound change in our organization. GCA has doubled in size in the last
five years; we welcome David's help to keep this momentum going."

"In recent years, GCA has become the dominant provider of programs dealing
with XML. This has changed GCA's traditional focus from print media to
electronic media," said Randy Camp, PIA Chairman and President of Walton
Graphics Media of Monroe, Georgia. "PIA has determined it will be in the
best interest of both organizations to form a new relationship which will
give GCA greater flexibility in serving its markets while preserving access
by PIA members to GCA's print-media programs on a preferential basis."

About GCA
The Graphic Communications Association (GCA), now in its 35th year, formed
as a PIA SIG to help member companies apply the latest computer-related
technologies to all forms of print and electronic publishing. Now, GCA is
the leading global membership organization that advances the processes of
information interoperability and dissemination of knowledge. Founded with 14
member firms, GCA has grown to become a worldwide organization of more than
300 member companies.
http://www.gca.org

About PIA
Headquartered in Alexandria, VA, Printing Industries of America, Inc. (PIA)
is the world's largest graphic arts trade association representing an
industry with more than 1 million employees and $163 billion in sales. PIA
promotes the interests of more than 13,000 member companies. PIA
consolidated with the Graphic Arts Technical Foundation (GATF) in 1999. GATF
is a member-supported, nonprofit scientific, technical and educational
organization dedicated to the advancement of graphic communications
industries worldwide. For 77 years, GATF has developed leading-edge
technologies and practices for printing, and each year the Foundation
develops new publications to meet the evolving needs of the industry.
http://www.gain.net



Marion L. Elledge
Senior VP/IT
Graphic Communications Association 
melledge@gca.org
www.gca.org
703-519-8193

http://www.gca.org
http://www.IDEAlliance.org

Check out the upcoming GCA/IT events:
XML Europe 2001, Berlin Germany, 22-26 May 2001
http://www.xmleurope.com

Extreme Markup Languages 2001, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, August 12-17, 2001
http://www2.gca.org/extreme/

XML 2001, Orlando, Florida, December 10-14, 2001