Nano-Tex Expands North American Team with Seasoned Retail, Textile Professionals

Business Wire, Nov 8, 2004

EMERYVILLE, Calif. -- Nano-Tex, LLC, the leader in textile enhancements that deliver superior comfort, feel and performance in everyday fabrics, today announced the addition of two retail and textile veterans to its North American business development team. Their addition will enable Nano-Tex to expand the adoption of its nanotechnology-based textile enhancements among apparel and interior furnishings brands and retailers.

Eileen Abajian joined Nano-Tex as a vice president of business development and will be focusing on West Coast accounts. Previously at DuPont-Invista, Abajian led business development efforts to drive penetration of DuPont's performance fibers and finishes among major American apparel brands and retailers, including Levi-Dockers, Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy, The North Face, Bebe and Eddie Bauer.

Prior to joining DuPont, Abajian held numerous merchandising, product development and sales management positions at Broadway Stores, Inc., Montgomery Ward and Emporium. Abajian is based in San Ramon, Calif.

Rita Ratskoff also joined Nano-Tex as a vice president of business development and will be covering Midwest accounts. Ratskoff brings more than 25 years of experience in the fiber, textile and apparel businesses. Most recently as retail manager for DuPont-Invista she was responsible for establishing new relationships and business opportunities with leading retailers such as Target, Wal*Mart, Sears, Kohls and Lands' End.

Ratskoff also has held management positions at Macy's and Marshall Fields. She is based in Buffalo Grove, Ill.

"Rita and Eileen are valuable additions to our North American business development team at Nano-Tex," said Renee Hultin, president of the Americas at Nano-Tex. "Their expertise and extensive relationships with leading brands will help expand the adoption of our textile enhancements among existing customers and penetration into new product and retail categories."

Nano-Tex has a family of textile enhancements that become inherent to the fabric to improve the performance and durability of everyday apparel and interior furnishings. Current treatments include Resists Spills, a spill and stain resistant fabric enhancement; Coolest Comfort, a quick-drying fabric enhancement; and Cotton Touch, a naturally soft synthetics fabric enhancement. Nano-Tex(TM) treatments work at the molecular level with extreme precision, attaching molecules to fibers to provide optimal performance without compromising the look, feel or comfort of the garment.

About Nano-Tex

Nano-Tex, LLC is headquartered in Emeryville, Calif., with operations in Greensboro, NC; Milan; Istanbul; New Delhi; Hong Kong; and Osaka and Seoul. Nano-Tex develops and markets a family of nanotechnology-based textile treatments that dramatically improve the performance of everyday fabrics. To date, more than 50 textile mills worldwide are utilizing Nano-Tex treatments in products sold by more than 40 leading apparel and interior furnishings brands, including Gap, Old Navy, Lee, Nike, Champion, Levi, Marks & Spencer and Simmons. Products with Nano-Tex enhancements are sold throughout North America, India, Japan and Europe. www.nano-tex.com.