Business Editors

    STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 16, 1999--

    Training Center to be located in Quincy, Illinois,
    hometown of Pitney Bowes founder Arthur Pitney

    Pitney Bowes Inc. (NYSE: PBI) today announced the donation of $100,000 to Transitions of Western Illinois' capital fund drive for a new building to house its vocational training center for people with disabilities. The new facility will be located in Quincy, Illinois, hometown of Pitney Bowes founder Arthur Pitney. The vocational training center, which has outgrown its current location at 2300 North 12th Street in Quincy, Ill., teaches independent living skills and work skills to people with mental and physical disabilities, and places attendees into area jobs upon completion of the training. CRC Industries, a service of Transitions, provides the training and serves more than 300 people annually and approximately 175 people daily.

Polly O'Brien, Director of Community Affairs at Pitney Bowes, noted: "Among Pitney Bowes' core values are supporting the communities in which the company operates and promoting diversity both in those communities and within our work force. We are pleased that our contribution will provide a facility for career training and guidance for people with disabilities that will help them maximize their employment opportunities and advance their careers. The donation is additionally important to Pitney Bowes as it benefits Arthur Pitney's hometown, where he lived until he was a young man."

The new 69,000-square-foot facility will be built north of the corner of 48th and Broadway in Quincy. Plans for the facility are designed to meet the needs of people with disabilities and to meet requirements set by the Americans with Disabilities Act. The facility's new features will include climate control; space for independent living skills training services; production areas; and restrooms accessible from client service areas.

According to Barbara Baker Chapin, Director of Development at Transitions: "The link to Arthur Pitney is felt even more strongly at Transitions because Mr. Pitney had a disability. As an infant, he contracted what was believed to be polio, which resulted in one of his legs being shorter than the other leg and caused him to walk with a limp. Arthur Pitney's story -- his tremendous ability, innovation, creativity and success -- provides a unique inspiration to our staff and trainees.

"This special connection became an integral part of CRC Industries' training program. Many of our trainees learn valuable work skills on Pitney Bowes equipment. The bulk mailing center we established at CRC three years ago provides a wonderful on-the-job training opportunity for people with disabilities. In addition, the services we provide create a revenue source that helps us cover some of the cost of our training programs."

Michael Rein, Executive Director of Transitions, said: "Transitions is thrilled with Pitney Bowes' generous gift. We deeply appreciate Pitney Bowes' interest in our vocational training center and their tremendous support of our building initiative."

Commenting on the capital campaign, Mr. Rein added: "Pitney Bowes' gift has moved us considerably closer to our fund-raising objective. Their support, along with that of other contributors, has brought us to over 50 percent of our goal. Another $1.2 million needs to be raised before we can break ground on the project. We encourage other organizations and individuals to follow their example by supporting our effort to provide a first-class vocational training facility for people with disabilities."

The mission of Transitions of Western Illinois is to improve the quality of life for the community by empowering people to reach their personal, social, emotional, physical, and vocational potential by providing high quality, accessible, and affordable professional services. Transitions of Western Illinois has been serving Quincy and Adams County since 1955.

Pitney Bowes has a longstanding history of innovation, dating back to Arthur Pitney's invention of the postage meter at the turn of the 20th century, which sparked the founding of Pitney Bowes and the multi-billion dollar mailing industry. At the brink of the 21st century, Pitney Bowes is still leading the way with a generation of innovative, advanced new products including digital, Internet and networked mail and messaging solutions.

Pitney Bowes Inc. is a $4.2 billion global provider of mail and messaging management. For more information about the company, please visit www.pitneybowes.com.

    --30--jc/ny*

    CONTACT: Transitions of Western Illinois
             Barbara Baker Chapin
             (217) 223-0413
                 or
             Pitney Bowes Media Relations
             Alicia Sherry
             (203) 351-6477
             sherryal@pb.com

     KEYWORD:  CONNECTICUT
     INDUSTRY KEYWORD:  COMED COMPUTERS/ELECTRONICS
INTERACTIVE/MULTIMEDIA/INTERNET