Interstate Batteries Selects Carlos Sepulveda as Next Chief Executive

DALLAS, April 23 -- Interstate Batteries, the No. 1 brand of replacement automobile batteries in North America, announced today that Carlos Sepulveda will be promoted to president and chief executive officer effective May 1, 2004.

R. Tom Miller, current president and CEO, is retiring after 41 years in various executive positions at Interstate Batteries. Also, Len Ruby, executive vice president has announced his retirement after 25 years with the company.

Sepulveda, who is also a member of the Board of Directors, will report to Norm Miller, chairman and majority owner of Interstate Batteries.

As executive vice president, Sepulveda led Interstate's National Accounts, Marketing, E-Commerce, Legal, Distributor Operations, Information Technology, Financial areas and Retail Initiative. He joined the Interstate team in 1990 and executive management in 1993. He came to Interstate after 11 years with KPMG Peat Marwick, in Austin, New York and San Francisco.

"All through his experience at Interstate, Carlos has demonstrated he has the vision, talent and energy to enhance the entire organization -- in all areas," Norm Miller said. "I believe he's the one to lead Interstate to the next level. He simply has an excellent grasp of business."

Sepulveda, 46, was born in Houston, Texas. He received his Bachelor of Business Administration with highest honors and several other collegiate honors from the University of Texas at Austin in 1979.

Sepulveda became CPA-certified in 1981. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants and Financial Executives Institute.

Tom Miller advanced through the ranks of Interstate before assuming the role of president in 1991 where he continued to build on his philosophy of teamwork, training and recognition of Interstate's employees and their efforts as keys to the company's success. Under his leadership, Interstate continued to expand and improve one of the most comprehensive distribution networks in the world.

Len Ruby has a wealth of battery manufacturing and sales expertise that led him to Interstate in 1979 and to its executive management team in 1987. As executive vice president, he led various key departments within the company.

Tom Miller and Ruby will both remain members of Interstate's Board of Directors.

Founded in 1952 and based in Dallas, Texas, Interstate Batteries is a privately held group of corporations, which includes a company with 310 distributors that service more than 200,000 locations throughout the United States, Canada and select international locations. The group of corporations also includes the All Battery Center retails stores and an e-commerce web site: interstatebatteries.com.