POMONA, Calif., June 26, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- On May 8, less than nine months after hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast, Keystone Automotive (Nasdaq:KEYS) re-opened the doors to their newly renovated New Orleans branch. This location had suffered extensive damage to buildings, inventory and equipment. A small team of Keystone Team Members pulled together and spent an entire month just cleaning the remains and removing debris.
"We are grateful to have Team Members who take pride in their work and do whatever is in their power to keep things running," stated Christopher Northup, Vice President for Keystone Automotive, referring to the Keystone employees who setup shop in a condo complex and began taking orders just three weeks after Katrina struck.
To assist the over 150 Keystone Members directly affected by the storm, Keystone Team Members across the nation donated money and vacation hours to raise $42,000. In addition, the company ensured that all employees in the Gulf Coast region continued to receive their regular paychecks in the weeks and months following Hurricane Katrina. Families were touched by the generosity, "My family and I appreciate everything Keystone has done for us. It really meant a lot," stated William Lee, a route salesman out of New Orleans.
Recently, Keystone donated 10,000 to the Collision Industry Foundation in support of the continued mission to help collision repair professionals affected by disasters and other worthy causes.
About Keystone Automotive Industries, Inc.
Keystone Automotive Industries, Inc. distributes its products primarily to collision repair shops through 136 distribution facilities, of which 22 serve as regional hubs, located in 38 states and Canada. Its product lines consist of automotive body parts, bumpers, and remanufactured alloy wheels, as well as paint and other materials used in repairing a damaged vehicle. These products comprise more than 19,000 stock keeping units that are sold to more than 25,000 repair shops throughout the United States and Canada. For more information, visit www.keystone-auto.com.
The Keystone Automotive Industries, Inc. logo is available at http://www.primezone.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=2330