Fiberweb expanded the capabilities at Bethune in order to meet market demand for more
natural-fiber-based baby, personal-care and home-care wipe applications. In addition to
manufacturing specialty carded and spunlace roll goods for those applications, that facility also
produces case goods for graphics arts applications.

“This demonstrates Fiberweb’s intention to make selected investments that meet emerging
needs in the marketplace for tailored nonwovens that deliver real benefits to consumers,” said Dave
Rousse, president, Fiberweb Hygiene/Medical Americas.

A native of Austria, Strolz graduated in 1961 from the University of Vienna as a doctor in
law. The following year, he joined the foreign trade department of the Austrian Federal Chamber of
Commerce; and in 1963 was named Austrian Trade Commissioner in Caracas, Venezuela. In 1968, he
moved on to the Austrian Foreign Trade Office in Montreal. That same year, Strolz was named
director of the Austrian Federation of Industries and also managed the textile and clothing
department of the Chamber of Commerce of Vorarlberg, Austria.

Strolz’s career at ITMF began in 1970, when he became director of the Switzerland-based
International Federation of Cotton and Allied Textile Industries, which changed its name to
International Textile Manufacturers Federation in 1978. Under Strolz’s leadership, the federation
has become the foremost global trade association for the basic textile industry, currently counting
among its membership textile trade associations and other entities from nearly 50 textile-producing
countries.

In recognition of his leadership in the global textile industry, Strolz received the
Schlafhorst Foundation’s Golden Jenny Award in 1991 and was named Textile World’s Leader of the
Year in 2001.

Dr. Christian Schindler, currently director, ITMF, has been named to succeed Strolz as the
federation’s director general. Schindler, a native of Germany, earned his doctorate from the
University of Cologne, Germany, where he studied at the Institute for Economic Policy. He joined
ITMF in 2004 as the federation’s economist.

Safety Solutions contacted Beth Moore, managing director of operations, Optimer, in its
search for a solution to problems presented by polyester-based moisture-wicking fabrics, which
could melt and fuse to the skin when subjected to the sudden extreme heat and flames caused when an
explosive device is detonated — causing more serious injury than would occur otherwise. Because of
this hazard, the US Marine Corps earlier this year had prohibited wearing of polyester and
nylon-based performance clothing outside forward operating bases and camps in Iraq.

“It took two years in development, but the result is everything that Safety Systems asked
for,” Moore said. “In addition to its typical moisture-management capabilities, the new dri-release
FR version is not only self-extinguishing, it quickly turns to ash and most definitely, does not
melt or drip.”

The new driFIRE products also include FreshGuard®, Optimer’s environmentally friendly
odor-neutralizing technology, which is added to all dri-release fabrics.

Competition objectives include: the exposition of practical innovative concepts and problem
solutions concerning the use of textiles and textile-reinforced materials in buildings; support and
assistance for students and newcomers in the sector; and promotion of contacts among students,
universities, the technical-textile industry and building industry sectors. Werner Sobek, a
professor at the Institute for Lightweight Structures and Conceptual Design, University of
Stuttgart, Germany, is scientific director of the competition and chairman of the international
jury that will evaluate the competition. Prize money totaling 8,000 euros will be awarded during
Techtextil in the categories of macro-architecture, micro-architecture, environment and ecology,
and composites and hybrid structures.

Competition rule details may be found at
www.techtextil.com. For more information,
contact Katrin Müller 49 69 7575 6553; fax 49 69 7575 96553; katrin.mueller@messefrankfurt.com.

From Jan. 1, 2007, Santex Project + Sales will cease to exist. The newly founded Swisstex
Machinery Inc., based in Pfaffhausen, Switzerland, under the direction of Uwe J. Sick — until this
time project and sales director, Santex AG — along with current Santex Project + Sales associates
and with support from a network of experienced specialists, will focus on complete textile
finishing projects including, in particular, new knitted fabric finishing plants, extensions and
modernizations. Project packages will include production systems, infrastructure, a range of
engineering services, building services, automatization, logistics, and plant maintenance.

Until its acquisition by Zimmer in 2003, Fleissner was a family-owned company founded in
1848 originally as a blacksmith’s workshop. In the ensuing years, the company grew to include an
iron foundry, and soon began to provide products to various sectors of the local textile industry.
Today, it specializes in aqua-jet entangling lines for the nonwovens sector, man-made staple fiber
production lines, through-air drying lines and textile finishing lines.

Hans-Georg Buckel and Jürgen Heller, Ph.D., will continue as managers of Fleissner, which
currently employs 350 people.

The Trützschler Group, which has subsidiaries in six countries and some 2,200 employees
globally, acquired shares of Germany-based nonwovens machinery manufacturer Erko in 2005. According
to Trützschler, Fleissner’s product line, particularly for the nonwovens sector, will complement
the Erko Trützschler line of nonwovens machinery, enabling the supply of complete lines for that
sector.

Trützschler also produces nonwovens machinery in the United States at its Charlotte-based
subsidiary, American Truetzschler, which also services the machinery. It also maintains production
and service operations in Brazil, China and India.

“Moving production from Ponce to the Caribbean basin is necessary to improve Hanesbrands’
efficiency and competitiveness,” said Gerald Evans, executive vice president and chief global
supply chain officer, Hanesbrands. “As part of our multiyear supply chain improvement strategy,
Hanesbrands is ramping up high-volume, lower-cost production in new textile manufacturing
facilities in Central America and the Caribbean basin.”

Evans expressed regret for the loss of jobs in Ponce, adding, “We have a good workforce in
Ponce, but this move is an economic necessity for our organization overall in today’s competitive
global market and does not reflect the quality and dedication of the Ponce workforce.”

The 12-member bipartisan commission was created by Congress to investigate and analyze US
relations with China and make recommendations to Congress and the administration with regard to
economic and national security implications of the US/China relationship. During this past year,
its members met with Chinese government and communist party officials, Chinese business leaders,
American diplomats and American business people working in China.

The commission’s report contains 44 recommendations, several of which are related to trade
in textiles and other manufactured products. Chairman Wortzel said that while China has
demonstrated it understands its obligations to the 149 other countries in the World Trade
Organization (WTO) and has made considerable progress in writing internal legislation and
regulations, it is “falling short on its implementation of new laws and regulations and is failing
to adequately enforce laws already on the books.” He said this is particularly true with respect to
protection of intellectual property rights. Wortzel said Congress needs to urge the US Trade
Representative to press ahead “ aggressively” with cases against China’s failure to enforce
intellectual property rights.

In connection with other international trade issues, the commission pressed particularly
hard for action to address China’s currency manipulation. In that regard, the commission
recommended that Congress urge the administration to take to the WTO and the International Monetary
Fund a complaint about China’s manipulation of currency. It also recommended that Congress pass
legislation to modify requirements for the Treasury Department’s biannual report on countries that
practice currency manipulation, making it clear that countries that artificially peg their currency
in order to gain a trade advantage are violating international trade rules. In addition, the
commission urged Congress to pass legislation granting the US Department of Commerce authority to
impose countervailing duties against products imported from nonmarket economies.

Auggie Tantillo, executive director of the Washington-based American Manufacturing Trade
Action Coalition, which represents a number of manufacturing industries, including textiles, said
the incoming Congress needs to seriously consider the commission’s recommendations and “act
appropriately,” adding that Congress needs to hold the Bush administration accountable for “
failures in its China policy.” He said a good first step would be enactment of legislation to
combat currency manipulation.

In 2005, the United States had a record $202 billion trade deficit with China, and it
appears 2006 is headed for a 10-percent increase over last year.