Textile manufacturers have joined a broad-based coalition of labor industry and agriculture
interests who have launched a campaign against the strong dollar, which, they say, is raising havoc
in international trade. The Sound Dollar Caucus includes more than 40 trade associations
representing: textiles and textile machinery, steel, automobiles, paper and other forest products,
cotton, the AFL-CIO, and a wide range of other manufacturing industries.The U.S. dollar, which is
at a 16-year high, has the practical effect of making imports cheaper and raising the price tags on
American-made products abroad.The American Textile Manufacturers Institute (ATMI), one of the
founders of the Sound Dollar Caucus, blames devalued Asian currencies and U.S. strong dollar
policies for many of its current economic woes. ATMI says that in the late 90s, the currencies of
almost all the major textile-exporting countries were devalued, causing a “shock wave of
artificially low-priced textile and apparel products to hit the United States.”While the strong
dollar obviously is causing problems, Secretary of the Treasury Paul H. ONeil has stoutly defended
the administrations currency policies. He says that well-managed companies can deal with the
strength of the dollar, and there is an underlying fear that a weaker dollar would rekindle
inflation.With the administrations heels dug in, the dollar caucus has turned to Capitol Hill for
help. Members of Congress have formed their own Sound Dollar Caucus, and while they are concerned
about the problem, no one seems to have a simple or specific solution. One avenue appears to be
something known as the “Plaza Accord,” which President Ronald Reagans Treasury Secretary James
Baker negotiated in the mid-1980s when the currency imbalance was about the same as it is today.
Baker met with the financial ministers of a number of major trading nations, and they agreed to
take steps to bring their currencies into a better alignment with the dollar. While that effort was
successful, it is uncertain if or when the Bush administration would be willing to undertake such a
venture.

HunterLab Celebrates 50th AnniversaryThe year 2002 marks Reston, Va.-based HunterLabs 50th year in
business. The company was established in 1952 by Richard S. Hunter as Hunter Associates Laboratory
Inc., a development, testing and consulting firm specializing in solutions related to the color,
appearance and related optical properties of materials.Today, the employee-owned ISO-9001-certified
company develops and manufactures spectrophotometers and colorimeters, and provides solutions and
support for color identification, measurement and control for a range of industries including
textiles, food, plastics, chemicals, paints and coatings, and others.
April 2002

Industry Leaders and Top Academic Industrial Designers From Across the Northeast to Gather at Philadelphia University PHILADELPHIA, March 22 /PRNewswire/ — Industrial design professionals, professors, and students from across the Northeast will pour into the City of Brotherly Love on Friday, April 12 to attend the 2002 Northeast Regional District Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) Conference. Hosted by Philadelphia University, the conference will open on Friday and run through the evening of Saturday, April 13.”Every year the IDSA Conference is a huge success — a comprehensive smorgasbord of industrial design,” says Gotz Unger, director of the Industrial Design Program at Philadelphia University and 2002 IDSA Conference co-chair. “With the latest advances and techniques being presented and explored, projects and products on display, and top industry professionals offering their views and experiences through numerous lectures, we expect this year’s conference to be spectacular.”One of the conference’s highlights this year is a presentation, “New York, New Visions”, by Barbara Wilks and Tucker Viemeister. Appointed by Mayor Giuliani of NYC to help define the role of design during the rebuilding process in the aftermath of September 11, Wilkes and Tucker will share their stories of “Design Zero.”In addition to Wilks and Viemeister, Constantin Boym, Boym Partners, Inc.; Patricia Moore, MOORE Design Associates; Anthony Pannozzo, Herbst Lazar Bell; and Stephen Wilcox, Human Factors Section; are among the many scheduled to speak.Philadelphia University, founded in 1884, is a fully accredited, private university with 3,500 part- and full-time students from 47 states and 56 countries. The University offers more than 40 undergraduate and graduate degree programs leading to the bachelor of science, bachelor of architecture and master’s degrees. Academic programs encompass architecture, design, business, textiles, fashion, science and health.For more information, or to register for the 2002 IDSA Conference, please go to the Conference website at http://idisk.mac.com/idsaned/Public/idindex.htmCopyright 2002 PR Newswire

March 20, 2002 – DALTON, GA. The Board of Directors for the Dalton Floor Covering Market Association (DFCMA), recognizes the need for the association to stay in tune with the changes in the floorcovering industry.  As part of the Associations scope and future expansion, a new name has been adopted, by which it will be known going forward: The American Floorcovering Alliance Inc. (AFA)Bob Kokoszka, DFCMA President, stated “We believe that the new name signifies progress and will reflect the changes in our purpose and direction.” The American Floorcovering Alliance, Inc. (AFA) is a not-for-profit, national trade association serving the floorcovering industry. For more information contact the AFA at (800) 288-4101 or (706) 278-4101.