Unifi Expands Polyester Texturing Capacity to Support Regional Growth

GREENSBORO, N.C., April 7, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Unifi, Inc. (NYSE: UFI) announced today that it is increasing polyester texturing capacity in the U.S. and Central America to support the growing demand for synthetic yarn in the NAFTA and CAFTA regions. This expansion, which involves adding texturing machines in Yadkinville and Madison, N.C., and El Salvador, will also support the growth in the Company's premier value-added product lines, as a result of new and expanding value-added programs with customers such as Ford, The North Face and others.

The expansion also reflects Unifi's commitment to the Americas and to servicing the growing number of customers who choose to source their products in the western hemisphere. Regional synthetic apparel production has continued to grow over the last five years, at an average of 5 to 6 percent annually.  This incremental capacity will allow Unifi to better serve the growing demand for synthetic yarn in both the NAFTA and CAFTA regions. Installation of the new machinery is expected to be complete by June 2015.

"We are very encouraged by the continued growth of synthetics in the U.S. and Central America, and the opportunities it presents for the textile industry," said Roger Berrier, president and chief operating officer of Unifi, Inc. "We work closely with our customers to understand their production needs, and we are committed to investing in this region to provide the increasing amounts of synthetic yarn and other innovative products they require."    

Augustine "Auggie" Tantillo, president and chief executive officer of the National Council of Textile Organizations said, "The Unifi investment is another example of how the NAFTA and CAFTA regions are gaining share as they continue to become more economical sourcing options. Unifi's investment in additional capacity in the U.S. and Central America demonstrates the Company's commitment to sustain the growth and economic vitality we've come to expect in the region." 

"This expansion is one of the key projects that we identified to help drive profitable growth for the Company, and is a planned part of our increased capital spending for this fiscal year," added Berrier.

About Unifi:         
Unifi, Inc. is a multi-national manufacturing company that produces and sells textured and other processed yarns designed to meet customer specifications, and premier value-added ("PVA") yarns with enhanced performance characteristics.  Unifi maintains one of the textile industry's most comprehensive polyester and nylon product offerings.  Unifi enhances demand for its products, and helps others in creating a more effective textile industry supply chain, through the development and introduction of branded yarns that provide unique performance, comfort and aesthetic advantages.  In addition to its flagship REPREVE^® products – a family of eco-friendly yarns made from recycled materials – key Unifi brands include:  SORBTEK^®, REFLEXX^®, AIO^® – all-in-one performance yarns, SATURA^®, AUGUSTA^®, A.M.Y.^®, MYNX^® UV and MICROVISTA^®.  Unifi's yarns are readily found in the products of major brands in the apparel, hosiery, automotive, home furnishings, industrial and other end-use markets.  For more information about Unifi, visit www.unifi.com; to learn more about REPREVE^®, visit www.REPREVE.com.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT ON FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Certain statements included herein contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities laws about the financial condition and results of operations of Unifi, Inc. (the "Company") that are based on management's beliefs, assumptions and expectations about our future economic performance, considering the information currently available to management. The words "believe," "may," "could," "will," "should," "would," "anticipate," "estimate," "project," "expect," "intend," "seek," "strive," and words of similar import, or the negative of such words, identify or signal the presence of forward-looking statements. These statements are not statements of historical fact; they involve risk and uncertainties that may cause our actual results, performance or financial condition to differ materially from the expectations of future results, performance or financial condition that we express or imply in any forward-looking statement.

Factors that could contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to: the competitive nature of the textile industry and the impact of worldwide competition; changes in the trade regulatory environment and governmental policies and legislation; the availability, sourcing and pricing of raw materials; general domestic and international economic and industry conditions in markets where the Company competes, such as recession and other economic and political factors over which the Company has no control; changes in consumer spending, customer preferences, fashion trends and end-uses; the financial condition of the Company's customers; the loss of a significant customer; the success of the Company's strategic business initiatives; the continuity of the Company's leadership; volatility of financial and credit markets; the ability to service indebtedness and fund capital expenditures and strategic initiatives; availability of and access to credit on reasonable terms; changes in currency exchange, interest and inflation rates; the ability to reduce production costs; the ability to protect intellectual property; employee relations; the impact of environmental, health and safety regulations; the operating performance of joint ventures and other equity investments; and the accurate financial reporting of information from equity method investees.

All such factors are difficult to predict, contain uncertainties that may materially affect actual results and may be beyond our control. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for management to predict all such factors or to assess the impact of each such factor on the Company. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which such statement is made, and we do not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which such statement is made, except as may be required by federal securities law. The above and other risks and uncertainties are described in the Company's most recent annual report on Form 10-K, and additional risks or uncertainties may be described from time to time in other reports filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

SOURCE Unifi, Inc.

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