CSR Press Release

LOS ANGELES CA,December 1, 2006 (LA Auto Show)- Made from soda bottle resin, the 100 percent post-industrial recycled polyester fabric featured in the 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid is the result of a collaboration between teams at Ford and InterfaceFABRIC to create a more sustainable solution to fabric seating that meets both the auto maker's and the customer's expectations for beauty, durability and performance. The new upholstery, unveiled today at the L.A. Auto Show, features an innovation in backcoating technology that minimizes the use of traditional chemicals in favor of a new, phosphorous based flame retardant created by InterfaceFABRIC for Ford.

"Like Ford, InterfaceFABRIC is invested in a long-term, far-reaching journey to sustainability that is not about one product or one process but about the whole system of manufacturing and the entire life cycle of each product," said Mark LaCroix, vice president of global sustainability for InterfaceFABRIC. "Partnering with a like-minded company opens new doors to research and innovation that will improve our ability to make more sustainable products. This recycled fabric, with its more benign backcoating chemistry, is an example of that."

The bolster and seating fabrics - named "Eco" and "Nature" - are a dobby weave that is piece-dyed in six colorways exclusive to Ford. The fabric is constructed from a polyester created from off-quality soda bottle resin.

Also unique to this fabric construction is a more environmentally friendly backcoating that eliminates more commonly used "reportable" flame retardants (decabrome and antimony trioxide) in favor of phosphorous based retardants, which is typical of InterfaceFABRIC's preference for materials that go beyond compliance and reporting. InterfaceFABRIC employs a rigorous screening via the company's proprietary Dye and Chemical Protocol - a systematic method of evaluating all the ingredients in all the materials used to manufacture fabrics to ensure they meet the highest possible environmental standard.

InterfaceFABRIC is a division of Interface, Inc., a leader in industrial ecology whose pursuit of Mission Zero - eliminating negative environmental impact by 2020 - means that product and process come from an increasingly sustainable manufacturing environment. InterfaceFABRIC also supplies the contract interiors market with textile solutions including Terratex™ environmental fabrics; ReSKU™, a pioneering reclamation program, and Infinity, performance textiles with a ten-year wear and colorfast warranty.

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