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                                  EXHIBIT 99.1



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                              JPS INDUSTRIES, INC.



Contact:          Charles R. Tutterow
                  Executive Vice President
                    and Chief Financial Officer
                  864/239-3915



           JPS INDUSTRIES, INC. ANNOUNCES SALE OF APPAREL DIVISION TO

                            PRIVATE INVESTMENT GROUP



GREENVILLE, S.C.--Nov. 17, 2000--JPS Industries, Inc. ("JPS" or the "Company")
(Nasdaq/NM: JPST - news) today announced that it has completed a transaction to
sell the assets of its Apparel Division to JPSA Acquisition Corporation, a
privately held, new company formed by two veteran textile executives, H. Doug
Kingsmore and Jerry E. Hunter. The sale includes its apparel manufacturing and
administrative facilities located in South Boston, Virginia; Greenville, South
Carolina; and Laurens, South Carolina; as well as its sales offices in New York
and Los Angeles. The transaction does not include any of the assets associated
with the Company's Glass or Elastomerics Divisions.



The purchase price of the assets is approximately $27 million with future
consideration in the form of an earn-out based on earnings before interest,
depreciation and amortization ("EBITDA"), as defined, for the 24-month period
following the transaction. JPSA Acquisition will also assume certain specified
liabilities. Simultaneous with the transaction, JPS entered into an agreement
with its bank syndicate to reduce the maximum borrowing under its senior credit
agreement to $45 million. Proceeds from the transaction will be applied to JPS's
revolver.



Michael L. Fulbright, JPS's chairman, president and chief executive officer,
said, "This sale completes our exit from the textile portion of our business,
marking both historical and strategic milestones for JPS Industries. The vision
we communicated in May of 1999 outlined our objective of repositioning JPS from
a textile-oriented manufacturer into a diversified marketer and manufacturer of
specialty engineered products. We are extremely gratified to have completed this
transformation in less than 18 months and are very excited about our future
prospects as we turn our full attention and resources to the growing businesses
at JPS Glass and JPS Elastomerics. Further, we are pleased that the new owners
will make the Apparel Division a key focus of their strategy. We are proud of
what the associates of the Apparel Division, led by Reid McCarter, have
accomplished and thank them for their tremendous efforts."



JPS completed its fiscal year on October 28, 2000, and is expected to release
its results the week of December 4th. The results of the Apparel Division for
the year ended October 28, 2000, will be classified as income from discontinued
operations, and the Company will recognize a significant loss on the disposal of
discontinued operations.

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Charles R. Tutterow, JPS's executive vice president and chief financial officer,
said, "Based on our initial calculations, JPS achieved the previously indicated
targets for fiscal year 2000, before consideration of the discontinued
operations accounting, with revenue of approximately $290 million and EBITDA
which is estimated to be in the 9.5% to 10% range. After treating the Apparel
Division as a discontinued operation, we expect to report revenue from
continuing operations of approximately $168 million, operating income in the
8.0% to 8.5% range, EBITDA in the 11.5% to 12.0% range, and net income of
approximately $0.55 to $0.60 per fully diluted share. Income for fiscal year
2000 from the discontinued Apparel Division is expected to be break-even. The
loss on the sale of the Apparel Division is expected to be approximately $50
million, or $5.00 per share, depending on certain final adjustments, fees and
expenses, a potential curtailment gain on the Company's pension and
post-retirement plans and tax implications of the sale. No benefit from the
contingent earn-out will be recognized at this time, and the assets of the
Apparel Division will be classified as assets held for sale on JPS's October 28,
2000, balance sheet."



In connection with the sale of the Apparel division, JPS obtained from its
lenders the ability to purchase an additional $2,000,000 of its common stock
pursuant to its previously announced $8,000,000 share repurchase program. To
date, JPS has purchased 267,500 of its shares. The Company intends to continue
to effect such purchases at such times and upon such terms as management deems
appropriate.



JPS Industries, Inc. is a major U.S. manufacturer of extruded urethanes,
polypropylenes and mechanically formed glass substrates for specialty industrial
applications. JPS specialty industrial products are used in a wide range of
applications, including: printed electronic circuit boards; advanced composite
materials; aerospace components; filtration and insulation products; surf
boards; tarpaulins and awnings; construction substrates; high performance glass
laminates for security and transportation applications; plasma display screens,
athletic shoes; commercial and institutional roofing; reservoir covers; and
medical, automotive and industrial components. Headquartered in Greenville,
South Carolina, the Company operates manufacturing locations in Slater, South
Carolina; Westfield, North Carolina; and Easthampton, Massachusetts.



This press release contains statements of a forward-looking nature regarding
future events and calculations. These statements are only predictions and
contain significant estimates. Actual events and results may differ materially
from those communicated herein. Please refer to documents that JPS files with
the Securities and Exchange Commission for a discussion of certain additional
risk factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those
contained in the forward-looking statements.



                                      -END-