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R&B to Acquire Champ Service Line

20 October 1997

R&B to Acquire Champ Service Line

    COLMAR, Pa., Oct. 20 -- R&B, Inc. announced
today that it has signed a letter of intent to acquire selective assets of the
Service Line Division ("Champ") of Standard Motor Products, Inc.
for approximately net asset value less a reserve for certain costs and
contingencies.
    Headquartered in Edwardsville, Kansas, the Service Line Division includes
the Champ Service Line, APS Service Line and Pik-A-Nut.  Champ has annual net
sales of approximately $40 million.  The transaction is expected to be
completed mid 1998, and is subject to certain pre-closing conditions and post-
closing adjustments.  The transaction is expected to be non-dilutive.
    Richard Berman, president of R&B, stated, "Champ increases the value we
can bring to our customers by being able to provide them with a broader
product line and is consistent with our goal of being the leading supplier of
hard-to-find parts, fasteners and related service parts."
    R&B, Inc. is a leading supplier of "hard-to-find" parts and fasteners for
the automotive aftermarket. R&B's parts are marketed under more than fifty
proprietary brand names, through its Motormite and Dorman divisions, as well
as under the private labels of automobile manufacturers, parts manufacturers,
and national warehouse distributors.
    Forward looking statements in this release are made pursuant to the safe
harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
Such forward looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties
that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected.
Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward looking
statements which speak only as of the date hereof.  Factors that cause actual
results to differ materially include, but are not limited to, those factors
discussed in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K under "Business -
Investment Considerations."

     Visit R&B's Home Page at http://www.rbinc.com

SOURCE  R&B, Inc.