TECHNICAL REPORT

NONWOVENS VETERAN MICHAEL THOMASON PASSES AWAY

Michael Thomason, a long-time executive in the nonwovens industry, passed away Saturday, June 7. He was 53 years old.

Thomason, who was very active in committees for INDA as well as with the Nonwovens Cooperative Research Center at North Carolina State University, spent most of his career with Fiberweb, plc (formerly BBA Nonwovens and James River Corporation). At Fiberweb he was responsible for Intellectual Property rights, headed up the company's Product Safety and Regulatory Affairs unit and was an analytical services leader.

Earlier in his career with Fiberweb, Thomason led the development and installation of North American pilot facilities and laboratories and developed the company's OSHA Chemical Hygiene Program.

Prior to his years at Fiberweb, Thomason was Senior Chemist and Program Manager for Organic Analysis at the Southern Research Institute in Birmingham, Ala.

He held a B.S. in Chemistry with Honors from Clemson University in Clemson, S.C., as well as a Doctorate in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Alabama, in Tuscaloosa.  Thomason holds three patents and one patent pending and was published in numerous peer-reviewed technical journals.

He is survived by his wife, Elvera, two children (Michael Savage and Sara Thomason) and grandson (Jackson).