January 16, 2009, Petaluma, CA: With the weather forecast for Inauguration Day calling for temperatures in the low 30s, the kids in the Punahou School Marching Band and Junior ROTC Marching Unit will be pleased to know that the organizers from the Presidential Inaugural Committee have them covered. Literally. In fact, all parade participants will be issued a reflective-insulating plastic blanket from AFM, the manufacturers of Heatsheets®, to shield them from wind and possible snow until they begin their march from the U.S. Capitol Building to the White House.

“The Suurimmanitchuat Eskimo Dance Group might not find Tuesday’s weather conditions too severe,” said Stephanie Deigan, President and COO of AFM, “but the kids from Hawaii will certainly appreciate the fact that Heatsheets® reflect up to 90% of your body’s heat.”

Deigan added: “I was thrilled when the Presidential Inaugural Committee contacted us. Our product is typically used at mass participation events like the Marine Corps, Chicago, Boston and New York marathons, but the folks gathering for the Inaugural Parade will have similar needs for harnessing their body heat until they start marching.”

Heatsheet® technology can be traced to the early days of the US space program. NASA developed an ultra-light, highly efficient reflective insulation technology to protect astronauts, spacecraft, and heat-sensitive equipment from the extreme temperatures in space. AFM’s product line is built on this reflective insulation technology, and has earned the Certified Space Technology seal.

AFM and special events consultants Eco-Logistics have been working with Presidential Inaugural Committee staff to arrange for the collection of Heatsheets® as parade participants leave the staging area. Once collected, the used Heatsheets®, which are made from low density polyethylene, a recyclable film plastic, will be shipped to a Trex Co. manufacturing facility in Winchester, Virginia, where they will be processed and made into wood-alternative decking, fencing and railing products.