BOZEMAN, Mont. — January 21, 2013 — TEXbase, a leading provider of web-based, on-demand and
interactive Product Integrity Management software solutions, has now amassed more than 100
suppliers and testing labs on TEXbase CONNECT, its on demand supplier collaboration platform.
CONNECT securely unifies brands, retailers, suppliers and labs for material and product
development, testing protocols, RSL’s, COC’s, quality testing and compliance documentation.

TEXbase delivers Quality data management, supplier collaboration and product compliance
solutions that improve quality, streamline operations, manage compliance and reduce cost.

The TEXbase collaboration platform includes new suppliers like YKK, Esquel Enterprises, TAL
Group and testing labs such as SGS Consumer Testing Services, and UL-STR, which increases the
breadth and depth of collaboration options for our brand and retail customers.

CONNECT provides brands and retailers with real-time access to their supplier and testing lab
data, by virtue of its multi-dimensional collaboration platform which reduces production errors and
ultimately lowers the cost of non-compliance. CONNECT provides suppliers with a solution to promote
materials and components to TEXbase brand clients, who can instantly search, view and import
materials directly into their product development process.

Joe Walkuski, Founder and CEO, TEXbase: “CONNECT is a unique platform and represents the
underpinnings of our entire solution suite, providing a data management and collaboration platform
that produces a single version of the truth by uniting brands, retailers, suppliers and labs. Much
of the apparel industry suffers from manual, fragmented and linear business processes that consume
too much time and introduce too much risk. CONNECT provides actionable data, not just documents and
a streamlined shared process that enables brands to innovate, suppliers to rapidly increase sales
and labs to cost effectively test and validate compliance requirements. This milestone of 100
CONNECT partners, validates market requirements and highlights the unique value TEXbase enables. We
expect the CONNECT ecosystem to continue its rapid growth throughout this new year.”



Posted on January 22, 2013

Source: TEXbase

PARIS — January 2, 2013 — The whole world is going to converge on Paris, the composites capital, to
take part in the industry’s largest international technological showcase: “JEC Europe – Composites
Show & Conferences”, from March 12 – 14, 2013 at the Paris Porte de Versailles.

Conferences and a trade show of an unprecedented scale

Twelve key themes will be highlighted during the 3-days trade show: Design, Non-Destructive
Testing, Robotics, Aeronautics, Automotive, E-car, Wind Power, Carbon, Biocomposites,
Thermoplastics, Multifunctional Materials and Environment.

With 50,000 sqm of floor space, the equivalent of 8 soccer fields, the JEC Show will
represent the global composites industry and its most recent advances in heavily
composite-consuming sectors such as aerospace, aeronautics, shipbuilding, railway, automotive, mass
transportation, construction, equipment and sports & leisure.

A growing sector

“The global composites market represents 81.6 billion euros in value and 9.2 million metric
tons in volume for 2012. This market is growing an average of 6% per year. Composites are used more
and more often to lighten structures, aircraft, and vehicles in general, thus improving energy
efficiency,” states Frédérique Mutel, JEC Group President and CEO.

An innovative industry

“Innovation is present in each of the steps of the value chain. Producers of raw materials
(polymers, as well as carbon, glass and natural fibers) have heavily invested in the research and
development of new formulations. Downstream, at the part manufacturing level, the industry is also
highly innovative.”

Manufacturing technologies, an area of excellence for JEC Europe 2013

“The sector, notably in Europe, has strongly advanced in the processing of composites.
Especially in Europe, innovation is directed towards manufacturing, and in particular, mass
production,” specifies Frédérique Mutel. “Of all the patents granted for composites in Europe in
2011-2012, 52% involved robotics and automated manufacturing processes. It is probable that these
technological advances will primarily interest major international contractors and decision-makers
in countries with rapidly growing populations and economies.”

Posted on January 22, 2013

Source: JEC Group

WASHINGTON — January 17, 2013 — The United States and Thailand yesterday concluded a two-day
meeting under their Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA), agreeing to expand cooperation
on bilateral, regional, and multilateral issues in order to increase trade and investment and
support the creation and retention of jobs in both countries. The U.S. and Thai teams, which were
led by Barbara Weisel, Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, and
Director-General of the Department of Trade Negotiations at the Thai Ministry of Commerce Piramol
Chareonpao, also discussed advancing the U.S.-ASEAN Enhanced Economic Engagement Initiative
announced by President Obama and the ASEAN Leaders last November, as well as ways to coordinate our
approaches in APEC and the WTO.

