Ryder to Design, Manage and Execute a Transportation and Distribution

Solution to Improve Customer Service and Optimize Supply Chain Performance

MIAMI, May 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Ryder System, Inc. (NYSE: R), a global leader in transportation, supply chain management and warehousing solutions, today announced it has been awarded a multi-year contract to manage nine warehouse locations, including the distribution and outbound transportation network to more than 11,000 customers, for The Parksite Group, a highly specialized sales, marketing and distribution organization that supports the building materials industry.

"Our business is very demanding and requires a great deal of flexibility in meeting the changing distribution requirements of the building industry," said Steve Schmidt, Vice President Distribution and Logistics for Parksite. "Ryder has designed a logistics and transportation solution to improve customer service and drive new improvements and transportation efficiencies throughout our supply chain. This allows us to focus on our core competency, which is demand creation, sales, marketing, training, education and solutions provider for our customers."

When the multi-year contract is fully implemented, Ryder is expected to manage nine warehouse facilities located in Alabama, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina and Ohio, comprising nearly 1,000,000 square feet. Ryder will provide a turn-key warehousing and transportation solution that includes nearly 100 warehouse employees, 61 vehicles and 63 drivers, as well as fleet management and preventive and programmed maintenance services.

"Ryder has a long-standing fleet management relationship with Parksite that dates back more than 10 years," said Ryder President of U.S. Supply Chain Solutions Tony Tegnelia. "We are pleased to have the opportunity to use our supply chain management experience to help improve the efficiency of their distribution and transportation requirements for the building industry."

About The Parksite Group

The Parksite Group markets branded and specialty building products through three business units, Parksite Plunkett-Webster (PPW), Parksite Surfaces (PS) and Parksite Appliance Solutions (PAS). PPW represents DuPont Tyvek(R) Weatherization Systems, Trex(R) Easy Care Decking(R), Azek(R) Trimboards, specialty Cedar, Nichiha Wall Systems and various other building products. Under the PPW umbrella, there are two divisions, ELS, Earth Landscape Solutions serving the lawn & garden industry and Millwork Unlimited, which creates custom and standard millwork items from cellular pvc. DuPont Corian(R), DuPont Zodiaq(R) and Natural Stone (Granite) are some of the products available through Parksite Surfaces. Parksite Appliance Solutions partners with Electrolux Home Products as their Authorized Contract Wholesaler (ACW) to develop appliance sales in the new construction segment.

An employee-owned (ESOP) company, The Parksite Group commits to educate and provide the building industry with quality and innovative products, while increasing shareholder value for its Associates. For more information on the Parksite Group, visit http://www.parksite.com .

About Ryder

Ryder is a Fortune 500 company providing leading-edge transportation, logistics and supply chain management solutions worldwide. Ryder's stock (NYSE: R) is a component of the Dow Jones Transportation Average and the Standard & Poor's 500 Index. For more information about Ryder System, Inc., visit http://www.ryder.com .

SOURCE Ryder System, Inc.

CONTACT: Lisa Brumfield
1-305-500-3668, or Lisa_Brumfield@Ryder.com,
or Edward Rifenburg
1-305-500-4161, or Edward_Rifenburg@Ryder.com
both of Ryder System, Inc.
Web site: http://www.ryder.com
http://www.parksite.com

05/23/2005 17:30 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com