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Collins & Aikman Plastics Acquires Automotive Plastics Company Kigass Automotive

2 February 1998

Collins & Aikman Plastics Acquires Automotive Plastics Company Kigass Automotive

          Strategic Move Will Increase Company's European Presence

    CHARLOTTE, N.C., Feb. 2 -- Collins & Aikman Plastics, a
subsidiary of Collins & Aikman Corporation , announced today that
it has acquired Kigass Automotive Group, a privately-held, automotive interior
plastic trim products manufacturer headquartered in Leamington Spa, England.
    "Europe offers us a tremendous opportunity to market our plastics
expertise," said D. Michael Weston, President of Collins & Aikman Plastics.
"One of our primary objectives is to leverage our technologies with Kigass
Automotive's engineering and manufacturing capabilities to grow our combined
interior trim business globally.  Collins & Aikman Plastics is the leading
manufacturer of air registers for climate control and interior trim, and
combined with Kigass Automotive can offer its European customers a full range
of engineered interior trim products for their vehicles, including door
panels, consoles, instrument panels, and climate control products."
    Kigass Automotive has manufacturing operations in England at Warwick,
Redditch, Sunderland, and Leamington Spa and has a separate Design and
Engineering facility also located in Leamington Spa.  Kigass supplies a large
number of European OEM's including Ford, Honda, Rover, Jaguar, Nissan and
Opel.
    "This niche acquisition of Kigass Automotive is a significant move for us
as we expand our international presence and automotive interiors product
line," said Thomas E. Hannah, Chief Executive Officer of Collins & Aikman.
"With more auto manufacturers requiring complete automotive interior systems
and engineering support on a global basis, this purchase helps us reach the
European market for interior plastic systems."
    Collins & Aikman Corporation is a global supplier of automotive interior
systems, including textile and plastic trim, acoustics and convertible top
systems.  Headquartered in Charlotte, NC, the Company's recent acquisitions
have significantly expanded Collins & Aikman's product offering and
international presence.  The Company employs 14,000 employees and operates 58
manufacturing facilities in 9 countries.

SOURCE  Collins & Aikman Corporation