Springs Global Sells Creative Products Business

Springs Global US Inc., Fort Mill,
S.C., has sold its fabric and specialty product business, Springs Creative Products Group, to
Derick Close for an undisclosed price. Close has managed the business, which employs about 160
associates, since 2000.

Operating as Springs Creative Products Group LLC with the trade name Springs Creative, the
company — which sells sewing and craft fabrics, and specialty and licensed products to regional and
national retail customers — will retain its distribution center as well as its design, sales and
marketing offices in Rock Hill, S.C.

According to Crandall Close Bowles, co-chairman and co-CEO, Springs Global, Springs Creative
was operating as a somewhat independent niche business within Springs Global. “We believe this sale
will allow Creative Products to better control its destiny and grow,” she said.

“I am excited about this opportunity to control and grow this business,” said Derick Close. “
Our products and customer base are unique, and our success is based on continually innovating and
developing new products for customers and consumers.”


March 6, 2007

Hudson, DuPont Launch New Membrane Technology For Bedding

Hudson Industries Inc. — a Richmond,
Va.-based manufacturer of products for the medical and consumer industries, and DuPont — a
Wilmington, Del.-based provider of science-based solutions for a wide range of sectors including
apparel, safety, protection and health care, among others, have partnered to launch HMT (Hybrid
Membrane Technology) for incorporation into luxury allergen-barrier bedding products marketed under
Hudson’s Science of Sleep® brand.

The technology provides the most efficient barrier to pet dander, dust mites, pollen, fungal
spores, viral allergens and most microscopic allergens, according to the companies. The new line of
bedding protection offers 95-percent efficiency after more than 50 washings.

Bedding products will become available in March and April.


March 6, 2007

Environmental Defense, DuPont Seek Public Input For Nano Risk Framework

New York City-based environmental
advocacy organization Environmental Defense and Wilmington, Del.-based science-based products and
services company DuPont have released a draft of A Framework for Responsible Nanotechnology for
public consideration. The two organizations now are soliciting public feedback in order to
fine-tune the document and provide the “greatest degree of relevance” for nanotechnology
applications in all sectors, with the expectation of publishing a final framework this summer.

The framework is intended to provide a flexible, practical system for assessing possible
environmental, health and safety risks related to nanoscale materials; and for documenting and
communicating methods and parameters to deal with those risks. “We believe that the adoption of the
Framework can promote responsible development of nanotechnology products, facilitate public
acceptance, and support the formulation of a practical model for reasonable government policy on
nanotechnology safety,” the draft framework states.

Environmental Defense and DuPont began their collaboration to develop the framework in
September 2005, putting together a multidisciplinary team comprised of experts from both
organizations in the fields of science, medicine, law, occupational safety and health, product
development and business development. The team received initial feedback from government, academic,
private-business and public-interest sectors; and incorporated that input into the draft framework.
They are currently pilot-testing the framework on a range of materials and applications, and they
are welcoming additional input, including any feedback from companies developing nanotechnology and
related products in the textile sector, in order to broaden its scope. The deadline for submitting
feedback is March 30.

The draft framework and an editable worksheet are available at
www.nanoriskframework.com


March 6, 2007

US Textiles: Optimism, Change And Innovation

As the first quarter of 2007 comes to a close, there is a sense among many in textiles that
business has stabilized. Even in segments like apparel, key players seem optimistic. The downside
is the long view — the insecurity regarding future business.

Unfortunately, lack of a sense of security is part of the new textile business paradigm — or,
more accurately,  the paradigm many have finally accepted after years of thinking they could
define their corporate destiny.

But hold on. This is not as negative as it sounds. Whether it is Glen Raven’s President Allen
Gant speaking at the recent Southern Textile Association meeting regarding the challenge of change
and the importance of personal freedom as it relates to innovation, or American Apparel’s Founder
Dov Charney speaking at the American Apparel Producers’ Network (AAPN) meeting in Santa Monica,
offering his view on pursuing fashion and serving the “international-class” customer — optimism is
a significant part of the entrepreneurial approach to business.

When successful people like these speak, the message that comes through is that very little
can stand in their way, and they are willing, if not eager, to meet their next business challenge.

This approach seems less about certainty and more about ability. Developing an inherent
corporate confidence that they can and will succeed through openness to the quick and drastic
changes demanded by the marketplace is at the core of these winning companies.

