Minneapolis-based Cargill and Tokyo-based Teijin Ltd. have agreed to form a joint venture in which
Teijin will acquire a 50-percent interest in Cargill subsidiary NatureWorks LLC, the Minnetonka,
Minn.-based manufacturer of NatureWorks® biopolymer made from renewable resources. Completion of
the joint venture, subject to regulatory approval, is anticipated before the end of this year.

NatureWorks’ polylactic acid (PLA) plant in Blair, Neb., is the first and largest commercial
scale biopolymer manufacturing plant worldwide, according to Cargill. Production is approaching
capacity, and since 2005, volume has more than doubled. Currently, more than 100 brands in the
United States, Asia and Europe offer products ranging from apparel and home textiles to personal
care and hygiene products, food and beverage packaging, and durable consumer goods that are
marketed using NatureWorks’ Ingeo® brand. Under the joint venture, Cargill and Teijin expect to
accelerate the company’s growth globally and expand its product offerings.

“Teijin’s downstream application knowledge in fibers, films and plastic compounds will be of
immeasurable value as we grow production at our Blair, Neb., facility and consider additional
expansion in the fast-growing global marketplace,” said Guillaume Bastiaens, vice chairman,
Cargill. “NatureWorks will greatly benefit from Teijin’s expertise in technology and end-use
application development. Teaming up with Teijin will allow more brand owners, retailers and
converters to address their global interest in sustainable solutions using NatureWorks biopolymer.”

“We are very impressed with Cargill’s long-term commitment to NatureWorks PLA polymers and
other biobased products,” said Toru Nagashima, president and CEO, Teijin. “NatureWorks LLC is a
perfect fit with our strategy of pursuing strategic investments to take our environmental
management technologies global. We look forward to growing our global PLA polymer business through
this partnersship.”

NatureWorks will continue to be based in Minnetonka, and senior management is expected to
remain in place.

October 2, 2007

In response to consistently strong customer demand, Austria-based Lenzing AG will invest 25 million
euros ($35.4 million) to expand its Tencel® production plant in Heiligenkreuz, Austria.

The expansion, expected to conclude within the next business year, will add two spinning
lines to the facility’s existing second production line. Annual capacity will be expanded from
40,000 tons to 50,000 tons.

Lenzing currently produces 130,000 tons of Tencel fiber each year at its existing locations
in Austria, England and Mobile, Ala., for use in a range of sectors including home textiles,
apparel and nonwovens.

October 2, 2007

Greenville-based textile weaving machine accessory manufacturer GTP Greenville Inc. has acquired
the assets of Gaffney, S.C.-based Southern Loom Reed Co., a manufacturer of reeds and warp
preparation equipment. Southern Loom Reed’s manufacturing operation and sales staff have relocated
to GTP Greenville’s main office and plant. Henceforth, GTP Greenville — which was formed after its
Belgium-based parent company, Picanol, acquired Steel Heddle Manufacturing Co. in late 2001 — will
offer Southern Loom Reed’s product lines under the Steel Heddle name.

October 2, 2007

US textile manufacturers are concerned about an International Trade Commission (ITC) report that
predicts large increases in textile and apparel imports as a result of a proposed free trade
agreement (FTA) with South Korea. While the ITC says much of the increase would displace imports
from other countries, that is viewed as a double hit.

The report, mandated by Congress in order to help it assess the likely impact of FTAs on the
US economy, says the FTA with South Korea will likely result in a $6.4- to $6.9-billion increase in
imports from South Korea; and the bulk of that increase will be in textiles, motor vehicles and
parts, and wearing apparel. The ITC says as much as 90 percent of the increase could be at the
expense of other nations and will not directly displace US production and jobs.

Cass Johnson, president of the National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO), says the
report is not an accurate portrayal of the true impact of the FTA on the US textile industry. He
says the “displacement” of goods from other countries would be highly significant in that it could
be at the expense of apparel made in Mexico and the Caribbean, which have become major markets for
US yarn and fabric. He says the report is a “flawed model” in that it does not take into account
that secondary impact on US textile trade.

US Trade Representative Susan C. Schwab says the South Korea FTA is the “most commercially
significant trade agreement the United States had concluded in over 15 years.”

However, it is under heavy fire from textile manufacturers, automakers and some agricultural
interests, and Rep Sander Levin, D-Mich., chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee’s trade
subcommittee, says he will oppose the measure because of its impact on the automobile industry.
That could be a major stumbling block in the way of ratification amd likely would preclude approval
this year and maybe forever.

October 2, 2007

September 25, 2007

“Traditionally, many of the largest apparel brands have been at the forefront of deploying
PLM,” said Joe Rodgers, director of channel development, Enovia. “Mid-market companies face similar
challenges, such as global competition, working with international suppliers and increasing demands
for new product lines, without having the same financial resources to address them. With the
development of offerings like PLM FastTrack for Apparel, we believe that mid-sized companies can
enjoy the same benefits of greater collaboration, improved business process management and faster
time to market while limiting their risk.”

September 25, 2007

The Deimo brand and its facility in Italy will be maintained, and the company will continue
to supply its products and services to existing customers. Mario Mattia will continue in his role
as Deimo CEO.

September 25, 2007

“As a company that always realizes a strong commitment for new technologies, we see a big
potential in the future cooperation with Elmarco in the field of ultralightweight nonwoven
applications,” said Dr. Stefan Schlichter, head of Oerlikon Neumag’s carding division. “Together
with Elmarco, we will explore the potential of the new nanoweb technology on the nonwovens world
market.”

September 25, 2007