P&G Jackson Snack Plant Back In Business After Tornado Strikes back. Pringles(R) - The Original Snack Crisp is Coming Back

CINCINNATI, May 13 /<a href=www.prnewswire.com>PRNewswire/ -- Procter & Gamble Company's snacks manufacturing plant in Jackson, Tenn. began production late last night, only one week after the plant was struck by a tornado. The Plant was forced to shut down production after suffering significant damage from a level IV tornado on May 5. Additional water damage was sustained from continued rain in the days following the tornado.

The first priority of the Company has been to insure all employees were safe, and they are.  All personnel have been accounted for and are in good health.  However, some employees did suffer damage to their homes ranging from minor damage to total destruction.  Emergency loans are being made available to employees.  The Company is committed to helping its employees get their lives back to normal as quickly as possible.

Pringles(R), the original stacked crisp, will be returning to consumers so they can "pop" once again.  Orders will resume on May 15, with shipping beginning the following week.  The first production will be the most popular flavors -- Original, Sour Cream & Onion, and Reduced Fat Original.  There continue to be round-the-clock efforts to return the facility to full operation.

"Getting production up and running on this short timing is a heroic feat that would not have been possible without the spirit and dedication of our P&G people.  It's a testament to the values of leadership and ownership that they possess," said Jamie Egasti, Vice President, North American Snacks. "Tremendous support from the Company, our contractors, suppliers, and customers has also helped to make all this possible."

Specific examples of how this work was accomplished includes:
* On-Site engineering and construction support went from less than 100 people to over 700 in seventy-two hours.
* Technical support from corporate experts and P&G plants around the country responded to the need for engineering, information systems, shipping and warehouse support.
* Over 10 retired P&G employees came back to help with the recovery efforts.

P&G is donating excess capacity in utilities and technical expertise to support the rebuilding of the community.  Extra fuel from temporary generators has been donated to non-profit organizations and to the fire department to aid in community recovery efforts.  P&G has also donated $100,000 to the American Red Cross to support current Midwest disaster relief efforts.  In addition, P&G donates $25,000 to the American Red Cross annually for their disaster relief fund.  Truckloads of P&G products are en route to the Jackson community to provide everyday essentials for people affected by the tornado.  P&G product donations are being coordinated by the America's Second Harvest local affiliate.  This affiliate is working with other social services in the area like the American Red Cross to distribute products.

Recovery efforts will continue over the next weeks and months, with the focus on getting the plant fully operational so that consumers can enjoy their favorite Pringles(R) and Torengos(R) snacks.

All statements, other than statements of historical fact included in this news release, are forward-looking statements, as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  In addition to the risks and uncertainties noted in this news release, there are certain factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by some of the statements made.  These include:  (1) the achievement of expected cost and tax savings associated with changes in the Company's organization structure; (2) the ability to achieve business plans, including growing volume profitably, despite high levels of competitive activity, especially with respect to the product categories and geographical markets in which the Company has chosen to focus; (3) the ability to manage and maintain key customer relationships; (4) the achievement of growth in significant developing markets such as China, Turkey, Mexico, the Southern Cone of Latin America, the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the countries of Southeast Asia; (5) the ability to successfully manage regulatory, tax and legal matters, including resolution of pending matters within current estimates; (6) the ability to successfully implement, achieve and sustain cost improvement plans in manufacturing and overhead areas; (7) the ability to successfully manage currency (including currency issues in Latin America), interest rate and certain commodity cost exposures; (8) the ability to manage the continued political and/or economic uncertainty in Latin America (including Venezuela) and war in the Middle East, as well as any political and/or economic uncertainty due to terrorist activities or war (including Korea); and (9) the successful acquisition, transition, integration, and operation of the Wella business.  If the Company's assumptions and estimates are incorrect or do not come to fruition, or if the Company does not achieve all of these key factors, then the Company's actual results might differ materially from the forward-looking statements made herein.

About Procter & Gamble
Two billion times a day, P&G brands touch the lives of people around the world.  Some of the nearly 300 P&G brands consumers know and use with confidence in over 160 countries around the world include: Pampers(R), Tide(R), Ariel(R), Always(R), Whisper(R), Pantene(R), Bounty(R), Pringles(R), Folgers(R), Charmin(R), Downy(R), Lenor(R), Iams(R), Crest(R), Actonel(R), Olay(R) and Clairol Nice 'n Easy(R).  The P&G community consists of nearly 102,000 employees working in almost 80 countries worldwide.  Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G and its brands.