In markets like apparel, producers’ concerns about demand have moved beyond the retailer to
the consumer. As detailed at AAPN’s meeting by Carlos Arias, president of Koramsa, a well-known
Guatemala-based menswear producer: “When it doesn’t sell it’s our problem. Even if we’ve been paid,
it is our problem — it’s our future.” Arias explained how his company has changed drastically in
recent years and now is more open than ever, not to react to demand, but to understand trends
before the retailer asks for them.

For spinners, weavers, knitters and finishers, challenges abound. For those with the
flexibility necessary to serve today’s market — who know innovation and change are not optional —
the optimism of many industry leaders is not misguided.

One recent comment from a leading-edge knitter sums it up for many US producers: “If it comes
off a boat, I am not going to touch it.” He was refering to the abandonment of commodity or easily
produced products in favor of more complex products. “The harder to make, the better — that’s what
I’m talkin’ about,” he said.

Those are great words for an industry that has the ability, great minds and great technology
to succeed in a challenging environment. If the industry can embrace what Gant calls “changing the
channel” — if it can bring innovation and change to its core, just maybe the optimism of some of
its leading firms is the story of 2007. It’s not easy to develop that confidence, but as Gant said,
“You are the only one who can choose to change the channel” — to make the choices necessary to
change and innovate — choices necessary to win.


March/April 2007

Batson Group To Represent Dettin

Italy-based Dettin S.p.A., a
manufacturer of high-performance hydroextractors, has selected Greenville-based Batson Group Inc.
as its sales and marketing representative to fiber and yarn dyers in the United States and Canada.

“We are pleased to solidify our relationship with Dettin,” said Charles Little, group
manager, Batson. “They are a highly successful manufacturer with an excellent reputation in the
marketplace. It is a definite advantage for us to be able to offer their equipment, along with our
existing product line, to dyers.”


March/April 2007

DuPont Sorona® Earns Awards For Sustainability

DuPont Sorona® – Wilmington, Del.-based DuPont’s first polymer derived from a biological source –
recently received two awards in recognition of its environmentally sustainable benefits.

In China, Sorona beat out more than 1,000 other products to win the Most Visionary Innovation
in the sports and health category, presented by the China State Intellectual Property Office and
China Central Television.

 
FW-corngirl

The Society of Plastics Engineers, Brookfield, Conn., presented Sorona with its 2005
New Technologies in Renewable Materials and Processes award at the Global Plastics and
Environmental Conference, held last month in Atlanta.

DuPont scientists have developed a new process to derive 1,3 propanediol, DuPont Sorona® ‘s key
ingredient, from corn. The key ingredient in Sorona, 1,3 propanediol (PDO), was derived originally
from petrochemical sources. DuPont scientists recently developed a new process to derive PDO from
corn. The new process consumes more than 40 percent less energy than conventional petrochemical
feedstock. Bio-PDO will be available commercially in 2006.

March 2005

Malden Mills Reborn As Polartec® LLC

The assets of Lawrence, Mass.-based
Malden Mills Industries Inc. have been acquired by Philadelphia-based turnaround investment company
Chrysalis Capital Partners LP for $44 million. A new company, Polartec® LLC, has emerged in Malden
Mills’ place and adopted the name of its predecessor’s renowned brand of performance fabrics.

Chrysalis was the sole bidder in a process established after Malden Mills filed for Chapter
11 bankruptcy protection in January 2007 in order to facilitate its sale.

Malden Mills CEO Michael Spillane and the rest of the management team are continuing at
Polartec in their respective roles. Chrysalis Managing Partner Greg Segall is now chairman of
Polartec. The company’s US manufacturing plants will continue their operations, as will its plant
in Shanghai.

“This day represents a fresh start for our Polartec products, brand and employees,” Spillane
said. “For the first time in more than a decade, we are able to completely focus on the needs of
our customers, which calls for developing, manufacturing and marketing technology solutions in
performance fabrics.”

In other news, Polartec and members of Unite HERE!, the union representing 550 employees at
company plants, signed a collective bargaining agreement, with an overwhelming majority of members
approving the three-and-one-half-year contract.


March/April 2007

Andritz Kusters, Pill Enter Cooperation Agreement

Andritz Küsters GmbH & Co. KG and
Pill Nassvliestechnik GmbH, both based in Germany, have entered into an exclusive cooperative
agreement for the sales, production and installation of wet-laid nonwoven production lines.

