Two veteran textile industry consultants have joined forces and will offer client services in a
wide range of product development and other technical areas. Principals in the two companies are
Hardy B. Poole, Engineered Solutions, PLLC, Charlottesville, Va.; and Clyde Canter, Rocan Inc.,
Greensboro, N.C. Poole has some 40 years of experience in the fiber, textile, apparel and military
procurement areas. He served  for 27 years as vice-president of product services with the
American Textile Manufacturers Institute and as a reserve officer at the U.S. Army Natick Soldiers
Center, Natick, Mass., the central textile research and development organization for the armed
forces. Canter was a senior technical executive with Cone Mills before forming his own company in
1989 to provide research and consulting services to the apparel and textile industry.  He has
been a consultant and expert witness in product liability lawsuits involving flammability and has
advised clients on research in connection with fabric performance.

The consultants will offer guidance and services on the performance of products, including
flammability of apparel, upholstered furniture, carpets and other home furnishings. Services in
areas that affect environmental and workplace requirements are also available.

In announcing the new arrangement, Poole said: “Textile, apparel and home furnishings
companies face many challenges, both business-related and technical, to remain competitive in
today’s climate. One option is to rely on outside resources to resolve problems on an as-needed
basis.” He also noted that the recently enacted Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act has added
“new and onerous” requirements for testing, labeling and certifying soft good components and
consumer end products.

January 26, 2010

Red Bank, N.J.-based Concept III Textiles — a developer, producer and sourcer of fabric-based
finished products for outdoor and activewear markets — is collaborating with Frederick, Md.-based
Next Fiber Technology LLC — a fiber, yarn and technology development company — to develop a range
of polyester, nylon and polyester/nylon knits featuring NanoGlide™ technology. NanoGlide involves
the incorporation of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) into polyester or nylon fibers during the fiber
manufacturing process. All of the reported benefits from the PTFE additive — a high ultraviolet
rating; as well as moisture, friction, heat, and abrasion management to improve wearer comfort —
are permanently embedded in the fiber and will not wear or wash out when laundered by conventional
means.

NanoGlide already has been utilized by sock brands; the collaboration with Concept III marks
its introduction to the apparel market. Concept III will target next-to-skin, outerwear and lining
applications.

“Introducing NanoGlide first to the sock market was a slam-dunk,” said Rick Rudinger, Next
Fiber Technologies. “But using it in apparel is the obvious next move.”

“It’s a given that the consumer now expects all active lifestyle products to move sweat away
from the body via one technology or another,” said Chris Parkes, national sales manager, Concept
III. “At Concept III, we are raising the bar by taking moisture management, skin protection,
abrasion and comfort a quantum leap forward with NanoGlide.”

January 19, 2010

Switzerland-based Huntsman Textile Effects reports it has engineered Univadine® DFM diffusion agent
for increased migration and tone-on-tone build-up properties on polyester and polyester-blend
fabrics. According to Huntsman, Univadine DFM shortens the dyeing cycle, improves yield and ensures
level and reproducible results despite any process variations between batches – all at a lower
required dyeing temperature.

January 19, 2010

In response to an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) plan to issue a regulation
covering combustible dust in factories, the National Cotton Council (NCC) and a number of textile
organizations have urged the agency to “use caution” in regulating textile mills.

While supporting OSHA’s overall efforts to improve safety in the workplace, NCC cautions OSHA
to focus its efforts in this case to areas that have experienced problems with combustible dust and
not attempt to regulate industries such as textiles that have “no demonstrated history of
combustible dust incidents.”

NCC referred to incidents cited in OSHA’s advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and said
they were not caused by combustible dust. The council said that industries that have no history of
dust fires or dust explosions and can provide scientific backup information should be exempt from
additional OSHA regulations.

NCC says it “takes exception” to listing incidents involving cotton ginning, claiming that
“dust fires and dust explosions do not occur in cotton gins, and it would be virtually impossible
for a dust fire or dust explosion to occur.” Referring to tests performed at Texas A&M
University’s Department of Agriculture and Biological Engineering that  indicate dust from a
cotton gin `may not explode at any concentration, NCC has concluded that cotton gins, cotton
warehouses, cotton lint or cottonseed handling operations “do not present an explosion potential
because the minimum explosive concentration cannot be reached in those operations.”

With respect to textile mills, NCC and the other groups said flatly that “dust fires and dust
explosions do not occur in weaving, spinning, knitting and dyeing and finishing operations.”

NCC also points out that OSHA has standards for housekeeping and ventilation in textile mills
that reduce the potential for dust fires or explosions.

