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Monro Muffler Brake Announces First Preferred Brake Supplier Agreement

17 February 2000

Monro Muffler Brake Announces First Preferred Brake Supplier Agreement; Company Selects Honeywell Friction Materials, Owner of Bendix and Related Name Products

    ROCHESTER, N.Y.--February 17, 2000--Monro Muffler Brake, Inc. , today announced that the Company signed a preferred supplier agreement with Honeywell Friction Materials, owner of Bendix and related name products, and a division of Honeywell International Inc. . The agreement, which became effective February 1, 2000, represents the Company's first preferred brake supplier agreement. Monro's brake service, which accounts for the Company's largest sales volume category, will benefit by offering high quality brake products, additional advertising support, as well as cost savings, and increased access to employee training. All Monro locations will offer a broad line of Honeywell's Stoprite and Road Tuff brake products.
    Andrew Dudash, Vice President of Merchandise, commented, "We are excited to offer Honeywell's industry-leading brake products as part of our first preferred brake supplier agreement. Honeywell's reputation for producing high quality brake products further bolsters Monro's product and service offerings. We will look to leverage Honeywell's strong customer base by attracting new customers to our locations in addition to enhancing the satisfaction of our existing customers."
    Monro Muffler Brake operates a chain of stores providing automotive undercar repair services in the United States. The Company currently operates 511 stores and has 19 dealer locations in New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Connecticut, Massachusetts, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Vermont, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina, Indiana, Rhode Island, Delaware and Michigan. Monro's stores provide a full range of services for exhaust systems, brake systems, steering and suspension systems and many vehicle maintenance services.

Certain statements made above may be forward-looking and are made pursuant to the Safe Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve uncertainties which may cause the Company's actual results in future periods to differ materially from those expressed. These uncertainties include, but are not necessarily limited to, uncertainties affecting retail generally (such as consumer confidence and demand for auto repair); risks relating to leverage and debt service (including sensitivity to fluctuations in interest rates); dependence on, and competition within, the primary markets in which the Company's stores are located; the need for, and costs associated with, store renovations and other capital expenditures; and the risks described from time to time in the Company's SEC reports which include the report on Form 10K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 1999.