SAN ANTONIO, TX – Caraustar Custom Packaging Group in Austell, Georgia, has been recognized by Clarke American Checks, Inc. as one of four organizations to be honored with the company’s 2004 Supplier Excellence Award. The annual award distinguishes suppliers that have significantly contributed to the success of Clarke American through innovation and the demonstration of passion to the company, its financial institution partners and their account holders. Clarke American is a leading provider of checks and check-related products, contact center services, Internet and direct response marketing solutions for the financial services industry.

“The Supplier Excellence Award allows Clarke American to honor suppliers who exemplify the outstanding attributes that we seek to embody as a company,” explains George Bordon, Vice President of Procurement and Supply Management for Clarke American. “The recipients have successfully aligned with our business approach and vision and effectively contribute to taking our business to the next level. Out of more than 1500 suppliers to Clarke American, these are among the best.”

Recipients were nominated by Clarke American business leaders and selected for the award based on measurable criteria that include trust, customer focus, a passion for excellence and customer care, collaboration, a proactive and innovative approach to business, and a track record of measurable and profitable results.

Caraustar Custom Packaging Group, a primary supplier of packing cartons to Clarke American, was recognized for its extraordinary customer service and innovation in helping the company reduce costs, address quality and performance issues and meet the requirements of custom projects during 2004. “Caraustar is willing to help us out with everything that is related to boxes,” explains Joe Rawlins, Executive Director of Manufacturing for Clarke American and one of Caraustar’s nominators. “Whether it is working with us on cost issues, helping us identify how package design impacts us, or stepping up to help us get new material quickly as they did in 2004, Caraustar is procative in working with us.”

That successful working relationship can be traced to at least two factors, according to Dan McRae, Regional Operations Manager for Caraustar. “We are an integrated company which Clarke American was looking for when we were selected as its supplier, and we have a culture that seems to be in alignment with the Clarke American culture,” he observes. “It’s always an honor to be recognized by a customer, and when the customer is a Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award winner, the honor is doubly special because it is not presented lightly. The award recognizes our ability to provide a high-quality product delivered where it needs to be at the time that it needs to be there.”

As part of the Supplier Excellence Award recognition, Clarke American has made a donation in Caraustar Custom Packaging Group’s name to The Osteogenesis Imperfecta Foundation.

Other 2004 award recipients are Acclivus Corporation in Dallas, Texas; Eric Scott Custom Products in Sainte Genevieve, Missouri; and Julien J. Studley, Inc., in New York City. The four were honored with the award in an early February ceremony.

About Clarke American
Clarke American provides checks and check-related products, contact center services, Internet and direct response marketing solutions for the financial services industry. Each year, the company produces more than 10 billion personal and business checks in a variety of formats for more than 4,000 banks, credit unions and other financial institutions nationwide. The company has more than 3,200 associates and a national network of electronically linked production facilities and customer service centers located throughout the United States.

Clarke American is a recipient of the 2001 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award in the manufacturing category, awarded by the U.S. Department of Commerce, and is the recipient of the 2001 Texas Award for Performance Excellence given by the Quality Texas Foundation. For more information about Clarke American, visit www.clarkeamerican.com.

For information about this press release contact
Cary Corbin
(830) 609-1932
Debbie Talley
(210) 697-1228