ATLANTA, Georgia, April 30, 2002 - Interface, Inc. (Nasdaq: IFSIA), a worldwide commercial interiors products and services company, today announced results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2002, which were consistent with guidance provided in its fourth quarter earnings release.

Sales in the first quarter 2002 were $234.4 million, compared with $306.5 million in the first quarter 2001. Operating income was $10.5 million in the first quarter 2002, versus $17.1 million in the first quarter 2001. Net loss for the first quarter 2002 was $0.1 million, or $0.00 per diluted share, compared with first quarter 2001 net income of $4.4 million, or $0.09 per diluted share.

Daniel T. Hendrix, President and Chief Executive Officer of Interface, commented, "In the first quarter 2002, we continued to feel the effects of the difficult conditions in the commercial interiors industry. We remain cautious due to the typical lag-time between general economic recovery and visible improvement within the commercial interiors industry. However, we are encouraged to see that our order levels have achieved stability and, in some cases, have shown improvement. In particular, there have been notable upturns recently in our fabrics and U.S. broadloom businesses, as customers are beginning to lift the economy-driven delays they previously had placed on their projects. Moreover, sales and profitability in our modular business remain healthy."

Mr. Hendrix commented further, "We are especially pleased to report that our market segmentation strategy is gaining momentum. We are balancing our position in the corporate segment with market share gains in other large, growing and less cyclical market segments, such as education, government and retail. We believe that our progress in these areas, particularly in our modular business, has strengthened our position and will allow us to capitalize on improvements in industry conditions when they occur. In addition, our progress on sustainability is helping us in the marketplace, as we are seeing a growing number of customers incorporate this goal into their decision-making process along with quality and service."

Patrick C. Lynch, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Interface, commented, "During the quarter, we made substantial reductions both sequentially and comparatively in our SG&A expenses, with decreases of $4.0 million versus the fourth quarter 2001 and $15.9 million versus the first quarter 2001. As a result of these lower SG&A expenses and other cost-cutting initiatives, we were able to improve upon our operating income versus the fourth quarter 2001, despite a 5.1% decline in sales. We also remain committed to improving our balance sheet, controlling working capital and generating free cash flow to pay down debt."

Mr. Hendrix concluded, "Although market conditions remain difficult to predict, we anticipate improvements in both revenues and earnings in the second quarter versus the first quarter 2002. We expect revenue for the second quarter to be between $235 million and $245 million, and earnings to be in line with street estimates. Overall, we believe our market segmentation strategy and lean operating structure have us well positioned for the remainder of the year."

Interface, Inc. is a recognized leader in the worldwide commercial interiors market, offering floorcoverings, fabrics, interior architectural products and specialty chemicals. The Company is the world's largest manufacturer of modular carpet under the Interface, Heuga, Bentley and Prince Street brands, and through its Bentley Mills, Prince Street and Firth brands, enjoys a leading position in the high quality, designer-oriented segment of the broadloom and woven carpet market. The Company also provides specialized carpet replacement, installation and maintenance services through its Re:Source Americas service network. The Company is also a leading producer of interior fabrics and upholstery products, which it markets under the Guilford of Maine, Stevens Linen, Toltec, Intek, Chatham, Camborne and Glenside brands. In addition, the Company produces raised/access flooring systems under the C-Tec, Intercell and Atlantic brands; produces adhesives and chemicals used in various rubber and plastic products; offers Intersept, a proprietary antimicrobial used in a variety of interior finishes; and sponsors the Envirosense Consortium in its mission to address workplace environmental issues.

Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Except for historical information contained herein, the other matters set forth in this news release are forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements set forth above involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from any such statement, including risks and uncertainties associated with economic conditions in the commercial interiors industry as well as the risks and uncertainties discussed in the Company's Safe Harbor Compliance Statement for Forward-Looking Statements, included as Exhibit 99.1 to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2000, which discussion is incorporated herein by this reference, including, but not limited to, the discussion of specific risks and uncertainties under the headings "Strong Competition: The Company competes with a large number of other manufacturers in the highly competitive commercial floorcovering products market, and certain of these competitors have financial resources in excess of the Company's," "Cyclical Nature of Industry: Sales of the Company's principal products may be affected by cycles in the construction and renovation of commercial and institutional buildings," "Reliance on Key Personnel: The Company's continued success depends to a significant extent upon the efforts, abilities and continued service of its senior management executives and its design consultants," "Risks of Foreign Operations: The Company's substantial international operations are subject to various political, economic and other uncertainties, such as foreign currency exchange restrictions," "Reliance on Petroleum-Based Raw Materials: Large increases in the cost of petroleum-based raw materials, which the Company is unable to pass through to its customers, could adversely affect the Company," "Reliance on Third Party for Supply of Fiber: Unanticipated termination or interruption of the Company's arrangement with its primary third-party supplier of synthetic fiber could have a material adverse effect on the Company," and "Restrictions Due to Substantial Indebtedness: The Company's indebtedness, which is substantial in relation to its shareholders' equity, requires the Company to dedicate a substantial portion of its cash flow from operations to service debt and governs certain other activities of the Company."



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