July 15, 2009

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...

ICBA Endorses S.P. Richards Company as Primary Wholesaler for Retail Bookstore and Institutional Office Supplies.

Independent College Bookstore Association (ICBA) and S.P. Richards Company have agreed to a multiyear partnership that provides ICBA members with rebates, allowances, and pricing benefits. In addition, S.P. Richards will develop tools to grow ICBA members’ retail and on-campus department/institutional sales.

S.P. Richards Company has added over 4,000 retail packaged items to its product offering in order to support retail college bookstores. Combining this expanded bookstore product selection with its already extensive 25,000+ SKU office supply offering, marketing expertise, and national supply chain capabilities, makes S.P. Richards the ideal college bookstore partner.

Founded in 1927, the Independent College Bookstore Association is a retail cooperative of independent and institutional college bookstores (no leased or private stores). This rapidly-growing nonprofit mutual benefit corporation is owned by its member stores from the United States. The mission of ICBA is to provide programs and services that will establish the institutional store model as the preferred management solution for higher education. One of many ways ICBA is fulfilling its mission is through its new partnership with S.P. Richards.

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, cleaning and breakroom supplies from all of the major industry manufacturers. S.P. Richards Company markets several private label lines under the brand names of Lorell, Integra, Sparco, Genuine Joe, Nature Saver, Compucessory, and Elite Image. The company operates 43 Distribution Centers in the United States and Canada.

Genuine Parts Company is a distributor of automotive replacement parts in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. The Company also distributes industrial replacement parts in the U.S. and Canada through its Motion Industries subsidiary. S. P. Richards Company, the Office Products Group, distributes business products nationwide in the U.S. and in Canada. The Electrical/Electronic Group, EIS, Inc., distributes electrical and electronic components throughout the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Genuine Parts Company had 2008 revenues of $11.0 billion.