In 2001 while Ed Heckman was in South Carolina presenting a continuing education seminar, a group of pharmacists asked to meet with Ed.  They wanted information about the Georgia purchasing group they heard Ed was associated, Independent Pharmacies of America.  Heckman explained the huge success store of GLP, IPA and PPG, and how they operated together yet each cooperative was its own autonomous business entity.  When Heckman returned to South Carolina in 2003 to present a HIPAA Privacy continuing education seminar to the members of the state pharmacy association, the same group of pharmacists asked to meet with him.  They informed Ed that they were ready and had formed another clone and wanted to begin recruiting pharmacies to join Carolina Pharmacies Unlimited (CPU).  From South Carolina, CPU spread to North Carolina and recently to Montana.