January 19, 2010

The Greenfield, Mass.-based Organic Trade Association (OTA) recently reported plantings of organic
cotton increased by 26 percent in the year 2009. The report was based on preliminary data OTA
gathered in a survey funded by Cary, N.C.-based Cotton Incorporated. According to OTA’s press
release: “Analysis of available data collected from U.S. organic cotton producers and preliminary
data from the Texas Organic Cotton Marketing Cooperative put planted area at 10,731 acres in 2009,
up from an estimated 8,539 acres in 2008. The 2009 plantings are the highest since 2001, when
11,586 acres of organic cotton were planted by U.S. cotton growers.” In comparison, U.S. cotton
growers planted 9.14 million acres of conventional upland and Pima cotton in 2009, according to
data compiled by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

OTA’s press release continues:

“Harvested acreage figures for 2009 are not yet available. However, estimates show that this
could be as much as 9,555 acres, up from 7,289 acres harvested in 2008.

“Harvested organic cotton area in 2008 yielded 7,026 bales, of which 6,466 bales were upland
cotton and 560 bales were Pima cotton. This yield was significantly less than the 14,025 bales of
organic cotton harvested from 8,510 acres in 2007. These yield differences reflected the extremely
difficult weather conditions, including wind, hail and drought, in 2008 in contrast to excellent
growing conditions in 2007.

“Other survey findings revealed that the average price per pound farmers received for organic
cotton in 2008 decreased from the previous year and ranged from 52 cents to $1.35 for organic
upland cotton in 2008, compared to $1 to $1.50 in 2007. Organic Pima cotton prices ranged from
$1.05 to $3 in 2007, compared to $1.75 in 2008.

“When asked what their greatest barriers are to planting more organic cotton in 2010, growers
cited finding a market for their cotton, finding a specific market that will pay value-added costs
of organic products, production challenges such as weeds and insects, weed control, and labor
costs. Growers also cited competition from international organic cotton producers as well as the
cost of transition to organic.

“To enhance their ability to market organic cotton, survey participants suggested that the
National Organic Program continue to allow organic growers to use acid-delinted cotton seed for
planting and cited the need for greater enforcement for foreign certifications. Growers also said
they needed further promotion geared toward organic products and greater consumer demand.”

What Exactly Is Organic Cotton?

OTA defines organic cotton as follows:

“Organic cotton is grown using methods and materials that have a low impact on the
environment. Organic production systems replenish and maintain soil fertility, reduce the use of
toxic and persistent pesticides and fertilizers, and build biologically diverse agriculture.
Third-party certification organizations verify that organic producers use only methods and
materials allowed in organic production. Organic cotton is grown without the use of toxic and
persistent pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. In addition, federal regulations prohibit the use
of genetically engineered seed for organic farming. All cotton sold as organic in the United States
must meet strict federal regulations covering how the cotton is grown.”

Fast-Growing Market

OTA further reports:

“In 2006, organic fiber linens and clothing sales in the United States grew by 26 percent
over the previous year, to reach $203 million, according to the Organic Trade Association’s 2007
Manufacturer Survey. According to the 2006 edition of this survey, women’s clothing accounted for
36 percent of total organic fiber consumer sales in 2005, amounting to $57 million in sales. Men’s
and child/teen clothing grew 56 and 52 percent, respectively, in 2005, while infant’s
clothing/cloth diapers grew 40 percent and accounted for $40 million in sales.”

Demand For Apparel Is Rising

In addition, OTA reports:

“Apparel companies all over the world are developing programs that either use 100 percent
organically grown cotton, or blend small percentages of organic cotton with conventional cotton in
their products. There are a number of companies driving the expanded use of domestic and
international organic cotton.”

As it is in many other sectors, the future will tell if textile customers around the world
are ready to pay more for eco-friendly products.



January 19, 2010

Best Wool Carpets BV, a Netherlands-based manufacturer of wool carpets, is teaming with
Austria-based cellulosic fiber producer Lenzing AG to debut the first commercial carpets featuring
Lenzing’s new Tencel® carpet fiber. Although Tencel previously was considered unsuitable for carpet
applications because of its fine and short fiber make-up, Lenzing has engineered a new variant that
can be processed during carpet manufacturing.

According to Lenzing, carpet made with Tencel offers benefits of the natural cellulose fiber,
such as moisture management and temperature and humidity-regulating properties, so it can reduce
moisture formation on walls and windows as well as mold formation in the carpet itself. Because
Tencel fiber has a natural moisture content of 13 percent compared to 1 percent in man-made fibers,
incorporating Tencel into the carpet prevents electrostatic charging, according to the company.

“The Tencel fiber can be applied universally,” said Yvar Monasch, managing director, Best
Wool. “It can be used in the carpet pile as well as in the tuft and back parts since Tencel has a
high fiber tenacity.”

Other properties of Tencel fiber for carpets include moth resistance; a good dye affinity,
which yields long-lasting and bright colors; and a smooth fiber surface, which gives the carpet a
soft, silky feel.

January 19, 2010

Samson Rope Technologies Inc. — a Ferndale, Wash.-based developer and manufacturer of
high-performance ropes and cordage — has chosen Simpsonville, S.C.-based Innegrity LLC’s
ultra-lightweight, polypropylene-based Innegra™ S fiber for its new line of MLX ropes for the
sailing market. Innegra S fiber is stronger, more lightweight and more reactive than traditional
nylon and polyester, and also is more economically priced, according to Innegrity. Samson created
the MLX line for club racers, but it reports the ropes also are appropriate for
performance-oriented cruisers.

