TBC Chosen for Inclusion in Prominent Russell 2000 Market Index

    MEMPHIS, Tenn.--June 12, 2001--TBC Corporation today announced that on a preliminary basis it has been chosen for inclusion in the Russell 2000, one of the major stock market indexes published by Frank Russell Company. The formal addition of the Company's shares to the index is scheduled for July 9.
    Frank Russell Company, one of the world's leading investment services firms, calculates and publishes a family of 21 U.S. equity indexes that are widely regarded as important measures of stock market activity. The company employs its indexes in evaluating external investment managers as part of its research-driven investment approach. A number of mutual funds are organized specifically to invest in a portfolio of equities matching one or more of these popular market indexes.
    The indexes are adjusted annually in order to accurately rank the 3,000 largest companies in the U.S. stock market by market capitalization. This realignment allows the indexes to provide a truer reflection of stock market activity and performance.
    Larry Day, President and Chief Executive Officer of TBC, remarked, "More than $175 billion is invested in funds that rely on Russell's U.S. indexes as investment models. We are very pleased that our shares have been selected to be added to this prominent stock market index. We believe inclusion in the Russell 2000 Index should increase investor interest in TBC and thereby enhance the marketability of our shares."