America Fibers and Yarns Company to Speak on Flammability Testing Panel at AATCC 2002 International Conference & Exhibition

Press Contact:
John Avant 919-676-4115 (john.avant@avant.com)

CHARLOTTE, N.C., October 04, 2002 - American Fibers and Yarns Company, the premier supplier of synthetic filament yarn to the home furnishings, contract, hospitality, apparel, automotive and industrial markets will discuss flammability standards at the AATCC 2002 International Conference and Exhibition in Charlotte, N.C.. Nicolette Rainey, Market Development Manager for AF&Y, will appear alongside other industry experts on a panel entitled, "Flammability Testing," to take place Friday, October 4, 2002 from 9am-12pm EST at the Charlotte Convention Center.

Rainey's discussion will focus directly on new draft standards specifically for residential upholstered furniture. The regulatory agencies hope to design standards that better reflect the flame resistance for an entire piece of furniture, with the end result to widen the margin of safety for a resident and allow more time to escape a house fire.

"American Fibers and Yarns Co. is pleased to participate in this years AATCC 2002 International Conference and Exhibition on its Flammability Testing panel," states Rainey. "We understand the need to stay involved in any activity that could impact our business and proactively work to make sure any new standards are workable and effective."

The 2002 AATCC International Conference & Exhibition, entitled, "Concept to Consumer," reflects a newly established initiative to provide a forum enabling discussion on issues surrounding the creation of textile products, from initial concept to the final consumer. This year's conference will gather members of the textile industry to address challenges facing companies today, as well as other pertinent issues.

Rainey will join Weidong Wu, University of Georgia, Kurt Reimann, BASF Corporation, Weiyiy Tao, Consumer Product Safety Commission, and moderator Ronald Dombrowski, Tech Tex Solutions for their panel discussion. For more information, please visit www.aatcc.org.

About American Fibers and Yarns Company
American Fibers and Yarns Company (AF&Y) is the world's leading supplier of solution dyed filament yarns. With thousands of yarns in its product portfolio and the ability to engineer yarns to customer specifications, AF&Y is a dominant supplier to the residential and contract furnishings marketplace, and has a growing presence in the hospitality, apparel, automotive and industrial markets. Headquartered in Chapel Hill, NC, AF&Y maintains a Technology Center that specializes in engineering filament yarn with innovative combinations not available from other suppliers. The company also operates three U.S. production facilities totaling a million square feet of manufacturing space. For more information on AF&Y and its products, please visit www.afyarns.com or call 800-925-0668.