January 19, 2010

This year, Bartlett, Ill.-based Herrmann Ultrasonics Inc. — a manufacturer of ultrasonic welding
equipment, generators and sonotrodes; and a Herrmann Group company — celebrates 20 years of doing
business in North America. The company was established in Schaumburg, Ill., in 1990, but moved to a
new 20,000-square-foot headquarters location in Bartlett in 2006. Growth over the past 20 years has
allowed the company to open regional sales offices throughout North America. Herrmann Ultrasonics
also maintains technology centers on the West Coast, in the Northeast, in the Caribbean and in
Mexico.

“Keys to our success were and remain to be focused on providing ultrasonic systems with local
support for application development know-how, engineering services, spare parts, support and
in-house tooling manufacturing,” said Uwe Peregi, executive vice president and general manager,
Herrmann Ultrasonics. “Achievements in these areas, along with a revolutionary product line, is
what sets us apart from other suppliers and what further proves that Herrmann Ultrasonics continues
to be the technology leader in ultrasonic welding solutions.”

January 19, 2010

Bellefonte, PA – January 13, 2010 – Masley Enterprises (www.militarygloves.com), maker of innovative
performance hand wear for military service personnel, relies on SmartSilver™ antimicrobial
protection to keep its popular Cold Weather Flyer (CWF) gloves comfortable and odor free. Made in
America, these fire resistant and waterproof combat gloves are designed for inside and outside use.
SmartSilver antimicrobial prevents the odor build up and material degradation that can occur when
fabrics are exposed to perspiration and moisture. 

“Our CWF combat gloves provide a unique combination of protective and dexterity benefits not
previously available in military gloves,” says Frank Masley, the company’s founder and designer.
“The CWF gloves are breathable, waterproof, and flame resistant yet are also pliable so that
soldiers can easily operate their weapons and equipment. The non-melt antimicrobial SmartSilver
fabric interior prohibits the growth of bacteria that can make the gloves smell- a complaint many
soldiers have about other gloves.”

The SmartSilver fabric lining is manufactured by Cari Fabrics in Greensboro, NC. “We selected
SmartSilver to provide unsurpassed antimicrobial protection for the CWF glove fabric lining,” says
Joe Carrigan, president of Cari Fabrics. “SmartSilver bonds permanently and won’t wash out or wear
off so we know our fabric can stand up to the stress and hardships our soldiers face in the field.”
SmartSilver’s unique antimicrobial nanotechnology works at the microscopic level and doesn’t
compromise the lining’s softness or interfere with other performance additives.

Masley’s CWF gloves were first tested by troops in Afghanistan and have quickly become a
popular product with soldiers there. As a result, Masley increased its supply of the glove to the
military by 50% during 2009 and will increase supply again in 2010. Both Masley and NanoHorizons,
the maker of SmartSilver antimicrobial additives, recently moved to larger facilities with expanded
manufacturing capacity to keep up with increasing demand. “Our CWF gloves clearly provide
performance benefits that soldiers value,” says Masley. “We are proud that our products are helping
our military personnel fulfill their missions more confidently and comfortably.”  

Posted on January 19, 2010

Press Release Courtesy of NanoHorizons Inc.

CARY, NC – January 14, 2010 – With the ambitious goal of providing a world-class conference to
stimulate innovation in all aspects of the development, production, marketing and sales of
nonwovens and engineered fabrics, the Research, Innovation & Science for Engineered Fabrics
(RISE) Conference will make its debut September 20-23 in Baltimore, Maryland.

Organized by INDA, Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, the goal of RISE is to
provide information and stimulation for both durables’ and disposables’ companies looking for
strategies to compete in an increasingly challenging 21st century marketplace.

“One of INDA’s mandates is to provide our member companies with the tools they need to
compete in today’s – and tomorrow’s – business environment,” says INDA President Rory Holmes. “RISE
will strive to provide forward-thinking companies with these tools and will help to advance
progressive thinking in the global nonwovens and engineered fabrics industry.”

The target audience for the premiere event will range from product managers and technical
sales and marketing executives to product engineers, purchasing managers and research engineers at
both consumer and industrial products companies.

“RISE will focus on markets as diverse as hygiene and automotives, as challenging as
construction and as innovative as consumer products,” Holmes adds. “In addition, an important focus
of RISE will be the use of nonwovens and engineered fabrics in emerging markets, specifically in
green energy and sustainability.”

As with all INDA events, networking among suppliers and customers will also be a key
component of RISE. “This conference is designed to facilitate the sharing of ideas and strategies
that will drive our industry as a whole into the future,” Holmes adds. “RISE is about the business
as a whole moving forward together for the benefit of all individuals and companies.”

Information coming soon on the Research, Innovation & Science for Engineered Fabrics
(RISE) Conference:
www.inda.org

Posted on January 19, 2010

Press Release Courtesy of INDA