PHOENIX — December 16, 2010 —  AmSafe Industries Inc., the leading provider of engineered
textile products for the aviation, defense and specialty vehicle markets, announced today that its
AmSafe Bridport Ltd. unit has been given earned the Dorset Business Award for Innovative
Technology.

Among the several technology companies represented in this category, AmSafe was selected for
its innovative approach in developing a textile-based product to protect military vehicles from
rocket propelled grenades (RPGs). The product, Tarian, protects military ground vehicles from
rocket propelled grenades and is designed to help save lives of military personnel while in harm’s
way.

“The AmSafe team in Bridport takes enormous pride in receiving this award, especially since
it represents our efforts in providing technology to help save lives of military personnel,” said
Neal McKeever, Vice President of Defense for AmSafe. “This latest technology innovation is a
further example of AmSafe’s world leading application of engineered textiles in support of critical
aerospace and defense applications.”

Extremely lightweight, this product uses the latest high-tenacity fibers to produce a net
which defeats a critical RPG mechanism. Mounted on the outside of ground vehicles, Tarian provides
a weight savings of 90% when compared to traditional steel bar or slat armor. The weight saving
allows additional protection to be applied elsewhere on a vehicle or can translate to improved
vehicle mobility, reliability and transportability.

In-service in Afghanistan since 2009, Tarian is currently being used on British Army Heavy
Equipment Transporters and AmSafe is working closely with the UK Ministry of Defence on a wider
vehicle application. Tarian was originally developed partnership with the UK Ministry of Defence
and has garnered interest in the US by its Department of Defense counterpart DARPA and the US
Marine Corps.

Posted on January 4, 2011

Source: AmSafe Bridport

Toledo, Ohio-based glass fiber reinforcements and engineered materials producer Owens Corning is
planning to invest $36 million to add a nonwoven glass fiber mat production line at its Aiken,
S.C., facility, with the expectation of adding 24 jobs. The line will manufacture materials for use
in industrial and construction applications and is scheduled to be operational in mid-2012.

“We are pleased to have the ongoing support of the local community and the state as we seek
to expand the facility, add to the economic strength of Aiken County and South Carolina, and meet
the demands of our customers in the future,” said Marcio Sandri, vice president and general manager
Americas, Owens Corning Composite Solutions Business.

The added jobs will make Owens Corning eligible for tax credits from the State of South
Carolina.

December 28, 2010

In the early 1960s, a favorite aunt from the United States came to Switzerland bringing a gift of a
pair of genuine Levi’s blue jeans. They were dark blue with the typical smell of real denim jeans —
and blue thumbs too. Those jeans put me on top of the list of cool boys in the neighborhood. And
the quality of the 501 style was fantastic. However, in those days, blue jeans were a kind of
outlaw apparel — only strange people had blue jeans, and, of course, most parents didn’t like them
at all. For the young people, the jeans were truly valuable if they were dark blue and had the name
“Elvis” written on them with white chalk that was available in every schoolroom. Since that time,
denim or blue jeans were and are part of my leisurewear wardrobe, even though the label has
changed. And whenever they became washed out, it was time to change to a new pair of jeans.

Rope Dyeing

In the very early 1990s, Wolf Stromberg, an old friend, organized a memorable visit to Mount
Vernon Mills Inc.’s plant in Trion, Ga., to see the plant and to interview then-President and COO
Roger Chastain. This visit is still unforgettable for two reasons: on the one hand, Chastain and
Plant Manager Don Henderson were lovely and charming hosts – and, in addition, Roger Chastain is a
brilliant entertainer on the piano.

On the other hand, it was impressive to see the long way denim fabrics had to go before they
were transformed into blue jeans. It started from a huge rope-dyeing installation, where the yarns
first of all are green and then turn into the typical indigo blue after oxidation. It was
sensational to see how much care the people in the dyehouse had to take to produce a first-class
indigo-dyed yarn. After the dyeing, the ropes were stored in big tanks and then put on warp beams
to be woven with the white weft. Hundreds of top-class weaving machines produced denim, seven days
a week, 24 hours a day. The end product was a deep blue indigo-dyed denim fabric, ready to become
blue jeans for one of the famous brands known to all.

How To Differentiate?

Over the years, blue jeans have become an ever-fashionable commodity all over the world and
the outlaw apparel image has gone, at least for a certain time. Every fashion label produces jeans,
not only the classic labels such as Levi’s®, Wrangler®, Lee® and others. Even the big department
stores have introduced their own labels. In every creative office around the world, people asked
the same question: How can we differentiate our product from our competitors? Pumice stones were
the answer. Stonewashed jeans became the top seller around the world. It was unbelievable! They
looked worse in the shops than earlier chucked-away jeans. And, one could ask, why is the industry
working with hard quality standards if the apparel manufacturer is stonewashing the product? Until
today, no one ever answered this question. Fashion, said everybody, is the dictator of the market.

