The Netherlands-based DSM Dyneema has announced that Prevent — Europe-based manufacturer of
Glassbeater cut-resistant clothing for manufacturers in the glass and metal industries — has
joined DSM’s global licensing program for protective clothing. Glassbeater’s collection of
comfortable, protective apparel is made with Dyneema® fiber and provides the maximum cut resistance
level 5 protection according to the EN388 cut-resistance standard. It also is CE marked, certifying
it has met European Union consumer safety, health and environmental requirements.

Together, DSM and Prevent will develop innovative products and market a broad portfolio of
protective clothing for arm, shoulder and body protection. The collaboration marks DSM’s business
strategy to expand its high-protective textiles applications beyond arm and hand protection to
all-body wear.

In other company news, Royal DSM N.V., parent company of DSM Dyneema, has won the
international AVK Innovation Award in the Environment category for its new lightweight air-cargo
containers, which help airlines reduce carbon emissions by 28,000 tons per year — equivalent to
removing 8,500 cars from the road. The containers are made using ultra-strong RP10 panels
comprising DSM’s Aeronite® resin and Dyneema fiber. The panels are three times more
impact-resistant and almost 50-percent lighter than standard aluminum panels used in cargo
containers, according to the company. DSM licensed the technology to Germany-based DoKaSch GmbH, an
air cargo equipment manufacturer. More than 400 containers have been used already by various
airlines.

Each year, the AVK Innovation Awards are presented for solutions to state-of-the-art
technological issues based on the use of composites and thermosets. The awards recognize the
reinforced plastics industry’s achievements in environmental protection.

November 10, 2009

Tukatech Inc. — a Los Angeles-based software and product development solutions provider for the
apparel and sewn goods industry — reports that El Salvador-based performance and athletic apparel
manufacturer Partex Apparel International has implemented the E-Fit Simulator by Tuka, a 3-D
virtual sample and fit development system for designers, pattern makers and apparel manufacturers.
The simulator takes digital patterns and a set of values such as stretch, weight and texture, and
generates a digital sample of the garment, which is then draped on a 3-D virtual fit model.

“We are all looking at reducing the development time,” said Juan C. Zighelboim, co-owner of
Partex. “The 3-D virtual samples make more sense today than ever. We expect to reduce time and cost
significantly with [the] 3-D sampling process. I especially love the built-in motion simulator that
gives instant feedback on mistakes so we can correct and move on immediately.”

Tukatech reports the installation of the E-Fit Simulator at Partex Apparel is the first in
Central America.

November 10, 2009

San Francisco-based apparel marketer Levi Strauss & Co. (LS&Co.) and Rockville, Md.-based
Goodwill® Industries International Inc. have partnered to launch “A Care Tag for Our Planet,” an
initiative to divert billions of pounds of clothing from landfills by encouraging people to donate
their unwanted clothing. Levi’s® brand clothing will include the message on its product care tags
in select US retail and wholesale operations beginning in January 2010, and on regional and global
tags beginning in Fall 2010. Levi’s is the first major retailer to include this messaging on its
clothing.

“A Care Tag for Our Planet is Goodwill’s first partnership of its kind designed to increase
the life cycle of clothing and textiles to address the approximately 23.8 billion pounds that end
up in US landfills each year,” said Jim Gibbons, CEO and president, Goodwill. “As the ‘Original
Recycler,’ 166 community-based Goodwills in the United States and Canada collectively divert more
than 1.5 billion pounds of clothing and textiles every year from landfills by recovering the value
in people’s unwanted material goods. In addition to funding community-based services, these
landfill diversion programs create job-training opportunities for more than 1.5 million people a
year.”

November 10, 2009

Chicago-based Atlas Material Testing Technology LLC has added a two-tier rack option to its Ci3000+
Fade-Ometer® xenon weathering instrument. The option increases the Ci3000’s capacity by 50 percent,
from 2,188 square centimeters (cm
²) to 3422 cm
². Unlike typical xenon textile testers that have two tiers of specimens arranged
vertically, Atlas’ innovative design combines two sample holders in its trademark inclined
position, offering unequaled irradiance uniformity across the entire vertical exposure area,
according to the company.

Each specimen’s opening measures 4 cm by 14.5 cm, providing plenty of space to take
instrumental color measurements. A standard insert allows one portion to be easily hidden for
visual color evaluations. The two-tier rack option also can be retrofitted to existing Ci3000+
instruments.

