P.O. Box 507! Mount Holly, NC 28210!Phone (704) 827-4311 / (800) 847-3235!Fax (704) 822-6069 / (800) 847-3236

NEWS RELEASE For Immediate Release FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, PLEASE CALL:

Marci Brier, American & Efird, Inc. 800/847-3235 or marci.brier@amefird.com

http://www.amefird.com

American & Efird’s Signature® Cotton Threads Continue To Keep You in Stitches

Mount Holly, N.C. (September, 2003)—For those quilting purists and for those who

just love the look and feel of cotton fabrics and threads, Signature® has expanded their popular

100% Cotton thread line to include a heavy weight cotton thread in Size 20. The product will be

first introduced in the A&E booth #117/216 at the upcoming Fall International Quilt Market in

Houston, TX, October 25-27, 2003.

About Size 20 Cotton: There are purists in every sphere of human endeavor that insist

things be done the “right way”. In the quilting sphere, they represent a passionate group

dedicated to the time-honored tradition of quilting and believe the “right way” involves the

primary use of cotton fabrics and threads. Signature’s new Size 20 cotton offers an exciting new

palette of colors and equally exciting new set of creative options for decorative stitch work.

Made of 100% long staple Egyptian cotton, this heavier cotton has the same wonderful

characteristics as the original Signature 100% Cotton thread – extremely strong and durable for

multi-directional sewing and yields a very low amount of lint. You can select from 8 solid colors

and 10 variegated combinations, with the variegated colors dyed in predictable one-inch

segments. All colors are available on 200-yard spools and 1,500-yard cones. A size 100/16

needle is suggested.

P.O. Box 507! Mount Holly, NC 28210!Phone (704) 827-4311 / (800) 847-3235!Fax (704) 822-6069 / (800) 847-3236

About the Signature Brand: The Company introduced 100% Cotton Machine Quilting

cone thread in the Fall of 1999. Now Signature Machine Quilting represents a full range of

products for both long arm machines and home quilters and is widely recognized as the cotton

thread that keeps you in stitches. The 100% mercerized cotton thread is made of long staple

fibers and a three-ply construction that has been mercerized to provide strength and low lint

properties required for machine quilting, which also allows it to perform beautifully on home

sewing machines. Signature 100% Cotton makes the perfect choice for those who prefer cotton

throughout their work.

Additional Signature Machine Quilting products include Cotton Wrapped Polyester

Thread, 100% Cotton Variegated Thread, and Transparent Thread. Signature also features 100%

Cotton Performance Bobbins – pre-wound paper-sided bobbins that offer convenience,

consistent yardage, and tension every time, thereby improving the quilter’s productivity.

With the increase in personal expression, mixing of techniques, and growth in decorative

sewing, Signature has expanded beyond these heart and soul machine-quilting products into

decorative specialty threads. The specialty threads include SN Metallic, LaserbriteTM,

Decorative Spun Polyester, and PixellesTM threads.

• SN Metallic is the highest quality construction of metallic thread available today and masters

the most challenging and creative embellishment techniques used by both commercial and

home sewers.

• Laserbrite captures the intensity and brilliance of the laser spectrum and will put electricity

in any creative endeavor. Constructed of multi-polyester, each strand shimmers like vividly

colored light beams and adds new level of pizzazz to machine quilting, embroidery, and

decorative applications.

• Decorative Spun Polyester brings new dimensions to patchwork and decorative quilting

with its timeless selection of color combinations. The fiber is soft to the touch, strong and

durable for multi-dimensional sewing, but not bulky.

• Pixelles contains tiny bits of color that join together to make up an image – what a wonderful

definition for decorative machine stitches! No other medium quite conveys the imagery and

magic of embellished designs. Slightly thicker than an all-purpose weight, Pixelles is a Size

30 trilobal polyester fiber and is dyed in on-inch bits. The colors are vibrant and dreamy,

bringing new opportunities in dimension, color, and texture to any project.

P.O. Box 507! Mount Holly, NC 28210!Phone (704) 827-4311 / (800) 847-3235!Fax (704) 822-6069 / (800) 847-3236

Today, Signature expands the decorative quilting and specialty thread program further

with Size 20 Cotton thread introduced in this release.

About American & Efird, Inc. As a wholly owned subsidiary of Ruddick Corporation

(NYSE:RDK), American & Efird, Inc. is a leading manufacturer and distributor of high-

performance sewing thread for worldwide industrial and consumer markets. A&E’s Industrial

Division provides sewing thread for use by producers of apparel, automotive materials, home

furnishings, medical supplies and footwear. A&E’s Consumer Products Division furnishes the

home sewer, quilter and crafter with quality threads and notions for individual projects. For

additional information, visit the Web site at www.amefird.com.

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