EXHIBIT 99.5(a)


                                FIRST AMENDMENT

                                      TO

                             AMENDED AND RESTATED

                     CHANGE IN CONTROL SEVERANCE AGREEMENT

     THIS FIRST AMENDMENT TO AMENDED AND RESTATED CHANGE IN CONTROL SEVERANCE
AGREEMENT (this "First Amendment") is made and entered to by and between
PremiumWear, Inc., a Delaware corporation with its principal offices at 5500
Feltl Road, Minnetonka, Minnesota (the "Company"), and David E. Berg, residing
at Edina, Minnesota (the "Executive"), and shall be effective as of this 26th
day of May, 2000.

     WHEREAS, the Company and the Executive are parties to an Amended and
Restated Change in Control Severance Agreement dated as of May 22, 2000 (the
"Change in Control Agreement"), pursuant to which the Executive is entitled to
certain benefits in the event of a termination of his employment with the
Company following a "Change in Control" (as defined in the Change in Control
Agreement"); and

     WHEREAS, pursuant to an Agreement and Plan of Merger dated as of May 26,
2000 (the "Merger Agreement"), by and among New England Business Service, Inc.,
a Delaware corporation ("NEBS"), Penguin Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation and a
wholly-owned subsidiary of NEBS ("Sub"), and the Company, Sub will offer to
purchase shares of the Company's common stock pursuant to a tender offer, and
upon successful completion of the tender offer, will thereafter be merged with
and into the Company (the "Merger"), with the Company being the surviving
corporation in the Merger and a wholly-owned subsidiary of NEBS; and

     WHEREAS, the Company desires to secure the continuation of the Executive's
services as President and Chief Executive Officer following the Merger, and the
Executive desires to perform such services for the Company, and to that end the
Company and the Executive have entered into an Employment Agreement of even date
herewith (the "Employment Agreement"); and

     WHEREAS, in order to induce the Company to enter into the Employment
Agreement, the Company and the Executive desire to amend the Change in Control
Agreement to provide, among other things, that the consummation of the
transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement will not constitute a "Change
in Control" under the terms of the Change in Control Agreement; and

     WHEREAS, capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined herein
shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the Change in Control Agreement;

     THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and other respective covenants
and agreements of the parties herein contained, the parties hereto agree as
follows:

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     1.  The Executive hereby agrees that the consummation of the transactions
contemplated by the Merger Agreement (and any subsequent transactions directly
related thereto and contemplated thereby) will not constitute a "Change in
Control" for purposes of the Change in Control Agreement.

     2.  The first sentence of Section 1 of the Change in Control Agreement is
hereby amended by deleting the reference to "December 31, 2001", and
substituting "June 30, 2003" therefor, and by deleting the reference to "January
1, 2001", and substituting "January 1, 2003" therefor.

     3.  Section 2 of the Change in Control Agreement is hereby deleted in its
entirety and the following substituted therefor, such amendment to be effective
from and after the effective time of the Merger:

          "2.  Change in Control.  No benefits shall be payable hereunder unless
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     there shall have been a Change in Control.  For purposes of this Agreement,
     a "Change in Control" shall mean:

          "(a)  Following the Merger, the Company (i) ceases to be a direct or
     indirect subsidiary of NEBS, or (ii) sells or otherwise disposes of all or
     substantially all of its assets or business to any "person" (as such term
     is defined in Section 3(a)(9) and as used in Section 14(d) of the
     Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act"), being hereinafter
     referred to as a "Person") other than NEBS or one of its affiliates; or

          "(b)  The acquisition by any Person of beneficial ownership (within
     the meaning of Rule 13d-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act) of 35% or
     more of either (i) the then outstanding shares of NEBS common stock or (ii)
     the combined voting power of NEBS' outstanding securities ordinarily having
     the right to vote at elections of directors ("Outstanding NEBS Voting
     Securities"); provided, however, that the following acquisitions shall not
     constitute a Change in Control: (A) any acquisition directly from NEBS
     (excluding an acquisition by virtue of the exercise of a conversion
     privilege); (B) any acquisition by NEBS or by any corporation controlled by
     NEBS; (C) any acquisition by any employee benefit plan (or related trust)
     sponsored or maintained by NEBS or any corporation controlled by NEBS; or
     (D) any acquisition by any corporation pursuant to a consolidation or
     merger if, following such consolidation or merger, the conditions described
     in clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) of Section 2(d) below are satisfied; or

