Advance Auto Parts Looks to TSYS for Turnkey Solution
Rendering Complete Business-to-Business Solutions through Synovus Family of Companies
Columbus, Ga., June 5, 2000 – Total System Services, Inc.® (TSYS®) (NYSE: "TSS") today announced the signing of a multi-year contract to provide commercial card processing services for Advance Auto Parts, the second largest automotive retailer in the United States. The accounts were converted to TSYS’ TS1SM Processing System in second quarter 2000.
Advance Auto Parts utilizes full turnkey services through the Synovus Financial Corp.® family of companies for every component of its commercial business. TSYS furnishes the commercial card processing portion. TSYS Total Solutions® (Total Solutions®), a wholly owned subsidiary of TSYS, provides collections and customer service. Synovus Technologies, Inc., and Columbus Bank and Trust®, subsidiaries of Synovus Financial Corp., render remittance processing and funding of receivables, respectively.
"Advance Auto Parts is the first client to fully realize the broad spectrum of services that the Synovus Financial Corp. family of companies offers its business customers. We will work vigorously to build a valuable partnership with Advance, and we’re eager to identify more opportunities to offer these end-to-end solutions for other retailers and in other sectors," said James H. Blanchard, chairman and CEO of Synovus Financial Corp.
Advance Auto Parts has established itself as an industry leader by staying focused on providing excellent customer service, brand-name parts and convenient locations. Services such as our TS1 Processing System and the customer contact center solutions provided by Total Solutions help Advance keep focused on their customers," said Richard W. Ussery, chairman of the board and CEO of TSYS. "We look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship with Advance."
"One of the keys to Advance Auto Parts’ success is an unwavering commitment to excellence from ourselves and the organizations who help us serve our customers," said Advance Auto Parts CEO Larry Castellani. "We feel confident that our business will only continue to grow under the care and supervision of TSYS and Synovus, who share that same commitment."
About Advance Auto Parts
Advance Auto Parts is the primary trade name for Advance Stores Company Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Advance Holding Corporation. Established in 1932 with three stores in Virginia, Advance now has more than 1,700 stores in 38 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The company is based in Roanoke, Va., and is the second largest auto parts chain in the nation. Additional information about the company, employment opportunities and services can be found on the company web site at www.advanceautoparts.com.
About Total System Services, Inc.
TSYS provides global commerce solutions. With more than 181 million accounts on file, TSYS facilitates the payment exchange between buyers and sellers for approximately 253.4 million consumers. Our systems capture and deliver more of the right information to our clients that allows them to make wiser business decisions, currently yielding portfolio growth more than twice the industry average. TSYS and its family of companies offers a full range of business services, from credit application to collections, allowing our clients to focus on building their brands while we focus on safety, security, ease and convenience. Based in Columbus, Ga., TSYS (www.totalsystem.com) is an 80.8-percent-owned subsidiary of Synovus Financial Corp. (NYSE: "SNV") (www.synovus.com), No. 5 on FORTUNE magazine’s list of "The 100 Best Companies To Work For" in 2000.
Contacts:
Danita Gibson-Lloyd
Corporate Communications Manager
Total System Services, Inc.
ph. (706)649-5578
dglloyd@totalsystem.com
Eric Bruner
Media Relations
Synovus Financial Corp
ph. (706) 644-8457
ebruner@synovus.com