American Tire Distributors Revs Up Bridgestone Promotion With Valuable Dealer Credits & HeafNet Rewards Points.

Business Editors, Automotive Writers

CHARLOTTE, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 26, 2002

American Tire Distributors announced today an incentive that will award participating dealers their choice of a Bridgestone premium item or "business builder" credits for the purchase of Bridgestone Dueler tires, including Bridgestone's newest addition to the Dueler line, the premium all-terrain Dueler AT REVO with UNI-T AQII(TM).

The incentive, which lasts through Sept. 27, provides the following dealer benefits:

-- For dealers who purchase 24 Dueler tires during the period: Bridgestone polo shirt or a $60 wheel credit.

-- For dealers who purchase 48 Dueler tires: a Bridgestone jacket or a $125 credit toward wheels or tools.

-- For dealers who purchase 100 Dueler tires: a DVD player or a $250 equipment credit. As an added bonus, American Tire Distributors will offer dealers ordering 100 Bridgestone Duelers on one invoice one box of "413" Schrader valve stems (500 count, $75 value).

Concurrent with the dealer incentive, American Tire Distributors will team with Bridgestone to offer consumers purchasing four Duelers a 5-in-1 television, lantern, radio, flashlight and siren. American Tire Distributors is further supporting this promotion by offering triple HeafNet(R) Rewards on all Dueler sales during the period between Aug. 24 and Oct. 25. In addition to the Dueler A/T REVO with UNI-T AQII, dealers also may earn HeafNet Rewards points for purchases of Dueler A/T with UNI-T, Dueler M/T with UNI-T, Dueler H/L with UNI-T AQ and Dueler H/P with UNI-T AQ.

The Bridgestone Dueler A/T REVO with UNI-T AQII is a 50,000-mile tire suited for light trucks and SUVs. Available in 27 15-, 16- and 17-inch P metric sizes, the REVO fits a wide variety of domestic and imported SUVs and light truck applications, including Cadillac, Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford, Honda, Isuzu, Jeep, Lexus, Lincoln, Mazda, Mercury, Mitsubishi, Nissan and Toyota.

The REVO offers exceptional grip and a smooth ride in the best or worst driving conditions using Bridgestone's exclusive UNI-T AQ II technology. UNI-T AQ II technology is the company's newest development and incorporates a variety of improvements to the earlier UNI-T and UNI-T AQ technologies to give drivers even stronger wet and dry performance, both when the tire is new and when it is worn. Tires with UNI-T AQII feature Super Extended Performance Optimization, which involves a Super Extended Performance Compound (EPC), and an enhanced version of the dual-layer tread. The Super EPC contains an anti-hardening resin and a link stabilizing agent that helps reduce the normal hardening process that occurs as a tire ages.

About American Tire Distributors

American Tire Distributors is one of the nation's largest independent suppliers of tires to the replacement tire market. It operates 62 distribution centers servicing 35 states. The company is focused on helping independent tire dealers compete with larger retailers by offering the most complete, coast-to-coast selection of tires, wheels and related products and value-added services. American Tire Distributors employs more than 200 people in its Charlotte-area headquarters, distribution center and regional hub and 1,900 employees across its nationwide distribution center network.