Johnson Industries Named Supplier of the Year by FedEx Express

    ATLANTA--Jan. 7, 2002--Johnson Industries (JI), one of the nation's leading wholesale distributors of original equipment automotive parts and a wholly owned subsidiary of Genuine Parts Company, has been chosen to receive two supplier of the year awards from FedEx Express.
    JI was recognized with the Vehicles/GSE/Fuels Supplier of the Year award and the Strategic Sourcing and Supply Supplier of the Year award. This is the first time a FedEx Express Vehicles/GSE/Fuels supplier has won both awards.
    JI competed with other suppliers who service FedEx's 50,000 delivery vehicles and 46,000 ground support equipment (GSE) for aircraft to win the Vehicles/GSE/Fuels award. To win the Strategic Sourcing and Supply award, JI beat out several hundred vendors that support all areas of the FedEx Express operation. Criteria for the awards include compatibility with FedEx Express systems, response time, working with FedEx Express to solve problems, initiating changes that will get parts to the field quicker and implementing technological advancements.
    "We are honored that FedEx Express has chosen Johnson Industries for this award," said Alan Terry, Vice President / Sales and Strategic Growth for Johnson Industries. "JI is committed to being the best possible supplier to FedEx and all of our customers. This award represents many hours of teamwork by JI associates to streamline the supply chain for FedEx and reduce their overall transaction costs."
    FedEx Express places orders for parts through its Ariba-based internal order entry system and the order is routed to JI's order center in Atlanta for processing. The parts are shipped from one of JI's 12 distribution centers around the country for next-day delivery. JI also created an interface with FedEx's internal accounting system to facilitate electronic payment and invoicing, lowering the cost of parts transactions.
    "Johnson Industries has an outstanding performance record working with FedEx vehicle maintenance and parts procurement in supply chain optimization, process improvement, resource initiatives and strategy development," said James M. Vines, Managing Director, Vehicles/GSE/Fuel for FedEx Express. "The Johnson Industries team has worked diligently and aggressively to provide the parts that keep our vehicle fleet on the road. The JI team well deserves this award and recognition."

    About Johnson Industries

    Johnson Industries, a wholly owned subsidiary of Genuine Parts Company, is headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., with distribution centers in Atlanta, Ga.; Dallas, Texas; Chicago, Ill.; Oakland, Pacheco, Sacramento and San Jose, Calif.; Tulsa and Oklahoma City, Okla.; Wichita, Kan.; Pittsburgh, Pa.; and Detroit, Mich. Founded in 1924, JI is one of the nation's largest distributors of original equipment and aftermarket automotive parts, service equipment, supplies and facility services. JI services automotive repair facilities across the United States, and companies like FedEx that maintain large, geographically diverse fleets of vehicles.

    About FedEx Corp.

    With annual revenues of $20 billion, FedEx Corp. is the premier global provider of transportation, e-commerce and supply chain management services. The company offers integrated business solutions through a network of subsidiaries operating independently, including: FedEx Express, the world's largest express transportation company; FedEx Ground, North America's second largest provider of small-package ground delivery service; FedEx Freight, a leading provider of regional less-than-truckload freight services; FedEx Custom Critical, the world's largest provider of expedited time-critical shipments; and FedEx Trade Networks, a provider of customs brokerage, consulting, information technology and trade facilitation solutions.