The Hercules Tire & Rubber Company Announces Intent to Sell Retreading Business to Cooper Tire.

    FINDLAY, Ohio, May 9 THE HERCULES TIRE & RUBBER COMPANY
today announced its intention to sell certain manufacturing assets of its
retreading business to Cooper Tire effective June 30, 2001.  Hercules will
retain its manufacturing facilities in Findlay, Ohio and Guntersville,
Alabama, and the sale does not affect its custom-mix business or any of its
tire distribution business.  The sale does include certain assets of the Cedco
equipment division.
    In 1952, twenty-one (21) retreaders in the Eastern U.S. formed The
Hercules Rubber Company, and purchased a rubber manufacturing factory in
Stamford, Connecticut.  Their objective was to ensure themselves of a
consistent supply of high quality tread rubber at competitive prices.
    The Hercules Tire & Rubber Company's fifty (50) year commitment to the
competitiveness of the independent retreader has brought it to the conclusion
that a merger of its retreading business was in the dealers' and company's
best interest.  Cooper Tire & Rubber Company's Oliver division offered such an
opportunity...an opportunity for Hercules Retreaders to become part of a
larger retreading support system.
    "With the sale of the retreading unit, this will allow Hercules to focus
its efforts on its growing custom-mixing business, and to further expand its
worldwide tire distribution network," said Craig Anderson, Hercules President.
"For the past four years, our custom-mix business has been growing at over 35%
per year, equaling nearly 50% of our current rubber sales; and we can now
commit and focus our 100,000,000 pounds of capacity to this industry."
    "Hercules completed the installation of a new Farrell 27 banbury in the
Findlay facility, bringing the number of banburys in Findlay to three, plus
one in Guntersville," stated Paul Rinauro, Hercules Vice President and General
Manager of Manufacturing.  "This banbury was specifically designed to produce
rubber to meet the needs of our current and prospective custom-mix accounts."
    Hercules corporate, customer service and technical departments will not be
affected in an effort to assure a smooth transition of the business to
Cooper's Oliver division, and to assure continued full technical service to
custom-mix customers.

    COMPANY DESCRIPTION:
    Hercules Tire & Rubber Company is a privately held company with
headquarters in Findlay, Ohio.  Hercules' primary business is the worldwide
distribution of a broad line of Private Brand Tires under its own labels,
through seven (7) distribution centers, totaling 1,100,000 square feet in the
United States and Canada.  Custom-mixing facilities, with full technical
capabilities, are located in Findlay, Ohio and Guntersville, Alabama with
capacity of over 100,000,000 pounds.  For more information, visit the company
website at http://www.herculestire.com .

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