For Immediate Release DATE: July 5 , 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….

Wayne Beacham rejoins S.P. Richards Company as President and Chief Operating Officer.

Prior to his return, Beacham held several top level positions at Corporate Express including Vice President of Sales & Marketing, where he was responsible for national accounts, furniture sales, e-commerce, marketing, and merchandising.
Most recently Beacham served in the role of President of their Central Group.

Beacham has spent his entire working career in the office products industry. While attending the University of Alabama, he worked part-time with a dealer. Upon graduation, he joined S.P. Richards in 1974 as a sales representative in Florida. During his 23-year tenure with S.P. Richards, Beacham was promoted to General Manager of the Orlando DC in 1983, opened the Seattle DC in 1987, and the Sacramento operation in 1988. Beacham was then promoted to Division Vice President of the Western Division in 1988. In mid 1990, Beacham was again promoted to Senior Vice President - Sales and later moved to the position of Senior Vice President - Operations in 1993.

"Wayne brings tremendous management experience in all phases of wholesaling and contract dealer operations," said Bob Fitts, Chairman of the Board and CEO, S.P Richards. "We are extremely pleased that he has decided to return to S.P. Richards Company."

"While leaving a wonderful organization such as Corporate Express is a difficult decision, I am extremely pleased to be returning to S.P. Richards," said Beacham. "In my new role, I will work to leverage my wholesale and dealer experience to continue the outstanding SPR tradition of anticipating and meeting customer needs."

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