At least the machinery manufacturers could build gigantic washing machines to be stuffed with
pumice stones for the stonewashing. The problem was how to get rid of the sand in the machines
after stonewashing. But that’s another question.

But then, the markets had an identical problem: Everybody was selling stonewashed blue jeans.
Once again, it was the same product in every shop. So the fashion industry started to virtually
destroy the ready-made jeans. The fabrics were sanded, cut, even attacked with laser beams to be
different. Good old denim, where have you gone?

Human Machines

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to visit one of the biggest vertical denim producers.
The company is working for virtually every brand. Some 150 different models can be seen in the
showroom. It was shocking to see that workers sanded the jeans by hand or using machines eight
hours a day to produce high-fashion jeans. The whole room was covered with a dark blue color. The
people were wearing protective masks; however, the dust was so fine that one couldn’t be sure if
they gave protection. Again, no answer.

Banned Products

This serious problem is getting attention from newspapers and TV reports these days: The
denim sandblasting technique can provoke silicosis, an incurable illness. Nongovernmental
organizations report that in many countries where these types of blue jeans are produced, workers
are suffering from this fatal illness. The rumor has become so loud that the biggest retailers in
Switzerland already have banned sandblasted jeans. Even big labels such as Levi’s, H&M and
C&A have announced they will stop purchasing sandblasted jeans.

Isn’t it crazy, but wonderful: health before fashion. Happy New Year to all of Textile
World’s readers. And, to be sure, dark blue denim jeans do look wonderful.

December 28, 2010

WASHINGTON, D.C. — December 22, 2010 — U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk issued the following
statement on Congressional action today on three trade-related programs: the Generalized System of
Preferences (GSP), the Andean Trade Preference Act (ATPA) and Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA):

Ambassador Kirk said, “I am disappointed that Congress adjourned without fully extending
three trade programs that support American jobs and increase U.S. competitiveness. While the
extension of Trade Adjustment Assistance and the Andean Trade Preference Act is important and will
allow these programs to continue for an additional six weeks, these programs require a long-term
extension to ensure that they operate as intended.” He continued, “The exclusion of the Generalized
System of Preferences from the package means that this important program will lapse on December 31,
hurting American consumers and businesses as well as workers and farmers in many of the world’s
poorer countries. The Obama Administration will continue to work with Congress in an effort to
secure a full, long-term reauthorization of these three essential trade programs.”

BACKGROUND:

U.S. businesses and consumers benefit from the GSP program through cost savings on imports.
Also, according to a 2005 U.S. Chamber of Commerce study, the program supports over 80,000 American
jobs associated with moving GSP imports from the docks to farmers, manufacturers and ultimately to
retail shelves. U.S. imports under GSP exceeded $20 billion in 2009 and are on pace to exceed $27
billion in 2010. GSP saved U.S. importers nearly $577 million in duties in 2009. The program was
instituted on January 1, 1976, by the Trade Act of 1974. In addition to its benefits to American
families, GSP is designed to promote economic growth in the developing world by providing
preferential duty-free entry for about 4,800 products from 131 designated beneficiary countries and
territories.

Coca, the raw material for cocaine, is grown exclusively in the Andean region of South
America. The U.S. International Trade Commission has found that the ATPA continues to have a
positive effect on drug-crop eradication and crop substitution, as well as job growth in
export-oriented industries, in the Andean region. The objectives of the ATPA, enacted in 1991, are
to promote broad-based economic development, diversification of exports, and consolidation of
democracy and to help defeat the scourge of drug trafficking by providing sustainable economic
alternatives to drug-crop production in beneficiary countries. Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru are
currently receiving benefits under the program. In 2009, the United States imported about $9.7
billion in goods under the ATPA program. Colombia, which accounted for 57.5 percent of U.S. imports
under ATPA in 2009, has been a particularly staunch ally in the fight against coca production and
narcotrafficking. It is currently suffering from severe flooding. A loss of duty-free treatment
represents a further negative impact on Colombian producers of various commodities.