          "(c)  Individuals who, as of the date hereof, constitute the NEBS
     Board of Directors (the "NEBS Incumbent Board") ceasing for any reason to
     constitute at least a majority of the NEBS Board of Directors; provided,
     however, that any individual becoming a NEBS director (other than a
     director designated by a Person who has entered into an agreement with the
     Company to effect a transaction described in Sections 2(b) or (d))
     subsequent to the date hereof whose election, or nomination for election by
     NEBS' stockholders, was approved by a vote or resolution of at least a
     majority of the directors then comprising the NEBS

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     Incumbent Board shall be considered as though such individual were a member
     of the NEBS Incumbent Board, but excluding, for this purpose, any such
     individual whose initial assumption of office occurs as a result of either
     an actual or threatened solicitation in opposition (as such terms are used
     in Rule 14a-6 of Regulation 14A promulgated under the Exchange Act) to the
     election of directors conducted or to be conducted by or on behalf of a
     Person other than the NEBS Board of Directors; or

          "(d)  Adoption by the NEBS Board of Directors of a resolution
     approving an agreement of consolidation of NEBS with or merger of NEBS into
     another corporation or business entity in each case, unless, following such
     consolidation or merger, (i) more than 60% of, respectively, the then
     outstanding shares of common stock of the corporation resulting from such
     consolidation or merger and/or the combined voting power of the then
     outstanding voting securities of such corporation or business entity
     entitled to vote generally in the election of directors (or other persons
     having the general power to direct the affairs of such entity) is then
     beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by all or substantially all of
     the individuals and entities who were the beneficial owners, respectively,
     of the NEBS common stock and Outstanding NEBS Voting Securities immediately
     prior to such consolidation or merger in substantially the same proportions
     as their ownership, immediately prior to such consolidation or merger, of
     the NEBS common stock and Outstanding NEBS Voting Securities, as the case
     may be, (ii) no Person (excluding NEBS, any employee benefit plan (or
     related trust) of NEBS or such corporation or other business entity
     resulting from such consolidation or merger and any Person beneficially
     owning, immediately prior to such consolidation or merger, directly or
     indirectly, 35% or more of the NEBS common stock or Outstanding NEBS Voting
     Securities, as the case may be) beneficially owns, directly or indirectly,
     35% or more of, respectively, the then outstanding shares of common stock
     of the corporation resulting from such consolidation or merger and/or the
     combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities of such
     corporation or business entity entitled to vote generally in the election
     of its directors (or other persons having the general power to direct the
     affairs of the corporation of other business entity) and (iii) at least a
     majority of the members of the board of directors (or other group of
     persons having the general power to direct the affairs of the corporation
     or other business entity) resulting from such consolidation or merger were
     members of the NEBS Incumbent Board at the time of the execution of the
     initial agreement providing for such consolidation or merger; provided,
     that any right to receive compensation pursuant to Section 4 below which
     shall vest by reason of the action of the NEBS Board of Directors pursuant
     to this Section 2(d) shall be divested upon (A) the rejection of such
     agreement of consolidation or merger by NEBS' stockholders or (B) its
     abandonment by either party thereto in accordance with its terms; or

          "(e)  Adoption by the requisite majority of the whole NEBS Board of
     Directors, or by the holders of such majority of stock of NEBS as is
     required by law or by NEBS' Certificate of Incorporation or By-Laws as then
     in effect, of a

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     resolution or consent authorizing (i) the dissolution of NEBS or (ii) the
     sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of
     NEBS, other than to a corporation or other business entity with respect to
     which, following such sale or other disposition, (A) more than 60% of,
     respectively, the then outstanding shares of common stock of such
     corporation and/or the combined voting power of the outstanding voting
     securities of such corporation or other entity entitled to vote generally
     in the election of its directors (or other persons having the general power
     to direct its affairs) is then beneficially owned, directly or indirectly,
     by all or substantially all of the individuals and entities who were the
     beneficial owners, respectively, of the NEBS common stock and Outstanding
     NEBS Voting Securities immediately prior to such sale or other disposition
     in substantially the same proportion as their ownership, immediately prior
     to such sale or other disposition, of the NEBS common stock and/or
     Outstanding NEBS Voting Securities, as the case may be, (B) no Person
     (excluding NEBS and any employee benefit plan (or related trust) of NEBS or
     such corporation or other business entity and any Person beneficially
     owning, immediately prior to such sale or other disposition, directly or
     indirectly, 35% or more of the NEBS common stock and/or Outstanding NEBS
     Voting Securities, as the case may be) beneficially owns, directly or
     indirectly, 35% or more of, respectively, the then outstanding shares of
     common stock of such corporation and/or the combined voting power of the
     then outstanding voting securities of such corporation or other business
     entity entitled to vote generally in the election of directors (or other
     persons having the general power to direct its affairs), and (C) at least a
     majority of the members of the board of directors or group of persons
     having the general power to direct the affairs of such corporation or other
     entity were members of the NEBS Incumbent Board at the time of the
     execution of the initial agreement of action of the NEBS Board of Directors
     providing for such sale or other disposition of assets of NEBS; provided,
     that any right to receive compensation pursuant to Section 4 below which
     shall vest by reason of the action of the NEBS Board of Directors or NEBS'
     stockholders pursuant to this Section 2(e) shall be divested upon the
     abandonment by NEBS of such dissolution, or such sale of or other
     disposition of assets, as the case may be.

