CKC Collins & Aikman Corp

Collins & Aikman Appoints New Independent Directors TROY, Mich., Sept. 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Collins & Aikman Corporation (NYSE:CKC) announced today that Anthony Hardwick and Richard C. Jelinek have been appointed to the company's Board of Directors. As a result, Collins & Aikman's 11-member Board of Directors is now composed of a majority of independent directors. Mr. Hardwick is currently Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Easley Custom Plastics, Inc., a supplier of injection molded plastic parts to the industrial, building and construction, transportation, and power tool markets. He was previously employed by Collins & Aikman from 1979 to 1996, where he served as Vice President, Administration and Control of the company's Automotive Group and then Vice President and Controller of the company. Mr. Hardwick was also appointed to the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors. Mr. Jelinek is the former Chairman of Lifemark Corporation, a position in which he served from 1994 until it merged with United Health Group in 2001. He was also appointed to the Compensation Committee (as Chairman) and Nominating and Governance Committee of the Board of Directors. Mr. Hardwick and Mr. Jelinek, both of whom the Board has determined are "independent," are replacing Samuel Valenti III and Cynthia L. Hess, who have resigned as directors of the company to accommodate the restructuring of the company's board to meet the new independence requirements. Mr. Valenti and Ms. Hess had been appointed to the board by Heartland Industrial Partners, L.P. in conjunction with Heartland's acquisition of 59% of the company's common stock in February 2001 and were not "independent" board members due to their affiliation with Heartland. Mr. Valenti is a Senior Managing Director of Heartland, and Ms. Hess was formerly a Senior Managing Director of Heartland. The Board has also determined that Mr. Hardwick is an "audit committee financial expert" under applicable Securities and Exchange Commission regulations. "We are pleased that Tony and Richard are joining our Board and expect that both of them will make valuable contributions to the company's future success," commented David A. Stockman, Chairman and CEO of Collins & Aikman. "At the same time, we would like to thank Sam and Cindy for their efforts on behalf of the company over the last three years. Their experience and guidance has been extremely valuable." Collins & Aikman Corporation is a leading global supplier of automotive interior components and systems, including instrument panels, cockpit modules, flooring and acoustic systems, automotive fabric, and interior trim, as well as exterior trim and convertible roof systems. The Company's current operations include 15 countries, more than 100 facilities and nearly 24,000 employees. Information about Collins & Aikman is available on the internet at http://www.collinsaikman.com/ . DATASOURCE: Collins & Aikman Corporation CONTACT: J. Michael Stepp, Vice Chairman & CFO, +1-248-824-1520, , or Robert Krause, Vice President and Treasurer, Head of Investor Relations, +1-248-733-4355, , both of Collins & Aikman Corporation Web site: http://www.collinsaikman.com/

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