ABC-Amega Acquires The Paper & Allied Trades Mercantile Agency

Buffalo, NY – ABC-Amega, Inc., a global leader in the commercial collection, credit information, and receivables outsourcing markets, announced today that it is acquiring The Paper & Allied Trades Mercantile Agency, Inc. (PAT). Terms of the deal, expected to close by March 31, 2009, were not disclosed.

PAT is a premier provider of credit information products and services for the paper and printing industries.  Founded in 1926 in New York City, it has served the needs of hundreds of US companies. PAT’s offerings include credit reports, investigations, and bulletins. PAT is perhaps best known for publishing the Credit Reference Book, regarded as the most comprehensive and authoritative source of information on over 15,000 graphic arts firms in the six-state area of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. PAT also serves as administrator for the Paper Merchants Association (PMA), a credit interchange group that meets monthly in New York City to discuss current credit and collection issues.

"We are excited about this opportunity to carry on the services of one of the most acclaimed providers of industry-specific credit information to the graphic arts industry,” remarked David I. Herer, CEO of ABC-Amega. “The requirements of PAT and PMA fit squarely within the range of solutions we have developed for print industry credit professionals since 1965, and we look forward to developing new offerings and relationships with our expanding client base.”

Lee Berkowitz, the beloved former owner of PAT, relocated the business to Savannah, Georgia in 2002. Since her death in 2006 Lee’s nephew, New York businessman Jeff Steiner and his family have owned and managed the company. It was decided recently, however, that it was time to find an organization specializing in credit management services in order to meet the growing needs of PAT’s members, particularly in these challenging economic times.

Commenting on the sale, Steiner explained, “We were looking for the right company to carry on the tradition of excellence started in 1926, and that Lee Berkowitz and the members of PAT sustained for so many years. In ABC-Amega, we believe we’ve found the best possible company to promote that legacy.”

The acquisition of PAT will re-unite the member companies of PAT and the Printing Industry Credit Executives, Inc. (PICE), under the same service provider. Ms. Berkowitz and the staff at PAT had previously serviced PICE – an association currently administered by ABC-Amega. According to Herer, PAT’s operations will be moved to Buffalo, New York in April of this year. Additional staff that will be hired to support the business will report to Paul Grolemund, ABC-Amega’s Divisional Vice President, Credit Information.

About ABC-Amega Inc.
ABC-Amega is a respected receivable management firm headquartered in the United States with offices in Buffalo, NY; Shanghai, China; and Geneva, Switzerland. Whether the need is industry-specific credit information, transparent first party receivable collection support, or third party commercial debt collection, ABC-Amega offers a solution that helps companies achieve improved efficiency, greater effectiveness, and increased cash flow.

For more information on ABC-Amega Inc., contact 716-878-2850 or visit the company web site at www.abc-amega.com.

About Paper & Allied Trades Mercantile Agency, Inc.
Established in 1926, PAT is regarded as the leading source of credit information within the graphic arts community in the northeast and beyond. While the heaviest concentration of information is on graphic arts firms in the northeast, the database of over 15,000 active accounts is by no means limited to that area.