          "Notwithstanding anything in the foregoing to the contrary, no Change
     in Control shall be deemed to have occurred for purposes of this Agreement
     or the Employment Agreement by virtue of any transaction which results in
     the Executive, or a group of Persons which includes the Executive,
     acquiring, directly or indirectly, 35% or more of the combined voting power
     of the Outstanding NEBS Voting Securities."

     4.  Section 5 of the Change in Control Agreement is hereby deleted in its
entirety and the following substituted therefor:

          "5.  Limitation on Parachute Payments.  If, in the opinion of tax
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     counsel selected by the Company and NEBS and acceptable to the Executive,
     the Severance Payment (in its full amount or as partially reduced, as the
     case may be) or any other payment or benefit which constitutes a "parachute
     payment" within

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     the meaning of section 280G(b)(2) of the Code (whether made pursuant to
     this Agreement or otherwise) exceeds, either individually or in the
     aggregate, the amount that is deductible by the Company or NEBS by reason
     of section 280G, and in the opinion of such tax counsel, the Severance
     Payment (in its full amount or as partially reduced, as the case may be) or
     any other payments or benefits which constitute "parachute payments" within
     the meaning of section 280G of the Code are not reasonable compensation for
     services actually rendered or to be rendered, within the meaning of section
     280G(b)(4) of the Code, the Severance Payment and/or such other payments or
     benefits shall be reduced by the excess of the aggregate "parachute
     payments" over that amount which could be paid to or for the Executive
     without any portion of such "parachute payments" not being deductible by
     reason of section 280G of the Code. The value of any non-cash benefit or
     any deferred cash payments shall be determined by the Company and NEBS in
     accordance with the principles of section 280G of the Code and the
     regulations promulgated thereunder.

          "If it is established pursuant to a final determination of a court or
     an Internal Revenue Service proceeding that, notwithstanding the good faith
     of the Executive and the Company in applying the terms of this subsection,
     the aggregate "parachute payments" paid to or for the Executive's benefit
     are in an amount that would result in any portion of such "parachute
     payments" not being deductible by the Company or its Affiliates (including
     without limitation NEBS) by reason of section 280G of the Code, then the
     Executive shall have the obligation to pay the Company upon demand an
     amount equal to the sum of (A) the excess of the aggregate "parachute
     payments" paid to or for the Executive's benefit over the aggregate
     "parachute payments" that would have been paid to or for the Executive's
     benefit without any portion of such "parachute payments" not being
     deductible by reason of section 280G of the Code; and (B) interest on the
     amount set forth in clause (A) of this sentence at the applicable Federal
     rate (as defined in section 1274(d) of the Code) from the date of the
     Executive's receipt of such excess until the date of such payment."

     5.  If the Merger Agreement is terminated for any reason prior to the
occurrence of the Merger, then this First Amendment shall automatically be
deemed to have been terminated and cancelled, without any further liability of
either party or NEBS to each other, and the terms of the Change in Control
Agreement, without giving effect to the terms of this First Amendment, shall
automatically be reinstated and thereafter shall remain in full force and
effect.

     6.  Except to the extent expressly amended hereby, the provisions of the
Change in Control Agreement shall remain in full force and effect.

     7.  The validity, interpretation, construction and performance of this
First Amendment shall be governed by the laws of the State of Minnesota.

                            [Signature Page Follows]

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     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned officer, on behalf of PremiumWear,
Inc., and the Executive have hereunto set their hands as of the date first above
written.

                                    PREMIUMWEAR, INC.

                                    By: /s/ Thomas D. Gleason
                                       ----------------------------
                                    Its

                                    EXECUTIVE:



                                        /s/ David E. Berg
                                       ----------------------------
                                            David E. Berg

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