Klaussner and Sealy to back Michael Waltrip at Winston

HARRISBURG, N.C. (May 13, 1999) - The last time Klaussner Furniture Industries and Sealy, Inc., teamed up to back a car driven by Michael Waltrip, that car ended up in victory lane. The two companies, along with Waltrip, are hoping that history repeats itself on May 22 in the 15th running of The Winston at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

Klaussner Furniture, who is a major associate on the No. 7 Philips Chevrolet this season, will be featured along with Sealy as co-primary sponsors on the Mattei Motorsports entry as Waltrip goes for his second win in The Winston in four years. Waltrip stunned the field back in 1996 by claiming the "all-star" victory after transferring from The Winston Open.

Klaussner Furniture and Sealy Corporation entered into a licensing agreement in late 1996 that allows the Asheboro, N.C.-based company to market a wide variety of upholstery under the Sealy Furniture( name.

"To be a co-primary sponsor in an event as popular as The Winston is very exciting for all of us at Klaussner," said J.B. Davis, president and CEO of Klaussner. "We are extremely pleased to be sharing this primary sponsorship role with our friends and business partners at Sealy. We feel the tremendous amount of exposure for an event of this magnitude will definitely benefit both Klaussner and Sealy, and will also go a long way in promoting the Sealy Furniture name."

Klaussner Furniture Industries is among the largest furniture manufacturers in the United States and is the largest privately held furniture manufacturer in the country. Since 1979, when Hans Klaussner, a German furniture entrepreneur, purchased the Asheboro-based upholstery manufacturing operation, the company has seen growth unprecedented in the industry. The company is well known for its quality, value priced home furnishings, all produced by highly skilled employees and distributed through furniture retailers throughout the world.

Today, Klaussner has 20 manufacturing plants, as well as numerous support facilities in the U.S. and abroad. The Klaussner group of companies includes: JDI(, Realistic( Furniture Industries, Stylecraft(, aoli( Furniture and Tellus( Furniture, Revolution Motion and laussner( Furniture. Ron Jones, Sealy's chairman, president and CEO, is looking forward to stepping up his company's involvement for this one event.

"With the tremendous growth and popularity of NASCAR we are delighted to be involved in this event," said Jones. "We feel very fortunate to be partnering with Klaussner as a co-sponsor of the car Michael Waltrip will be driving. It's a great opportunity for us and we're eager to see the outcome."

Sealy is the largest manufacturer of bedding in North America, serving more than 7,000 retail outlets from 25 plants in 19 states, as well as Canada and Mexico. Sealy produces and sells a full range of mattresses under the Sealy, Sealy Posturepedic and Stearns & Foster names, as well as licensed products, including: crib mattresses by Kolcraft Enterprises; pillows, mattress pads and comforters by Pacific Coast Feather Co.; futons by Dorel Industries; and upholstered furniture by Klaussner and Ellis Home Furnishings.

It was back in 1997 that the two companies joined Waltrip in a Winston West effort at Pikes Peak International Raceway that resulted in a Waltrip win.

"It is equally gratifying to have our good friend Michael Waltrip driving the car," said Davis. "We feel that Michael's experience, along with the support he gets from the fine folks at Mattei Motorsports, will be a combination that will hopefully put him in victory lane."