“The Ci3000 is one of the most recognized lightfastness testing instruments for textile
testing,” said Matthew McGreer, global product manager, Atlas Material Testing Technology. “With
this product enhancement, we met our design goals of offering customers increased capacity without
sacrificing Atlas’ long-standing reputation of quality and uniformity.”



November 10, 2009

A group of eight trade associations representing textile and apparel manufacturers and importers
has written to the leadership of congressional committees that handle international trade issues,
asking them “in the most urgent terms” to approve legislation extending the Andean Trade Preference
Act (ATPA) for another two years. The act, which has been extended year-to-year since 1992, is due
to expire December 31. It grants special trade preferences to imports from Peru, Colombia and
Ecuador.

The letter points out that some two million jobs in the region depend on ATPA and says the
three countries are providing a steadily growing market for US exports. Apparel imports from the
Andean region, which enter the United States duty-free, utilize cotton, yarn and fabric made in the
United States. In 2008, US cotton exports to the region totaled almost $150 million, while US
exports of yarn and fabric totaled $160 million.

Participants in the program have been concerned that the year-to-year extension of the
program creates uncertainty in the market, discouraging investments in the area, and in some cases
has resulted in importers looking to Asia for products. As a result, the associations are asking
for a two-year extension of the pact.

The associations point out that ATPA is a centerpiece in the US war on drugs, as it
encourages farmers and manufacturers to produce other products.

“A lapse in the preference program, even for a short period, threatens to undo many of our
economic and foreign policy successes in the region,” the associations said. “Past experience shows
that letting the program lapse with the aim of renewing it retroactively is fraught with serious
problems, not the least of which is harm to US and regional employment as well as US investments in
the region.”

Even though the United States has a free trade agreement (FTA) with Peru, enactment of ATPA
is important because of the co-production of certain products in both Peru and Colombia, which at
this time does not have a FTA with the United States. A FTA with Colombia, negotiated by the Bush
administration and awaiting approval by Congress, would address the co-production issue and also
grant permanent reciprocal treatment for US goods entering Colombia.

Swift passage of the legislation faces some difficulties, because Sen. Charles Grassley,
R-Iowa, the ranking Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, is opposed to preferential
agreements, and he has been successful in the past in delaying passage of preferential trade
legislation.

November 3, 2009

Greenville-based John D. Hollingsworth on Wheels Inc. (HOW) — a designer, manufacturer, servicer
and tester of textile equipment — will close operations on December 31, 2009. President and COO
William E. Henderson cited the continued decline of the US textile industry in announcing the
closing, which will impact 190 people. Employees will receive severance pay and career transition
assistance.

“This is a difficult day for the HOW family,” Henderson said. “We have a dedicated group of
employees and many have been here for a very long time. This decision to close is not reflective of
their capabilities. It’s simply a result of the disappearance of so many of our good textile
industry customers that has resulted in a decreased demand for textile machinery products in the
United States. We will do everything we can to make this transition as smooth as possible.”

Pinckney C. Hollingsworth founded HOW in the late 1800s, beginning as a one-man operation
with a mule-drawn wagon machine shop on wheels that traveled to Carolina cotton mills to repair
textile machinery. Hollingsworth’s son, John D. Sr., continued the business, followed by his son,
John D. Jr.

Henderson reports that HOW is in the process of closing its four subsidiaries located in
Norwood, Mass.; Sylacauga, Ala.; Terrell, Texas; and Quebec.

November 3, 2009

Concord, N.H.-based Nanocomp Technologies Inc. — a developer of advanced performance materials and
component products from carbon nanotubes (CNTs) — has announced that the US Army Natick Soldier
Systems Center in Massachusetts has extended its existing contract with Nanocomp to develop carbon
nanotube materials to use in body armor improvements. The original contract was awarded in August
2008.

In controlled ballistics testing performed earlier this year, Nanocomp’s CNT composite panels
several millimeters thick successfully stopped 9-millimeter bullets, demonstrating that CNT
material offers significant improvements in protection and can reduce body armor weight. With the
contract extension, the company will further develop and refine its CNT products based on these
results.

“We have worked with the Army Natick Soldier Systems Center for the past several years and
have made significant progress toward the ultimate goal of delivering lighter weight, advanced body
armor solutions for US servicemen and women,” said Peter Antoinette, president and CEO, Nanocomp
Technologies. “But there is still plenty of work left to do and today’s announcement underscores
the Army’s clear commitment to continue the development of next-generation body armor. When fully
proven, this advance could also supply lightweight armor protection for vehicles and
aircraft.” 