The delegations focused on ways to expand goods, services, and agricultural trade, improve
the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights, and resolve other issues affecting
the commercial environment.  The United States raised concerns related to Thai import
restrictions on pork products, proposed measures that would require domestic processing of credit
card transactions, and regulations that would restrict foreign participation in the Thai
telecommunications sector.

During the meetings, Thailand and the United States also exchanged information on regional
developments. The United States provided an update on the status of the Trans-Pacific Partnership
negotiations, and outlined the goals and objectives we are seeking in this agreement.

Background

Thailand is a key ASEAN trading partner and longstanding ally. Currently, the United States
is Thailand’s fourth largest trading partner and Thailand is the 27th-largest trading partner of
the United States, with $40 billion in bilateral goods and services trade in 2011. Major U.S.
exports to Thailand include electrical machinery and equipment, chemicals, metals, plastics, and
cotton.  The United States has invested more than $11 billion in Thailand led by investment in
the manufacturing and services sectors.

Source: USTR

Rosemont, Ill.-based Wynnchurch Capital Ltd. has announced a growth equity investment in Foss
Manufacturing Co. LLC, a Hampton, N.H.-based manufacturer of specialty fibers and needlepunch
nonwoven fabrics.

Foss Manufacturing has significantly expanded its automotive business unit, which
manufactures headliners, upholstery, seating, carpet and other such products for original equipment
manufacturers. The company also produces and markets Fosshield® antimicrobial products, Eco-Fi®
polyester fiber made using recycled polyethylene terephthalate bottles, and a range of other
products. The company has been expanding operations at its facility in Hampton, and last year
announced plans to open a 220,000-square-foot manufacturing and distribution facility in Rome, Ga.
(See ”
Foss
Manufacturing To Open Facility In Rome, Ga., Create 150 Jobs,” TextileWorld.com, October 2,
2012).

“With the support of Wynnchurch, Foss is well positioned to succeed on our strategic growth
plan and continue to deliver innovative and responsive solutions to help our customers grow,” said
AJ Nassar, CEO, Foss Manufacturing. “Our management team is looking forward to partnering with
Wynnchurch to continue to grow our business.”

“We look forward to partnering with AJ Nassar and his team to support the Company’s growth
plans and continue its long history of innovation and technical leadership,” said John Hatherly,
president, Wynnchurch Capital.

January 15, 2013

The International Oeko-Tex Association, Switzerland, has announced it will replace the current
Oeko-Tex® Standard 1000 certification system for sustainable production with Sustainable Textile
Production (STeP) by Oeko-Tex.

The goal of the new certification system is to provide production companies along the textile
value chain — including brand manufacturers, retailers, associations and non-governmental
organizations — with transparent documentation of their environmentally friendly and socially
responsible production conditions. In order to become STeP by Oeko-Tex certified, a company must
have its production facility successfully evaluated and audited by an Oeko-Tex institute and then
scored using a Web-based process.

“The heart of the new STeP certification is the modular analysis of all relevant company
areas such as quality management, use of chemicals, environmental protection, environmental
management, social responsibility and health and safety,” said Oeko-Tex Secretary General
Jean-Pierre Haug, Ph.D. “As the certification tool is specifically tailored to the situations in
the individual processing stages of the textile and clothing industry, it can provide interested
companies with targeted support for continuous improvement of their production conditions.”

The required criteria for STeP by Oeko-Tex certification will be regularly verified and
updated with consideration for international legislation and standards as well as current market
developments. Oeko-Tex reports it will take into account existing certification to standards such
as ISO 9000, ISO 14001 and SA 8000 when evaluating companies for STeP certification.

STeP by Oeko-Tex will be introduced to the public at the Prime Source Forum in Hong Kong on
March 26, 2013, and certification to the system will commence June 12, 2013.

In other news, Oeko-Tex also has updated its criteria and limit values for testing textiles
for harmful substances in accordance with the Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certification process.
Following a three-month transitional period, the new regulations will go into force for all
certification procedures on April 1, 2013.

January 15, 2013

The Netherlands-based Royal DSM reports its Arnitel® VT perfluorinated chemical (PFC)-free
breathable membrane is an environmentally sound choice for providing waterproof protection to
outdoor clothing. The 100-percent recyclable thermoplastic elastomer can be extruded into membranes
just a few microns thick, and provides breathable and comfortable waterproof protection without
using PFCs that are commonly found in waterproof polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)-based membranes,
according to the company.

Arnitel VT is perforation-free making it 100-percent waterproof, suitable as a barrier
against bacteria and viruses, and stronger than similar products that feature tiny perforations for
breathability. Arnitel VT has been used for several years in clothing, and also is used for
surgical gowns.

