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SUCCESS OF SMARTSTRAND^® WITH DUPONT™ SORONA^® RENEWABLY SOURCED POLYMER CONTRIBUTES TO 35% EXPANSION OF BIO-PDO™ FACILITY

Facility Expansion To Increase Production Of Sorona Bio-PDO by 35% Will Support Growth in Carpet.

DALTON (May 17, 2010)—On the one-year anniversary of the Federal Trade Commission’s ruling to approve Triexta as a new class of fiber, DuPont Tate & Lyle announced an expansion to their Bio-PDO facility in Loudon, TN. The investments made by both DuPont and Mohawk to market the first truly new carpet fiber in half a century are paying off for the two Fortune 500 companies—and for consumers and flooring retailers alike.  

DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products LLC recently announced it will boost by 35% its capacity for making Bio-PDO™, a key ingredient in Mohawk SmartStrand^® carpet with DuPont™ Sorona^® renewably sourced polymer.  The expansion starts in June and is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2011, and further reinforces the company’s position as the world’s largest producer of Bio-PDO.

This expansion supports the continued growth of SmartStrand with DuPont Sorona carpet and is validation of Mohawk and DuPont’s decision to make major investments in next generation fibers and leading environmental innovation.

SmartStrand carpet with DuPont Sorona polymer is one of the most successful new product introductions in the 130-year history of Mohawk.  The 35% facility expansion is positive for flooring retailers as consumers continue to drive demand for SmartStrand carpets. Retailers and consumers alike have embraced the superior performance characteristics of this product.   

 “SmartStrand with DuPont Sorona is steadily gaining consumer acceptance and expanding retailer commitment,” said Tom Lape, President of Mohawk Residential.   “Consumers are coming in asking for SmartStrand by name.  Retailers are so positive about these carpets that many have rearranged their showrooms to accommodate the SmartStrand Sorona Colorwall, making it the first thing consumers see.  The DuPont Tate & Lyle plant expansion allows us to support the growing demand for SmartStrand and support our retail partners with new, future products that help drive profitability for their businesses.” 

SmartStrand with DuPont Sorona has been the subject of a series of high-profile events in the last year.  It was featured on the highly watched The Martha Stewart Show as a “Martha Find,” one of only 14 products that Martha promotes in a year.  In August of 2009, SmartStrand with DuPont Sorona carpet was placed in the Birmingham Zoo enclosure of Ricko, a 2,800 pound black rhino, where it sustained two weeks of heavy soiling, then was cleaned to look like new.  In April of this year, a SmartStrand with DuPont Sorona carpet held up to the foot traffic of more than 95,000 people in just seven days during the Family Circle Cup tennis tournament in Charleston, SC—and again emerged looking brand new.

This visibility has provided effective additional support for retail sales efforts.  “The SmartStrand brand keeps building value with consumers.  They know it, and they want it.” Lape said.  “The consumer benefits of SmartStrand with DuPont Sorona—permanent lifetime stain resistance, superior durability, incredible softness, and exceptional value—are powerful.   Our job is to help retailers take advantage of this by continuing to deliver new products that will continue to satisfy the market and take advantage of rising consumer confidence during the recovery.  DuPont’s expansion of its Sorona Bio-PDO capacity is a key accelerant for this mission.”

Lape also said that the green story of SmartStrand with DuPont Sorona also drives interest—and business.  “It’s a meaningful renewable resource. Because Bio-PDO uses corn to replace 37% of the petroleum in the polymer, and because it takes less energy and resources to produce, we give consumers another compelling buying incentive—a superior carpet fiber that reduces our dependency on oil and is good for the planet.”

To learn more about Mohawk SmartStrand carpet with DuPont Sorona renewably sourced polymer, see your Mohawk representative or visit www.mohawkflooring.com or www.mohawktoday.com.

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Mohawk is a leading supplier of flooring for both residential and commercial applications. Mohawk offers a complete selection of broadloom carpet, ceramic tile, laminate, wood, stone, vinyl, rugs and other home products. These products are marketed under the premier brands in the industry, which include Mohawk, Karastan, Ralph Lauren, Lees, Bigelow, Dal-Tile, American Olean and Quick-Step. Mohawk's unique merchandising and marketing assist our customers in creating the consumers' dream. Mohawk provides a premium level of service with its own trucking fleet and over 250 local distribution locations.

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