“The integration of the Pill technology complements our successful product program in
calender and wet-finishing technology in a perfect way,” said Andreas Lukas, head of Andritz
Küsters Nonwoven. “The technological know-how of the Pill company and synergies within the Andritz
Group now open doors and offer our customers interesting comprehensive solutions for the production
of wet-laid nonwovens.” The core of the Pill wet-laid nonwoven technology is the combination
headbox/inclined wire part.

In conjunction with the agreement, the Andritz Küsters Nonwoven Technical Center will be
expanded to include a wet-laid nonwovens laboratory range to enable fundamental research and
individual product development on behalf of customers.


March/April 2007

One Two Three Great Events


T
 he Material World brand has evolved in the seven years it has been on the apparel scene,
which itself has experienced evolution by way of free trade agreements, World Trade Organization
accessions, and increasing globalization in a quicker-than-ever turnaround timeframe.

“Sourcing operations and production systems continue to evolve as a result of quota removal,
and the implementation of free trade agreements such as CAFTA [Central America Free Trade
Agreement],” said Kevin M. Burke, president and CEO of the Arlington, Va.-based American Apparel
& Footwear Association (AAFA), official sponsor of Material World. “Apparel companies are
constantly evaluating new strategies and new technologies to better serve their customers around
the world. Material World, Technology Solutions and SPESA [Sewn Products Equipment and Suppliers of
the Americas] Expo are positioned to help the industry maximize its business opportunities by
featuring the full complement of supply chain services under one roof.”

miamibeach_Copy
Material World, SPESA Expo and Technology Solutions will be held in Miami Beach,
Fla.

Photograph courtesy of the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau

“Material World Miami Beach is a direct channel to the market,” said Mike Todaro, managing
director at Atlanta-based American Apparel Producers Network (AAPN), a supporter of the show. “We
were the first apparel industry organization to endorse Material World back in 2001. It clearly
filled a vacuum with the cessation of the Bobbin Show. So much has changed since 2001, but still
the show offers the entire supply chain yarn/textiles, trim, transportation, technology and
especially cut/sew producers one place to see and be seen. None can make money without the other.”

Billed by the show’s owner and
producer, Atlanta-based Urban Expositions LLC, and Material World’s international marketing arm,
Arcadia, Calif.-based Global Nexus Inc., as the “premier global sourcing, fabric, trim, technology
and trend trade event for the sewn products and home industries,” the next edition – to be held May
8-10 at the Miami Beach Convention Center in Miami Beach, Fla. — represents the brand’s incarnation
this year as part of a triennial trifecta of shows branded “Three Great Events” and targeting all
aspects of the apparel industry.

Partnered since 2004 with SPESA Expo — focusing on apparel equipment and machinery — and
Technology Solutions — focusing on information technology for the apparel sector — Material World
will include a presentation of home furnishings fabric providers, trend pavilions, product
packaging, networking events and educational programs.

“In previous editions of Material World, we have put a larger spotlight on the home
furnishings resources in order to increase crossover buying and selling opportunities for
exhibitors and attendees,” said Amy Dufour, account executive at Marsh Meadows Marketing, the
Kennesaw, Ga.-based marketing agency that represents Material World. “The May 8-10, 2007, edition
of Three Great Events will focus primarily on fabric/findings, sourcing, machinery and technology.
There is a limited number of international companies who will showcase a variety of fabric,
leather, trim and service resources for home furnishings industry members.”

Along with home furnishing fabric providers, Material World will showcase
contractors/manufacturers; apparel fabric; trim; yarn; components; publications such as

Textile World
 ; associations such as AAFA and SPESA; educational institutions; full-package providers;
technology; and services such as forecasting, financial, freight forwarding, and color and trend.



Greater Traffic, Greater Exposure

Organizers of Three Great Events hope
to attract more than the 10,600 visitors — which included presidents, CEOs, managers, designers,
marketing executives and purchasing agents, among others — and 600 exhibitors that participated in
the last Miami Beach edition held in 2004.

Global Nexus is working to bring visitors and exhibitors from Western Europe, Africa and
Asia to the show. “We partner with the government export promotion entities and country industry
associations whose goals are to create export opportunities for their constituents,” said Maureen
Storch, CEO, Global Nexus.