November 3, 2009

Rome, Ga.-based Syntec Industries — a manufacturer of carpets for the marine, recreational vehicle
and housing markets; and a supplier of trims, vinyl, leather, suede, fabrics, mats and adhesives —
has implemented S2K Enterprise 5.0 software from Vormittag Associates Inc. (VAI), a Ronkonkoma,
N.Y.-based provider of enterprise resource planning solutions for the distribution, manufacturing,
retail and service industries.

Syntec is using the software to integrate production and financial operations at its seven
facilities in Georgia and Indiana, where it manufactures carpet. The software will allow Syntec to
have advanced retrieval of real-time financial information. According to VAI, its S2K Enterprise
5.0 software — featuring streamlined navigation and redesigned screens — offers increased
flexibility, improved access to information and a built-in database so that resources are allocated
more effectively and response time is more rapid than previously.

“Syntec needed to improve its year-end reporting mechanism, and S2K 5.0 includes the
financial management capabilities that promise to streamline this functionality for the company,”
said Cindy Breedlove, central region territory manager. “Syntec is a long-time VAI customer, and
the move to 5.0 symbolizes the manufacturer’s belief that VAI’s solution and technical capabilities
are industry best.”

November 3, 2009

Charlotte-based nonwovens manufacturer Polymer Group Inc. (PGI) has acquired the remaining
40-percent share in Dominion Nonwovens Sudamericana S.A. (PGI Argentina) from its partner in the
joint venture (JV), Guillermo E. Kraves. The company has operated as a JV since 1997, with PGI
owning a majority share since 1999. PGI Argentina, based near Buenos Aires, operates a multi-beam
spunmelt line, extrusion line, and a new wide-width, multi-beam spunbond line. The facility
provides nonwovens to the hygiene and industrial markets in the Mercosur region.

“This investment is a signal of our confidence in the future of our operations in Latin
America and the strategic significance of the operations in Argentina,” said Veronica “Ronee”
Hagen, CEO, PGI. “We have successfully positioned ourselves with supply in each of the major trade
regions of Latin America and bringing the Argentina joint venture fully into the PGI ownership
structure gives us the ability to fully capitalize on future growth opportunities.”

In related company news, PGI has signed an agreement stating its intent to purchase the
nonwovens businesses of Spain-based Tesalca-Texnovo from Grupo Corinpa, S.L. The purchase, expected
to be complete by the end of November, will occur in two phases. During phase one, PGI will
purchase working capital and operations of the nonwovens businesses in exchange for common stock
equal to a 5-percent share in PGI, during phase two, the company will then assume debts and
purchase the remainder of Tesalca-Texnovo in exchange for common stock equal to an additional
1.75-percent share in PGI. Upon completion of the transaction goes, a long-term partnership will be
established, and Grupo Corinpa will have a presence on PGI’s Board of Directors.

Tesalca-Texnovo realized sales of approximately $87 million in 2008. The company supplies
hygiene, medical, industrial and agricultural markets, and is the only company in Spain that
produces spunbond polypropylene nonwoven fabrics. The businesses, which produce more than 50,000
metric tons of nonwovens per year using its six Reifenhäuser Reicofil lines, will be known as PGI
Spain and will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of PGI. Once the purchase is complete, PGI will
have a global capacity for spunlaid fabrics of more than of 285,000 metric tons.

“Through this transaction, the Tesalca-Texnovo businesses will grow under the ownership of a
large, globally recognized premier nonwovens producer,” said Jose Durany, managing director,
Tesalca-Texnovo. “This will be a good union between companies with similar goals. We look forward
to being long-term partners with PGI.”



November 3, 2009

It has been 30 years since Japan-based Murata Machinery Ltd. invented its Mach Splicer. The splicer
originally was introduced at the International Exhibition of Textile Machinery (ITMA) in 1979.
Using compressed air, the splicer joins two ends of yarn without the need for a knot, a process
that improves the quality of a spun yarn. The original Mach Splicer was suitable for splicing
cotton yarns, but Murata also currently offers splicers for wool, linen and core spun yarns.

The benefits of knotless yarns in downstream processing are well-known today. Machine
stoppage and fabric flaws are less frequent because the yarns used are knot-free.

Air splicers are commonplace in the textile industry today, but Murata reports it continues
its research and development efforts in splicing technology and is committed to to advancing the
technology.

October 27, 2009