For Immediate Release DATE: August 7 , 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….

The S.P. Richards Advantage Business Conference 2001, held from July 18-22 at the Orlando World Center Marriott in Orlando, Fla., drew record attendance, providing over 2,500 conference attendees, an expanded educational program and the largest trade show in the event's history!

The ABC 2001 Vendor Exposition showcased 64,000 square feet of exhibits with over 160 exhibiting companies displaying the most comprehensive array of office products, services, equipment and technology. The crowds waiting for the Exposition opening on July 20 reflected the continued importance of the ABC to approximately 600 dealerships who sent representatives to the show.

Many of the 41 seminar sessions were filled to capacity, directly attributed to the timeliness of topics. Sessions covered many vital issues facing the office products industry, from "How to Do Business with the Federal Government" to "Competitive Strategies." The focus was on sales, e-business, sales management and human resources.

"I attended Winnie Ary's sales seminar series," said Doug Pertl, Wegner Office Supply Co. Inc., of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. "I learned quite a lot about how we might do things and I'll end up making some changes when out prospecting for new customers."

The ABC 2001 officially opened Thursday morning, July 19 with a dynamic keynote presentation by Tom Gallagher, President & COO of Genuine Parts Company. Gallagher stated that "We have decided that we will not participate in the [economic] slowdown." After having made that statement, "no slow growth" buttons were handed out to all attendees to support his affirmation.

Roger Dow, Senior Vice President of Marriott shared a detailed assessment of customer service during an ABC keynote luncheon address. Dow pointed out that "It's the little things [customer service] that kill us - be brilliant in the basics."

A true American hero, keynote speaker Gene Kranz, Flight Director for the Apollo 13 Mission Control received two standing ovations during his presentation. Kranz chronicled his struggle to devise the plan that would safely bring the ship and its crew of three astronauts home after its oxygen system failed. "Failure is not an Option," was the motto that carried him through the Apollo 13 crisis and the theme of his message.

From an entertainment aspect, the ABC 2001 received enthusiastic response to the CyberSafari. Attendees enjoyed a variety of "adventures" as they strolled through five regions: Africa, Australia, South America, Egypt and the Moon, and sampled the culture, music and cuisine of each.

The adventure didn't end with the CyberSafari. Attendees enjoyed an evening of non-stop thrills, splashes and fun with an adventure to SeaWorld Thursday evening. Celebrated columnist, humorist and Pulitzer Prize winner Dave Barry entertained the audience with his humor and quick wit during the event's final dinner celebration on Saturday evening.

"Each year we have a new, and higher level of expectation," said Jim "Montana Smith" O'Brien, S.P. Richards Vice President of Dealer Development. "The true test is the number of dealers who return each year bringing even more people. In what has been a challenging economic environment, we set a new attendance record this year. That is the strongest testimony to the viability and relevancy of the Advantage Business Conference."

O'Brien added, "We continue to see stronger results with our attendees versus those who do not attend and, we already have some great plans for next year's program. We're listening and learning."

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