For Immediate Release DATE: June 21 , 2001

S.P. Richards Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Genuine Parts Company (GPC:NYSE) and leading wholesale distributor of business and office supplies, announced today….

This year's conference is expected to draw 2500+ attendees and feature more than 40 educational sessions, a vendor trade show with approximately 150 of the industry's top manufacturers exhibiting, keynote speakers with timely business solutions and entertainment that will excite and thrill ABC attendees.

A series of seminars will be presented by the top professionals in the fields of Sales, Human Resources, Retail Marketing, Furniture and Technology.

"This year's program, from featured speakers to the educational seminars and trade show, is light years beyond what had already been viewed as being exceptional," said Jim O'Brien, S.P. Richards Vice President of Dealer Development. "Any dealer looking to leapfrog their competition, in what is a very difficult market, will come away with a decided edge."

Keynote speakers at the ABC include Tom Gallagher, COO and President of Genuine Parts Company; Gene Kranz, Flight Director for the Apollo 13 mission control team; Vice President of Marriott Corp., Roger Dow, with his insight into the world of serving customers and the thought-provoking humor of Dave Barry.

S.P. Richards Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Genuine Parts Company (GPC: NYSE), distributes a wide spectrum of business products to office products resellers throughout the U.S. and Canada. These products include consumable office supplies, office furniture, computer supplies, consumer electronics, and facilities supplies from all of the major industry manufacturers. S.P. Richards Company markets several private label lines under the brand names of Sparco, Nature Saver, Compucessory, and Elite Image. The company operates 44 Distribution centers in the United States and Canada, including Horizon USA, its computer supplies subsidiary and Norwestra, a Canadian based Business Products Wholesaler.

Genuine Parts Company is a diversified distribution and services company that operates four wholly owned subsidiaries. The Company is a leading distributor of automotive replacement parts in the U.S., Canada and Mexico; industrial replacement parts in the U.S., Canada and Mexico through its Motion Industries subsidiary; office products nationwide in the U.S. and Canada through its S.P. Richards Company subsidiary; and electrical and electronic components throughout the U.S. and Mexico through its EIS, Inc. subsidiary. Genuine Parts Company had 2000 revenues of $8.4 billion