Additional, domestic support and endorsement from AAFA, AAPN, the Boston-based National
Textile Association, New York City-based Textile Distributors Association, and Washington-based
National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) suggests organizers will meet these goals. More
than 25 nations will be represented at the event.

“The world has shrunk … today’s customers can be anywhere in the world … yet are as close as
an e-mail,” said Benton Gardner, executive vice president, SPESA, Raleigh, N.C. “SPESA Expo,
Material World and Technology Solutions provide a unique opportunity for visitors to see leading
companies that supply machinery, equipment, technology, fabric, sourcing and information
technology. One airline ticket, one hotel room and one registration give the visitor entrance to ‘
Three Great Events’ at ‘One Great Location’.”

AAPN spokesman Todaro also feels Material World fills a much-needed niche in the apparel and
textile industry. “What [Material World] Miami Beach does is specialize in the DR [Dominican
Republic]-CAFTA and Western Hemisphere connection to the US market. With the concentration of
high-volume sourcing offices in Miami, the show has become a place to meet, perhaps for this
hemisphere, the place to meet.

“This is especially true as the producers in DR-CAFTA become more full-package producers and
for the first time are getting into demand-chain, quick-response, short-run, fast-turn, high-margin
replenishment production,” Todaro added.

“Material World is a very important event for the US textile industry because it allows our
companies to meet with customers and strengthen the networks within the supply chain,” said Mike
Hubbard, vice president, NCTO. “For US textile exporters, this is most important with partner
companies in Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean Basin and the Andean regions. Given the rapid
pace of globalization and trade patterns, new business opportunities are more important than ever.”&
amp; amp; lt; /font>




See, Touch, Feel


The Spring/Summer 2008 season will be
conceptually represented under the theme “Sustainability” at four trend pavilions located
throughout the event, as well as in exhibitors’ booths. The Trend pavilion will feature
touch-and-feel exhibitor fabrics grouped in areas throughout the show to portray seasonal themes
and trend directions.

The Color pavilion will feature colorways chosen by the official Material World color source
for the Spring/Summer 2008 season. These include 30 colors arranged in five groups — Retreat, which
includes grays, cream and blue; Exhilaration, which includes a variety of pastels; Re-charge, which
includes deeper shades of browns, greens and blue; Integration, which includes shades of khaki,
green and gray; and Reflective, which includes strong shades of purple, magenta, brown, green and
gray.

The Trimming pavilion will feature exhibitors’ buttons, buckles, snaps, rivets, leather,
fur, and metal and plastic trims, among other trims, in a visually stimulating setup. The Video
pavilion will offer video presentations of developing trends associated with the season.



trendpavilion1trendpavilion2


Four trend pavilions – Color, Video,
Trimmings and Trend – will conceptually represent “Sustainability,” the theme of the show.




“We will see natural fabrics with a growing interest in eco-friendly,” said Kevin Knaus,
creative director, Material World. He added that visitors also can expect Spring/Summer 2008 to
have “a strong interest in retro direction with prints and graphic designs, fabrics that show a
feeling of lightness and fullness, jacquards, and printed wraps with geometrics.

“You will see pigmented overdyeing and washouts; a strong interest in cotton/linen,
silk/bamboo, hemp/wool-irregular yarns, embroidery on tulle, chiffon ruffling … fabric with
fluidity,” Knaus said.



Educational Events

Three Great Events will offer a
comprehensive selection of educational seminars and lectures related to the apparel industry
beginning Monday, May 7, and continuing through Wednesday, May 9.

SPESA will offer a pre-show conference Monday focusing on lean manufacturing, while AAFA and
SPESA will host a headliner breakfast program Tuesday titled “The Executive Sourcing Summit.” AAFA’s
Burke will moderate a panel that will include executives from Li & Fung USA; the GAP; VF
Corp.; the Timberland Co.; and Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg P.A. Program highlights will include
such topics as CAFTA-DR/free trade agreements, port diversification, sourcing shifts, speed to
market, social compliance, the environment and counterfeiting.

AAFA and SPESA will host Wednesday’s headlining event, The Leadership Forum: Benchmarking
Effective Brand Managers. The forum will feature moderator Mike Fralix, Ph.D., president and COO,
[TC]2; and executive panel members from Chico’s FAS Inc., Jockey International Inc. and Haggar
Clothing Co. Panel members will discuss issues that brand managers encounter such as design, fit,
inventory, sourcing, fast fashion, speed to market and customer retention, among many others.

