Valdese Weavers Sets a New Standard for Recycled Content

Furniture World News

Beginning January 2007, Valdese Weavers Contract is setting a new standard which will require a minimum of 45% recycled content across their entire Contract product line. To satisfy this new standard, Valdese Weavers will utilize Repreve®, 100% recycled yarns by Unifi, Inc. (NYSE: UFI), a diversified producer and processor of multi-filament textured yarns. Valdese Weavers Contract creates over 400 patterns each year with the newest range of warp colors and patterns available. Unifi’s Repreve® yarns will be featured throughout the entire Valdese Weavers Contract product line. And because Repreve® is made from recycled materials; it conserves energy and natural resources by offsetting the need to produce virgin polyester. Based on using a minimum of 45% Repreve® in all fabrics, each linear yard of fabric produced will conserve the equivalent of one fourth-gallon of gasoline. “We are very excited that Valdese has chosen to partner with Unifi on this new initiative,” said Roger Berrier, vice president of commercial operations for Unifi. “Valdese Weavers is taking an aggressive approach to environmental sustainability by setting this standard and we are happy to support their efforts to conserve our earth’s natural resources. As a company, Unifi is dedicated to environmental sustainability and we are proud to be able to provide the industry with Repreve®, a first-quality, 100% recycled yarn.” “To successfully execute this new initiative, it was very important that Valdese Weavers find a first-quality, 100% recycled yarn. Repreve® is the newest generation of recycled products available in the market and has enabled Valdese Weavers to move forward with our efforts in standardizing and expanding recycled content throughout our products,” said Blake Millinor, Vice President of Valdese Weavers Contract. It is an exciting time for our company as we set a new standard for the use of recycled products in the industry." About Valdese Weavers: A leader in jacquard fabrics since it’s inception in 1935, Valdese Weavers prides itself on exceeding industry standards for service and quality while offering fashion-forward designs. Valdese Weavers provides textile products for contract, residential furniture manufacturers, fabric distributors, home textiles, and other specialty markets. The design team creates more than 5,000 new designs each year, and uses inspiration from all over the world in the creative process. For more information about Valdese Weavers, visit www.valdeseweavers.com. About Unifi: Unifi, Inc. (NYSE: UFI) is a diversified producer and processor of multi-filament polyester and nylon textured yarns and related raw materials. The company adds value to the supply chain and enhances consumer demand for its products through the development and introduction of branded yarns that provide unique performance, comfort and aesthetic advantages. Key Unifi brands include, but are not limited to: aio® – all-in-one performance yarns, Sorbtek®, A.M.Y.®, Mynx® UV, Reflexx®, Repreve®, MicroVista® and Satura®. Unifi’s yarns and brands are readily found in home furnishings, apparel, legwear and sewing thread, as well as industrial, automotive, military and medical applications. For more information about Unifi, visit http://www.unifi.com.