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Collins & Aikman Announces Personnel Appointments

4 May 2000

Collins & Aikman Announces Key North American Interior Systems Personnel Appointments COLLINS & AIKMAN CORP. STEPHEN N. JESKE Stephen N. Jeske, Collins & Aikman Corp. (PRNewsFoto) [PM] TROY, MI USA 05/04/2000     COLLINS & AIKMAN CORP. FRANK J. PRESTON Frank J. Preston, Collins & Aikman Corp. (PRNewsFoto)[PM] TROY, MI USA 05/04/2000    

    TROY, Mich., May 4 Collins & Aikman Corporation
announced today two key senior management appointments in an
effort to further strengthen its focus on innovation and leadership
capabilities and business objectives.  Chairman and CEO, Thomas E. Evans made
the announcement.
    (Photo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000504/DETH022-a
             http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000504/DETH022-b )
    Frank J. Preston has been appointed President of Collins & Aikman, North
American Automotive Interior Systems (NAAIS).  In this capacity, Preston will
have responsibility for overseeing the Company's U.S. and Canadian operations
in floor and acoustic systems, floor mats, door panels, instrument panels,
consoles, luggage compartment trim and other plastic based interior trim
systems.  Preston will report directly to Evans and will serve on the
Company's operating committee.  Collins & Aikman's NAAIS group currently has
23 manufacturing facilities located throughout the United States, Canada and
Mexico, with fiscal 1999 division revenues of approximately $1.2 billion.
    Preston joins Collins & Aikman most recently from Intelligents Consulting,
an automotive consulting practice he successfully established in 1998.
Previously, Preston was with Lear Corporation, where he served in a number of
senior executive positions, the most recent being Senior Vice President,
Strategic Planning and South American Operations as well as Group Vice
President for Lear's $3 billion Interior Systems Division.
    In addition, Stephen N. Jeske has been appointed Senior Vice President of
Sales and Marketing, North American Interior Systems, reporting directly to
Preston.  Previously, Jeske had been Vice President of Sales and Marketing for
Collins & Aikman's Fabric division.  Jeske joined Collins & Aikman in 1979 and
holds a bachelor's degree in business from Wake Forest University.
    "We're extremely pleased that Frank has joined the Collins & Aikman Team,"
said Evans.  "His extensive automotive and operating experience makes him a
perfect fit to lead our North American Interior Systems division.  Not only
will he be a core strategic advisor to the entire executive management team,
but with his extensive experience in running operations is very similar to
ours.  We believe he'll immediately be an invaluable asset to Collins &
Aikman."
    "Additionally, Steve's strong background in automotive fabrics, the most
highly stylized interior surface in a vehicle, makes him extremely well
qualified to market Collins & Aikman's integrated surface styling and
acoustics capabilities to our customers," commented Evans.
    Collins & Aikman Corporation is a global manufacturers of floor and
acoustic systems and a leading supplier of automotive fabric, interior trim,
and convertible top systems.  The company's operations span the globe with 63
facilities and nearly 16,000 employees in 12 countries who are committed to
achieving total excellence.  Collins & Aikman's high quality products combine
industry leading design and styling capabilities, superior manufacturing
capabilities and the industry's most effective NVH "quiet" technologies.
For more information about Collins & Aikman, visit the company's website at
http://www.collinsaikman.com