“Several companies that share DSM’s commitment to a better environment are working with us on
the incorporation of Arnitel VT into their products,” said Paul Habets, global segment manager,
Specialty Extrusion, DSM.

DSM collaborated with Sympatex Technologies, Germany, and is manufacturing a polyetherester
copolymer for the company using special Sympatex recipes. According to DSM, that collaboration led
to a drastic reduction of the carbon footprint in the polymer production process compared to
PTFE-based membranes. “DSM has been a very reliable partner for us in our quest to develop
technologies and processes based on the principle of ecological responsibility and sustainability,”
said Michael Kamm, CEO, high-tech functional materials supplier Sympatex.

January 15, 2013

The year 2012 was historical in many ways: First of all, the common people in the street discovered
that the crisis in 2008 and 2009 didn’t impact the financial world at all. Furthermore, the euro
crisis revealed the true face of the European Union — that “the shirt of each country is closer
than the jacket.” The selfishness of some member countries culminated in severe problems, as they
warned countries that had better control over their economies “to leave us alone with our
problems.” All this shuffled the global finance markets heavily. Brave new world!

Cooperations

The textile machinery supplier market changed its face drastically. For the first time ever,
experienced people in the industry are saying that the only certain thing for the time being is the
uncertainty. It will be interesting to compare the ITMA catalogue of 2011 with the forthcoming ITMA
2015 catalogue in Milan. Some examples? In June 2012, at ITMA Asia + CITME 2012 in Shanghai, Toyota
Industries Corp., Japan, and Trützschler GmbH & Co. KG, Germany, announced their partnership to
develop, manufacture, and market combing machines.

Chinese Shopping Tour

After several takeovers by Chinese manufacturers, the announced acquisition of Germany-based
A. Monforts Textilmaschinen GmbH & Co. KG by Fong’s Industries Co. Ltd., Hong Kong, was a true
sensation. However, when the Rupp Report recently spoke to involved people, they didn’t seem to be
frightened about this new ownership.

Just one month earlier, textile community heads turned when the news arrived that Toyota
made a tender offer to acquire Switzerland-based Uster Technologies. The acquisition eventually was
carried out successfully. Also here, from talking to Uster staff, it was recognizable that the
Swiss feel very good with the new owners.

Asian Power

Another indication that the global textile map has changed was seen in Hall W1 at ITMA Asia:
For the first time in the existence of any ITMA, one company occupied one full hall alone: the
China Hi-Tech Group Corp. (CHTC). In contrast to the ITMA rules that every section of the industry
must be grouped in separate halls, CHTC assembled all its companies in Hall W1, without any
problem.

China is still the number-one country in the textile industry, but for how long? According
to the 2011 International Textile Machinery Shipment Statistics report released by the
Switzerland-based International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF), worldwide shipments of
shuttleless weaving machines continued soaring in 2011 to 153,750 machines, an increase of 44
percent from the previous year’s record of 107,000. China received 128,100 looms — 83 percent of
the total; followed by India with 9,100 machines, or 6 percent; Indonesia with 2,900, or 1.9
percent; and Korea with 2,500, or 1.6 percent.

Oerlikon Becomes Saurer Again

But the sensation of 2012 was yet to come, and it happened some days before Christmas: The
Oerlikon Group sold its Natural Fibers and Textile Components business units and signed an
agreement with the Jinsheng Group of China. After a long trail, Oerlikon Textile will retake its
traditional name, Saurer. The surprise of the deal was the fact that Heinrich Fischer, the former
CEO of Saurer, is back on duty: He will be the chairman of the new group.

Positive Signs

However, in spite of the “Ponzi scheme” under which the global debts are rising
tremendously, and the fragile situation, caused — again — by financial jugglers, there are some
positive signals: As ever, the textile industry was the first to crash but also the first to spread
its wings again in the wind. And, dear readers, believe it or not, the U.S. spinning industry is
investing heavily in new equipment and even new mills.

And Edda Walraf, marketing director, Rieter Ltd., Switzerland, said last year after ITMA
Asia: “Rieter believes in Asia. This is the reason why we invested in new factories and better
market access in India and China. Volatility of raw material prices and increasing demand in
sustainability will continue to be important. Fast reaction times to market needs and new
technologies will be the key issues to stay competitive in the future. We must provide valuable
solutions, which offer a fast return on investment, ensure technological leadership from fiber to
yarn, support customers with a high level of services from making investment decisions to running
entire installations.” These words are valuable for all.

Thank You

The Rupp Report would like to express its gratitude to all its readers during the last year.
It will strive to continue to be your window into the textile industry. May all of you around the
globe continue to be active and supporting contributors to a lively and informative dialogue. Happy
New Year and thank you all.

January 8, 2013