News Release
CONTACT: Stefanie Zeldin (703) 255-1678
szeldin@martexfiber.com

ECO2cotton™ by Jimtex Yarns
Gains Popularity as a Leader for Recycled Cotton Sock Products

October 2008, Lincolnton, GA
Jimtex Yarns has gained increased attention and enthusiasm within the hosiery market as a leader for environmentally-friendly options through its brand, ECO2cotton™ (www.eco2cotton.com), and direct sales under the Jimtex Yarns name. The offerings include a wide line of cotton-rich yarns, which are typically a blend of regenerated cotton and acrylic or new innovations using polyester and recycled polyester made from post-consumer soda bottles. The U.S. manufactured yarns are spun in 4/1-18/1 cotton counts and are appropriate for many sock applications, as well as other apparel items. Finished products can be found at all levels of retail, including mass market, department stores and high-end specialty retail shops.

While the eco-nature of these yarns is a selling feature, the yarns are sold primarily for their economics and wide range of beautiful heathers. Jimtex Yarns offers in-house plying for coarser weight sock constructions. The yarns are well suited for casual socks - even leggings and tights, products can be coordinated with other knit or woven items made from the same yarns.

Ecological and Economical
Most manufacturers, as well as retailers, are very interested to see all that is possible using recycled materials and recognize intuitively that the use of recycled textiles can be better for the environment than growing, irrigating and dyeing new cotton - or even organic cotton options. Through proprietary blending during the spinning process, unique colorations and heathers become a feature of the yarn at a price point oftentimes lower than traditional yarn dyed cottons.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Parent company, South Carolina-based Martex Fiber Southern Corp., (www.martexfiber.com) is a leading textile waste recycler, providing manufacturers opportunities to find the highest and best use for their process waste. Often, sock companies will sell off textile waste, but it will be sold to a broker who uses the high value items and sends the balance of material to a landfill. Martex Fiber is committed to finding a use for every textile by-product and continues to find new applications for textile waste. Martex Fiber assists major apparel and textile manufacturers looking at “greening” their own operations to explore the options, both in the U.S. and Central America, where much of the cut and sew textile waste has moved, and Martex has partner operations. “The ideal scenario is for a company to rely on Martex Fiber to collect their textile waste, reprocess it, and either re-use it through Jimtex Yarns, or one of the other reprocessed fibers that Martex produces,” confirms Harry Matusow, President of Jimtex Yarns.

For more information on our environmental efforts, please visit the following websites at www.martexfiber.com, www.jimtexyarns.com or www.eco2cotton.com. For more editorial content, please contact our Corporate Marketing Department at (703) 255-1678.

PrimaLoft Expands Its Eco Offerings with New Yarn

Albany, NY; June 16, 2008 - Pursuing its commitment to a healthier environment, PrimaLoft® is expanding its line of eco-friendly products with a new yarn, PrimaLoft® Eco Yarn.  The new development will be introduced at the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market show, August 8-11, 2008, in Salt Lake City, UT (booth # 39043).

PrimaLoft Eco Yarn is a blend of 50% virgin PrimaLoft fibers with 50% recycled fibers made from post-consumer products (plastic bottles) and post-industrial plastic waste.  This unique blend creates a high performance yarn with superior softness and excellent wicking properties.

"While yarn products made of traditional recycled fibers are usually coarse to the touch, adding PrimaLoft fibers to the recycled fibers significantly improves the feel of the yarn," says Ronald L. Comer, Director of International Sales, PrimaLoft Yarn Division.  "The incredible soft hand of our Eco Yarn is ideal for many knit product applications such as sweaters, socks and accessories."

PrimaLoft® - Insulation Technology(tm), is manufactured by and a registered trademark of Albany International Corp. and is featured worldwide in leading brands of outerwear, sleeping bags, gloves, footwear, socks, and luxury bedding.  PrimaLoft's manufacturing facilities are located in the US, Europe and China.  For additional information, contact the Sales and Marketing Group at 800-833-3836 x2238 or visit www.primaloft.com.

Download the whole Brochure - April 25, 2008