F
loor covering industry professionals will soon head to Dalton, Ga., for FloorTek Expo
2007, the global floor covering manufacturing exposition focused on production technology —
showcasing the most up-to-date machinery, equipment and materials; as well as businesses that
supply and service the floor covering industry.

FloorTek Expo 2007 will take place at the NorthWest Georgia Trade & Convention
Center.

Organized and sponsored by the
Dalton-based American Floorcovering Alliance (AFA) and scheduled to take place at the NorthWest
Georgia Trade & Convention Center Tuesday, October 23 through Thursday, October 25, the
biennial show will feature an exhibition dedicated to the entire range of flooring surfaces — from
carpet, hardwood, vinyl and laminate to stone and non-traditional surfaces. As of

Textile World
’s press time, more than 70 companies have already registered to exhibit.

FloorTek Expo also will feature a panel discussion, workshop and seminars, as well as a
number of special events.
(See Table 1 for a comprehensive schedule of events.) Expo visitors traditionally include
CEOs, mill owners, plant managers, purchasers and product engineers. Attendance is free of
charge.

Ciba Customer Workshop

Ciba Specialty Chemicals — a
Switzerland-based manufacturer of additives, dyes and pigments for use in fiber spinning targeted
to such applications as carpets and upholstery, among others — will sponsor a free day-long
workshop and lunch on Wednesday, October 24. Endorsed and supported by AFA, the workshop will offer
presentations on:

• key effects expected by carpet manufacturers today and in the future;

• the latest technologies for color management, including color matching, color feasibility,
design and creation software, and realistic visualization;

• Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals (REACH) legislation’s effect on
companies that export to Europe, and the benefits of using a consulting service when business is
impacted by the legislation; and

• innovative effects and colorants for carpets and fibers, as well as future
products.

Panel Discussion

FloorTek Expo 2007 will commence with
a continental breakfast Tuesday morning, followed by a panel discussion entitled “The Challenges of
Globalization.” The discussion will be moderated by Frank O’Neill, publisher of Floor Focus
magazine. Panelists will include Ralph Boe, CEO, Beaulieu of America; Dan Frierson, CEO, The Dixie
Group; Michael Harris, president, Faribauld Mills Inc.; and Dr. Richard W. Williams, president and
CEO, Williams Cos. Inc.

Approximately 100 companies are expected to exhibit at FloorTek Expo 2007.

Best Of FloorTek 2007 Awards Dinner

The Best of FloorTek 2007 Awards
Dinner will kick off at the convention center with a cocktail hour sponsored by Domotex Worldwide
Events, a trade show brand with which AFA has a strong partnership
(See sidebar).

Dinner and a presentation recognizing the Best of FloorTek award winners will follow.
Sponsored by AFA, the third edition of the awards will be presented to individual and corporate
innovators in the floor covering industry. Award categories include:

• Individual Leadership, recognizing individual industry contribution;

• Environmental, recognizing environmental responsibility and practices;

• Product/Method Innovation, recognizing the best product or method of innovation; and

• Contribution to the Industry, recognizing the company that has made the largest historical
contribution to the industry.

Seminars

Four seminars presented by
Baltimore-based law firm Miles & Stockbridge PC — which also participated in the educational
events at FloorTek Expo 2005 — will be held Thursday.

Those who wish to attend the seminars may contact AFA or register the day of the
event.

Traveling To The Expo

To aid those traveling to Dalton for
the show, AFA has designated Admiral Travel Inc., Marietta, Ga., as the official travel agent for
the show. For more information on getting to, staying in and traveling from Dalton, contact Hassan
Ramadan (800) 822-2727, (770) 956-0900; h.ramadan@att.net. Visitors who would like to arrange
accommodations in Dalton may contact the following:

• America’s Best Inns

(706) 226-1100

• Comfort Inn & Suites

(800) 733-7663

• Country Inn & Suites

(800) 456-4000

• Courtyard by Marriott

(800) 321-2211

• Days Inn

(800) 329-7466

• Hampton Inn

(800) 426-7866

• Jameson Inn

(800) 526-3766

• Quality Inn

(800) 753-6310

• Ramada Inn & Suites

(800) 444-8888

• Wingate Inn

(800) 228-1000

AFA & Domotex: A Valuable Partnership

AFA’s partnership with Domotex — a
brand of trade shows organized by Germany-based Deutsche Messe AG and held in Germany, the Middle
East and Asia to showcase such products as carpets and rugs, contract flooring, natural stone and
ceramic tiles, parquet and laminates, and textile and flexible floor coverings — began in 1998,
when AFA started its international trade show program. That program included the original Domotex
show in Hannover, Germany.

