FiberVisions A/S – a supplier of polyolefin fibers to a variety of industries including textile,
hygiene and automotive with locations in Denmark, Duluth, Ga., and China – and Argentina-based Tel
Rad Cuyo (TRC) — a manufacturer of polypropylene fibers with a plant in the San Juan province of
Argentina — have formed a joint venture (JV) company in South America for the production, sales
and marketing of polypropylene fibers. As part of the deal,  FiberVisions purchased 50 percent
of TRC, which will be known going forward as FiberVisions South America.

“We are extremely pleased to be a partner with TRC, a leading and well-respected company in
South America,” said Dr. Stephen Wood, CEO, FiberVisions. “This joint venture will provide
FiberVisions with quality local manufacturing assets and product development capability enabling us
to provide even better service to our current customers in the region.”

“We believe that the venture with FiberVisions will give our customers access to the best
technology and the highest quality fibers,” said Dr. Guillermo Kraves, president, TRC. “South
America is a high-growth region of the world, and we will be investing to support that demand.”

May 26, 2009

A bipartisan group of House and Senate members has introduced legislation designed to offset the
competitive advantage of countries that undervalue their currencies. The legislation, which has 40
co-sponsors, is one of the top priorities of US textile and apparel manufacturers as well as a wide
range of other manufacturing industries.

The Currency Reform for Fair Trade Act (CRFTA) would allow injured US manufacturing
industries to seek offsetting duties under countervailing duty or anti-dumping laws. Sponsors of
the legislation say it will not violate World Trade Organization (WTO) remedies that are available
to member countries. They point out that WTO rules treat currency undervaluation as a prohibited,
countervailable export subsidy.

The proposed law states that exchange rate misalignment occurs when a foreign government
engages in protracted, large-scale intervention in the exchange markets, with the result that its
currency is undervalued or overvalued on an inflation-adjusted, trade-weighted basis by at least 5
percent over an 18-month period.

 “China continues to illegally subsidize products by a third of the costs by
manipulating their currency to undercut American goods,” said Rep. Tim Murphy, R-Pa., one of the
measure’s initial sponsors. “The time has come for Congress to stand up for American workers and
not allow China to run roughshod over the American economy. With this legislation we will finally
force China to stop cheating and level the playing field for America’s manufacturers.”

The legislation was launched at a Capitol Hill news conference sponsored by the Fair Currency
Coalition, which includes the American Manufacturing Trade Action Coalition (AMTAC), the National
Council of Textile Organizations, the National Textile Association,  the US Industrial Fabrics
Institute (USIFI) and the American Cotton Shippers Association. It also is heavily weighted with
labor organizations including the American Federation of Labor/Congress of Industrial
Organizations.

Speaking at the news conference,  Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, said: “This is one of the most
broad-based coalitions I’ve ever had the pleasure to work with. Democrats and Republicans,
manufacturers and labor, and representatives from all over the country have come together on this
common-sense legislation, which only asks countries to live up to the standards they agreed to when
they joined the WTO.”

Auggie Tantillo, executive director of AMTAC, said the Obama administration has said it
stands for fair trade, and that “there is no better way to prove that they actually mean what they
say than to enact the currency reform legislation.”

Noting that the US technical textile community has “borne the brunt of currency exploitation
for some time, with a disastrous effect on employment,” Ruth Stephens, executive director of USIFI,
strongly endorsed the legislation, saying, “This effort will help our world have ethical and
logical currency principles.”

May 19, 2009

Minneapolis-based Conwed Global Netting Solutions – a manufacturer of high-performance plastic
netting solutions used in consumer-packaged goods and building materials applications, and a part
of Conwed Plastics LLC – has introduced 100-percent degradable Padmate® netting for carpet cushion
padding. According to the company, though carpet pad recycling is one of the largest recycling
efforts in the United States, more than 2 million pounds of carpet cushion netting is not recycled.
Conwed uses its patented Ecocycle™ technology in the construction of the netting, which breaks down
faster than conventional plastics and costs similarly to conventional plastic netting, the company
reports.

May 19, 2009

Germany-based Trevira GmbH – a company of the India-based Reliance Group and a manufacturer of
high-value branded polyester fibers and filament yarns for the apparel, home textiles and
automotive industries as well as hygiene and technical applications – has begun restructuring after
experiencing a severe decline in sales caused by the global economic crisis. Reliance Group has
appointed Elke Bäuerle managing director to head the restructuring.

“It is now our task to maintain Trevira’s sound and profitable core,” Bäuerle said. “Trevira
has good products and is fundamentally competitive.”

May 19, 2009

Greensboro, N.C.-based Unifi Inc. – a producer of multifilament polyester and nylon textured yarns
– has launched Repreve® FR, the newest addition to its Repreve family of 100-percent recycled
fibers. Repreve FR, containing at least 2,000 parts per million phosphorus, is the first recycled
polyester fiber with inherent flame-retardant (FR) properties.

Momentum Textiles – a supplier of contract textiles and a division of the Irvine,
Calif.-based Momentum Group – will use Repreve FR in its new line of healthcare privacy curtains.

“The inherent performance of Repreve FR provides Momentum Textiles with an environmental
solution for our line of healthcare privacy curtains,” said Eddie Elizondo, marketing manager,
Momentum Group. “We are committed to expanding our environmentally sustainable product offering to
meet the market’s need for sustainable textiles.”

May 19, 2009