Other seminars will be held by: Pantone Inc., PTC, Promostyl Americas, TradeCard, Computer
Generated Solutions Inc., Cotton Incorporated, New Generation Computing, Textiles Intelligence
Ltd., Enovia MatrixOne and Printex Technology.

The next edition of Material World, Material World New York, will be held Sept. 25-27, 2007,
at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City.




Trade Associations Expect Strong Turnout


“We do expect a large number of our
members to attend [Material World],” said Mike Todaro, managing director, AAPN. “Our members, like
Alfonso Hernandez of Argus Group, tell us that Material World is a viable show, ‘if they produce
the desired results — sales.’

“The big question about trade shows is always the ROI [return on investment] of exhibiting.
We’ve seen deals made with our own eyes where producers of different components put production
contracts together, sometimes on the spot. We’ve mostly seen incremental business between our
members and their existing customers where the show allowed more face-to-face communication than
business-as-usual,” Todaro added.

NCTO also expects a strong turnout from its members. “NCTO supports Material World because
of the opportunities it provides our member companies to meet with their customers and to develop
new business opportunities,” said Mike Hubbard, vice president of NCTO. “We will have a large
portion of our membership at the show, either in booths or walking the floor.




SPESA Expo and Technology Solutions


SPESA Expo’s theme, “Delivering the
Full Spectrum of Sewn Products Technology,” reflects the wide range of exhibitors show organizers
expect to attend. These will include manufacturers of machinery and technology for all sectors of
the sewn products industries.

Attendees will include manufacturers of apparel, leather, footwear, upholstered furniture,
technical textiles, home furnishings and transportation interiors that engage in such processes as
cutting, sewing, ironing, finishing, software, retail, sewing thread, needles, pre-production and
shipping, among others; in addition to design directors, engineering managers and purchasing
decision-makers, among others.

Technology Solutions, billed by organizers as the “premier conference and exposition for
information technology that enables today’s sewn products industries,” will attract information
technology leaders in the apparel sector seeking solutions for sourcing, product development,
design/merchandising, vendor-managed inventory, logistics/distribution and retail solutions
exhibitors, among others.




For more information about Material World, contact Urban Expositions (678) 285-3976; fax (678)
285-7469; mwinquiry@urbanexpositions.com; www.material-world.com. For more information about SPESA
Expo, contact (919) 872-8909; fax (919) 872-1915; info@spesaexpo.com; www.spesaexpo.com. For more
information about Technology Solutions, contact (800) 318-2238; tsinfo@urbanexpositions.com;
www.techsolutionsexpo.com.



March/April 2007

Wellman Reorganizes Chemical-Based Businesses

Fort Mill., S.C.-based Wellman Inc. has announced it will combine its polyester fiber and
polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resin segments into one business unit with functional reporting
lines. According to the company, the two segments have many related functions, and the
reorganization will allow it to maximize its operating performance and eliminate duplicate costs.

Under the new structure, Steve Ates will serve as vice president of sales and marketing; Mark
Ruday as vice president of business operations; and Ian Shaw as vice president of manufacturing and
research and development. Joe Tucker will have responsibility for raw material procurement and
strategic development; and David Styka will serve as controller and chief accounting officer,
replacing Ruday in that role.

“The structure that we just announced is appropriate for our ongoing US operations,” said
Thomas M. Duff, chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO. “It will allow us to focus more on our
customers and operate in a more efficient manner, both of which are expected to improve our
operating performance.” Duff added that the company continues to explore strategic alternatives for
its European operations and other non-core businesses.

Wellman previously announced it would restructure its US fiber operations
(See “Wellman Announces Restructuring Plans,” www.
TextileWorld.com  October 3, 2006). Under that plan, the company has
consolidated all US fiber production in one location, at its Darlington, S.C.-based Palmetto plant.
Still pending are the sale of its Material Recycling Division and production for its specialty
coarse-denier Wellstrand® fiber, according to Michael Bermish, investor relations officer.
Concurrently with the restructuring, Wellman also has licensed its EcoSpun® brand name to Foss
Manufacturing Co. LLC, Hampton, N.H., which now markets its recycled PET yarn under that brand.


March/April 2007

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