January 5, 2001

For the first time, U.S. cotton home furnishings will be showcased under the COTTON USA banner at the world-class Heimtextil trade show in Frankfurt, Germany. Nine leading U.S. textile manufacturers will feature a wide range of products, from bath rugs to place mats, in the COTTON USA Pavilion sponsored by Cotton Council International (CCI) and Cotton Incorporated, Jan. 10-13.

CCI, the export promotion arm of the National Cotton Council, has conducted trade advertising and public relations activities at Heimtextil, but has never staffed a booth there. The trade show also will provide retailers with trend/market information and updates on exciting home furnishing products being developed. The show will feature 3,000 exhibitors from 60 countries.

U.S. companies scheduled to participate in this initiative include: CMI/Chathum (blankets and cotton throws); Newmark/Mohawk (bath rugs); Pillowtex/Fieldcrest/Cannon (bed and bath products); Shavel Home Fashions (knitted cotton sheets and bedroom ensembles featuring Supima cotton, and including a line of organic cotton bedding products); Springs Industries (textiles and home textiles for bedrooms and bathrooms); The Rug Barn, Inc. (Jacquard throws, place mats, decorative pillows, including a line of organic cotton upholstery and other home products); Thomaston Mills (woven bed linens); Weave Corporation (Jacquard upholstery fabrics); and West Point Stevens (bedroom & bathroom products).

Mary Lynn Landgraf, director of international sales for The Rug Barn in Abbeville, SC, said her company enjoys being allied with CCI, which she termed a "prestigious international promotional organization." She said her company will have its own booth in addition to participating in the COTTON USA booth.

"The COTTON USA booth hopefully will be a catalyst to bring attendees to our company booth," Landgraf said. "I think this will be a win-win situation because cotton is a mainstay in our products, we are a high volume user and we deliver what CCI is promoting."

Virtual images from The Rug Barn and the other participating textile manufacturers will be on display, providing a tour of how innovative and exciting U.S. cotton household textile products can be. Textile manufacturer representatives also will be available to provide additional product details and immediate, personal information.

Videos also will show the newest fabric/color trends for home textiles and the latest technical developments, with presentations from experts at regular intervals each day. The U.S. pavilion will be the central meeting point for both the cotton trade and for customers who require quality cotton products.