ULTRASUEDE® SALES CONTEST IS A
"ONCE IN A LIFETIME" SUCCESS

Twelve of Ultrasuede's bestselling retail customers plus their guests set off on a weeklong trip to Italy this past September. Winners of the "Once in a Lifetime" contest, promoted by Toray Ultrasuede America (TUA) and furniture manufacturer American Leather, toured an Ultrasuede® factory in the hills of Umbria, saw the sights of Rome and medieval Todi, and also enjoyed two days' "downtime" anywhere in Italy they wanted to visit.

The contest, part of the "Make Ultrasuede® Lead Your Sales" campaign, supported TUA's ongoing commitment to working synergistically with the most advanced partners in the supply chain--those retail stores whose front-line salespeople know and understand Ultrasuede® and appreciate the importance of differentiating themselves by working with the authentic trademarked product.

In addition to the trip, the 'ultra-grand prize' winner, Richard Weyerhausen of the furniture retail store Jensen-Lewis in New York, was awarded a $7,500 Tiffany & Co. gift certificate. Still, according to Mr. Weyerhausen, the trip was the highlight.

Grand prize winner Richard Weyerhausen (left) with Ultrasuede® CEO Andrea Boragno at Restaurant Trastevere in Roma

"The trip was fantastic and couldn't have been with a better group of people," Mr. Weyerhausen commented. "Everyone was so enthusiastic and had a blast. We were absolutely spoiled."

Asked if touring the manufacturing facility would help him sell Ultrasuede® to more customers, he responded: "Now that I've seen the [manufacturing] process, I realize even more why the product is so superior. I'll be able to pass on that knowledge to the customer, who is the ultimate winner when purchasing Ultrasuede®. Winning a contest with a product like Ultrasuede® behind it wasn't so difficult. Ultrasuede® sells itself because of its durability and cleanability. And then of course the customer hears of the 10-year warranty and it's a sale. With Ultrasuede®, I can sell with confidence."

The latest Ultrasuede® sales contest is already up and running. This time, retail salespeople are winning prizes as they send in 10-year warranty hangtags (as proof of purchase). Prizes range from diaries covered in Ultrasuede® to American Express $100 or $500 Gift Cheques. Participants also get a chance to win a grand prize of up to $3,000 at the end of the year. According to Andrea Boragno, President and CEO of TUA, "These contests create additional incentive for the people out there on the sales front who do a great job at selling our product to consumers. Plus, it gives consumers even greater access to our unprecedented 10-year warranty."

The entire group at Todi scenic overlook

Nightlife in the Capital

From left: Two of the contest's winners, Renee Rogers of Circle Furniture and 'Count' Porgir of Cantoni; Alcantara General Manager Rocco Sauro; Ms. Rogers' sister Rebecca