Since then, as part of the program, AFA has worked to recruit US companies to exhibit at
Domotex events, and also has participated in the trade show itself. “Domotex [Hannover] can open
doors to global markets and provide a look at the European market and trends without having to
travel around Europe,” said Wanda Ellis, executive director, AFA. “Regional shows in different
sectors of the world are having an effect on this show in a small way, but it is still a most
economical way to develop a global market for small to mid-sized US manufacturers. “AFA is very
much aware of the need for smaller manufacturers to grow their businesses,” Ellis explained. “We
work with local, state, federal and international organizations to provide seminars, on-site
assistance, compliance and more, to help them be export-ready. “With the dollar weak and the euro
so strong, every US manufacturer that is export-ready should look to exporting as a way to grow
their sales,” she added. “For 2007, AFA received a grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission
that helped exhibitors with the cost of exhibition space at Domotex. We have applied for a grant to
apply to a two-year program that we have developed to better serve our members and the industry,”
Ellis said. 

Domotex highlights a range of products for the floor covering industry, including
yarns.

Ellis has seen AFA members’ interest
in participating in Domotex events increase steadily and has focused the alliance’s efforts on
helping them to exhibit.

Eighteen companies exhibited under the AFA banner at Domotex Hannover 2007 this past
January. AFA’s pavilion included a State of Georgia lounge and private conference room. The 2008
edition of Domotex Hannover will be held January 12-15.

For more information about FloorTek Expo 2007, contact (800) 288-4101, (706) 278-4101; fax
(706) 278-5323; afa@americanfloor.org; www.floor-tek.com. To register for the Ciba customer
workshop, contact (770) 421-7511. Attendees may also register the day of the workshop.

September/October 2007

G
erman textile machinery manufacturers have been at the top of the worldwide producer list
for decades.

Textile World
asked Johann Philipp Dilo, chairman of the German Engineering Federation (VDMA) Textile
Machinery Association’s Executive Board, how he masters his work as chairman in addition to the
daily routine as CEO of the Dilo Group. A prominent personality in the German textile machinery
industry, Dilo has successfully led the Dilo Group for many years. He also has been a member of the
VDMA Textile Machinery Association’s Executive Board for many years, and for the last two years has
served as its chairman.

TW: And how do you reconcile all this?

JPD: The profession of an independent entrepreneur presupposes that one does not
have too many interests alongside his job. I even think that one should be a little more reserved
with his hobbies. Today’s challenges are so manifold that one must concentrate all personal
strengths to be successful. The person who is willing to have success must remember his own
strengths, have a concept, and — to be more precise — a long-term, lasting concept. At all joyful
development work, one must set on continuity and be confident himself.

VDMA

There are some 130 enterprises in the
German textile machinery industry, and they achieve a turnover of approximately 3.5 billion euros
(US$4.78 billion) per year. Ninety percent of this turnover is generated by VMDA members.

Approximately 35 VDMA textile member enterprises are working in the area of nonwovens. Many
of them are also machinery manufacturers for spinning equipment. This sector is very progressive
and shows stable growth of 10 percent per year, sometimes even more. The classic textile machinery
industry can only dream of this growth rate. However, this applies not only to nonwovens, but also
to technical textiles, which have just as big a future potential. This development also will find
its expression at ITMA if one sees what kinds of products are shown for these areas.

Market Situation

Dilo considers the current market
situation quite positive. “The figures speak a considerable language,” he said. “The German textile
machinery industry expects an increase in sales of about 13 percent this year. This applies to the
entire textile machinery industry including accessories. The incoming orders still are developing
positively. It looks like a successful ITMA 2007 and a promising year for European textile
machinery manufacturers. As is well-known, the textile machinery industry is always the subject of
strong fluctuations. In 2005 and at the beginning of 2006, we all had below-average capacity rates.
This has improved so that we have arrived in the top midfield now.”

TW: How do you see the short- and medium-term future for the European textile
machinery industry? Will it be able to withstand the global competition, or will this industry
slowly migrate to Asia?

JPD: With all cautiousness, I am very positive for the reasons that I have already
mentioned. When one can contribute as a member of the Executive Board of the VDMA and also in his
peer group, one also needs to have a certain stability in his point of view. One also needs
self-motivation and self-conviction. One also must have faith — without faith nobody can be
successful. People who only live with fear can’t survive as businessmen. Having our own company
success in mind, I am very confident about the future.

September/October 2007