FinishMaster Names New Senior Vice President, Sales

INDIANAPOLIS--Oct. 2, 20032, 2003--FinishMaster, Inc. (FMST), the leading national independent distributor of automotive paints and related accessories, announced today the appointment of Richard J. Esce to the newly created position of Senior Vice President, Sales.

Before joining FinishMaster, Mr. Esce spent 13 years at W.W. Grainger rising to the position of Regional Vice President of Sales where he was responsible for over $400 million in sales covering the Northeast United States. Additionally, Mr. Esce worked at General Electric for 18 years in various product management and marketing roles. Mr. Esce earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Notre Dame and his MBA from Purdue University.

"FinishMaster's success is dependant on growing same branch sales. I'm confident Dick's addition to our sales team will lead to achieving this objective on a sustained basis," stated J. A. Lacy, President and Chief Operating Officer.

FinishMaster is the leading national independent distributor of automotive paints, coatings, and related accessories to the automotive collision repair industry. The Company is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, and operates three major distribution centers and 168 branches in 27 of the 35 largest metropolitan areas in the country. For more information on FinishMaster via the Internet, visit FinishMaster's website at http://www.finishmaster.com/.