CARY, NC — May 20, 2009 — Five finalists have been selected to compete for the second annual WOW Innovation Awards competition being held as part of the 2009 World of Wipes (WOW) Conference, June 22-24 in Atlanta, Georgia.

The third annual WOW Conference, organized by INDA, Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, is devoted solely to wipes, with a concentration on substrates, active ingredients, packaging, market metrics, industry challenges and market opportunities, particularly in Asia and Europe. Now in their second year, the WOW Awards recognize and reward the industry members who bring new and value-added processes and products to the wipes market.

The five finalists, chosen from products nominated by the industry earlier this year, are:

• Clorox Green Works Natural Biodegradable Cleaning Wipes. The newest addition to the Clorox eco-friendly cleaning collection is comprised of 100% cellulose fibers and derived from renewable farm-grown trees. The wipes are 99% natural and feature the grassroots environmental organization Sierra Club logo on the package.
• Evolon Exfolia Beauty Cloths, developed by Freudenberg and Beauty Cloth International and presented by Kleen Test Products. A better complexion in two minutes is promised in this new, gentle method for exfoliation. Exfolia wipes consist of patented Freudenberg Nonwovens’ Evolon fabric and are sold in a number of retail channels. The fibers in the patented Evolon fabric remove dead cells and impurities without acids, chemicals, crystals or machines.
• PGI Spinlace Nonwoven Fabric. Polymer Group, Inc.’s Spinlace process provides added strength, absorbency, texturing and other performance characteristics that enhance cleaning in the wipes. These thicker, textured wipes with an imaged design made with PGI’s proprietary Apex imaging technology deliver better cleaning based on comparison testing. 
• Prime Label & Screen Rigid Lens II Resealable Flat Pack. This patent-pending Flat Pack features a thick, resealable closure that allows high stack count of wipes. It uses less material and is not as bulky as molded fitments. The effective new hinge design stays open, is more rigid than Peel ‘n Reseal and is more efficiently applied to flow wrap.
• S.C. Johnson Windex Outdoor All-in-One Cleaner. Windex's Special Sheeting Action Formula wipes prevent streaks and spotting and allows the user to clean 20 windows with a single pad. Users can reach up to 11 feet, so they can safely clean outside windows without using a ladder.

For the first time, the WOW Innovation Award is being sponsored by Nonwovens Markets (www.risiinfo.com), the twice-monthly newsletter that covers developments in the nonwovens industry around the world. It analyzes complex industry issues, and offers insight into company strategies, market growth and technology trends.

“Each year the WOW Innovation Award recognize the 'best of the best' of new products and technologies in the wipes business and the recipient will be chosen by the people who know these products best — attendees at WOW,” says INDA President Rory Holmes. “These are certainly five deserving products from different aspects of the wipes business and they represent some of the finest work being done in our industry in 2009.”

The five finalists will give 10-15 minute presentations during WOW and attendees will then vote on the recipient of the 2009 WOW Innovation Award. The Award will be presented during a session on the final morning of the Conference.

For more information on the third annual World of Wipes (WOW) Conference, June 22-24, 2009 at Grand Hyatt Atlanta Buckhead:
http://www.inda.org/events/wow09/index.html.