TAA renewal will ensure continued support for American workers, firms, and communities
impacted negatively by trade. The Trade and Globalization Adjustment Assistance Act of 2009 (TGAAA)
was signed into law by President Obama as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of
2009. It expanded TAA coverage to more workers and firms, including those in the service sector.
The law expanded benefits to workers whose jobs have been outsourced to foreign countries, improved
workers’ training options, made health insurance premiums more affordable for them, and created new
benefits for trade-affected communities. The TGAAA also expanded the scope of the TAA programs to
better assist adversely affected workers in finding new employment. It authorized funding for
employment and case management services. Additionally, the program encouraged the type of long-term
training necessary for jobs in the 21st century economy through an extension of income support, an
increase in the cap for training funding, and access to training for adversely affected incumbent
workers.

Posted on December 28, 2010

Source: U.S. Trade Representative

The PermaShrink Company Inc. — a Charlotte-based provider of products and services to customers
involved in textile fabric preshrinking, or sanforizing — will invest $3.3 million to establish a
facility to manufacture SanforSet® rubber shrinking belts in Clover, S.C., with the expectation of
creating 16 jobs.

The company will sell the SanforSet belts to some 2,000 customers in 82 countries on six
continents. Some 95 percent of the production is slated for export.

PermaShrink will establish the plant in a building provided by the York County Natural Gas
Authority and located in Clover’s Westgate Industrial Park.

“We are very excited about bringing this new manufacturing plant online,” said Christopher
D. Clickner, vice president, PermaShrink. “This will be the most technologically advanced plant of
its type in the world.”

“PermaShrink will be a tremendous asset to the Clover area. The partnership this company
formed with the York County Natural Gas Authority is a model for corporate cooperation,” said Buddy
Motz, chairman, York County Council. “The fact that this company exports most of their products to
emerging markets will add further value to the local and U.S. economy. We welcome the company and
new jobs they bring to western York County.”

December 28, 2010

MONTREAL — December 21, 2010 — Visual 2000 International Inc. has signed a distribution agreement
with 6R Retail Consultancy Group (http://www.6R.com.au) that authorizes the Sydney-based firm to
distribute and implement Visual 2000’s suite of End2End fashion software solutions in Australia and
New Zealand. Focused on helping companies master the 6 Rights of Retail, 6R is a recognized
authority in retail best practices and change management. Visual 2000 expects the addition of local
product representation and business integration expertise to accelerate growth of its ERP, PLM, and
other software solutions in the region.   

According to Visual 2000 Vice President of Research and Development Charles Benoualid, “We
are pleased to work with such a well-regarded and knowledgeable partner as 6R. This alliance
enables us to better address the fast-growing demand for our fashion-centric solutions we are
experiencing in the region with the best available local business improvement and system
integration services. We look forward to working with 6R to help more companies achieve the cost,
speed, and process improvement benefits that our integrated solutions deliver.”

The agreement follows closely the successful implementation of the Visual PLM.net® product
lifecycle management solution at leading fashion and accessories retail group M Webster Holdings,
which serves the Australia and New Zealand markets.

“The partnership with Visual 2000 is a logical extension of the 6 rights fundamentals”, noted
Leonie McCarthy, Director at 6R. “Our extensive experience with software implementation in
Australian retail and wholesale businesses means they can confidently endorse the Visual 2000
product.”

Posted on December 28, 2010

Source: Visual 2000 International

EVANSVILLE, Ind. — December 21, 2010 —  As a result of recent increases in the cost of key raw
materials, especially caprolactam, DSM Engineering Plastics will increase prices in North America
for Novamid® copolymer nylon resins for use in extrusion and monofilament applications by $0.12/lb.
This increase will take effect as of January 1st, 2011.

Posted on December 28, 2010

Source: Royal DSM N.V.

Mount Pleasant, N.C.-based specialty yarn spinner Tuscarora Yarns Inc. will
invest $3.5 million to expand its Clover, S.C., plant, with the expectation of creating 40 jobs
over the next three years. The expansion will include the addition of 6,000 square feet of
manufacturing space to the 190,000-square foot facility as well as new machinery and equipment, and
will increase production capacity by 20 percent.

The plant began operating in 1998 under the company Four Leaf Textiles LLC,
which later became CloverTex LLC. In May 2009, CloverTex and Tuscarora Yarns merged, forming the
largest specialty yarn company in the Americas
(See ”
Tuscarora,
CloverTex To Merge; Take Tuscarora Name,” April 21, 2009,
www.
TextileWorld.com).

“The Town of Clover, York County and the state of South Carolina have been very
supportive of textile manufacturing at this location for the past 12 years and Tuscarora Yarns is
proud to increase its investment and its workforce at this site,” said David Roberts, COO,
Tuscarora Yarns.

Tuscarora reports it will begin hiring the additional employees in late
December.

December 21, 2010