- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------



                                   CULP, INC.





                                  $75,000,000

                                 --------------


           $20,000,000 6.76% Series A Senior Notes due March 15, 2008


           $55,000,000 6.76% Series B Senior Notes due March 15, 2010



                                 --------------


                            NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT

                                 -------------




                           Dated as of March 4, 1998



- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------












                               TABLE OF CONTENTS

                         (Not a part of the Agreement)

 

SECTION                    HEADING                                           PAGE


SECTION 1.                 AUTHORIZATION OF NOTES                              1

SECTION 2.                 SALE AND PURCHASE OF NOTES                          1

SECTION 3.                 CLOSING                                             2

SECTION 4.                 CONDITIONS TO CLOSING                               2

       Section 4.1.            Representations and Warranties                  2
       Section 4.2.            Performance; No Default.                        2
       Section 4.3.            Compliance Certificates                         3
       Section 4.4.            Opinions of Counsel                             3
       Section 4.5.            Purchase Permitted by Applicable Law, etc       3
       Section 4.6.            Sale of Other Notes                             3
       Section 4.7.            Payment of Special Counsel Fees                 3
       Section 4.8.            Changes in Corporate Structure                  3
       Section 4.9.            Proceedings and Documents                       4

SECTION 5.                 REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY       4

       Section 5.1.            Organization; Power and Authority               4
       Section 5.2.            Authorization, etc                              4
       Section 5.3.            Disclosure                                      4
       Section 5.4.            Organization and Ownership of Shares of
                                 Subsidiaries; Affiliates                      5
       Section 5.5.            Financial Statements                            5
       Section 5.6.            Compliance with Laws, Other Instruments, etc    5
       Section 5.7.            Governmental Authorizations, etc                6
       Section 5.8.            Litigation; Observance of Agreements,
                                 Statutes and Orders                           6
       Section 5.9.            Taxes                                           6
       Section 5.10.           Title to Property; Leases                       6
       Section 5.11.           Licenses, Permits, etc                          7
       Section 5.12.           Compliance with ERISA                           7
       Section 5.13.           Private Offering by the Company                 8
       Section 5.14.           Use of Proceeds; Margin Regulations             8



                                      -2-







       Section 5.15.           Existing Indebtedness; Future Liens             8
       Section 5.16.           Foreign Assets Control Regulations, etc         8
       Section 5.17.           Status under Certain Statutes                   9
       Section 5.18.           Environmental Matters                           9

SECTION 6.                 REPRESENTATIONS OF THE PURCHASER                    9

       Section 6.1.            Purchase for Investment                         9
       Section 6.2.            Source of Funds                                10

SECTION 7.                 INFORMATION AS TO COMPANY                          11

       Section 7.1.            Financial and Business Information             11
       Section 7.2.            Officer's Certificate                          13
       Section 7.3.            Inspection                                     14

SECTION 8.                 PREPAYMENT OF THE NOTES                            14

       Section 8.1.            Required Prepayments                           14
       Section 8.2.            Change in Control                              15
       Section 8.3.            Optional Prepayments with Make-Whole Amount    17
       Section 8.4.            Allocation of Partial Prepayments              17
       Section 8.5.            Maturity; Surrender, etc                       17
       Section 8.6.            Purchase of Notes                              18
       Section 8.7.            Make-Whole Amount                              18

SECTION 9.                 AFFIRMATIVE COVENANTS                              19

       Section 9.1.            Compliance with Law                            19
       Section 9.2.            Insurance                                      20
       Section 9.3.            Maintenance of Properties                      20
       Section 9.4.            Payment of Taxes and Claims                    20
       Section 9.5.            Corporate Existence, etc                       20

SECTION 10.                NEGATIVE COVENANTS                                 20

       Section 10.1.           Consolidated Net Worth                         21
       Section 10.2.           Limitations on Funded Debt and Priority Debt   21
       Section 10.3.           Liens                                          21
       Section 10.4.           Merger, Consolidation, etc                     23
       Section 10.5.           Sale of Assets, etc                            24
       Section 10.6.           Transactions with Affiliates                   25


                                      -3-







SECTION 11.                EVENTS OF DEFAULT                                  25

SECTION 12.                REMEDIES ON DEFAULT, ETC                           27

       Section 12.1.           Acceleration                                   27
       Section 12.2.           Other Remedies                                 28
       Section 12.3.           Rescission                                     28
       Section 12.4.           No Waivers or Election of Remedies,
                                 Expenses, etc                                28

SECTION 13.                REGISTRATION; EXCHANGE; SUBSTITUTION OF NOTES      28

       Section 13.1.           Registration of Notes                          28
       Section 13.2.           Transfer and Exchange of Notes                 29
       Section 13.3.           Replacement of Notes                           29

SECTION 14.                PAYMENTS ON NOTES                                  30

       Section 14.1.           Place of Payment                               30
       Section 14.2.           Home Office Payment                            30

SECTION 15.                EXPENSES, ETC                                      30

       Section 15.1.           Transaction Expenses                           30
       Section 15.2.           Survival                                       31

SECTION 16.                SURVIVAL OF REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES;
                           ENTIRE AGREEMENT                                   31

ECTION 17.                AMENDMENT AND WAIVER                                31

       Section 17.1.           Requirements                                   31
       Section 17.2.           Solicitation of Holders of Notes               31
       Section 17.3.           Binding Effect, etc                            32
       Section 17.4.           Notes Held by Company, etc                     32

SECTION 18.                NOTICES                                            32

SECTION 19.                REPRODUCTION OF DOCUMENTS                          33

SECTION 20.                CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION                           33


                                      -4-







SECTION 21.                SUBSTITUTION OF PURCHASER                          34

SECTION 22.                MISCELLANEOUS                                      34

       Section 22.1.           Successors and Assigns                         34
       Section 22.2.           Payments Due on Non-Business Days              34
       Section 22.3.           Severability                                   35
       Section 22.4.           Construction                                   35
       Section 22.5.           Counterparts                                   35
       Section 22.6.           Governing Law                                  35

Signature                                                                     36




                                      -5-





SCHEDULE A            --     INFORMATION RELATING TO PURCHASERS

SCHEDULE B            --     DEFINED TERMS

SCHEDULE 5.4          --     Subsidiaries of the Company and Ownership of
                             Subsidiary Stock

SCHEDULE 5.5          --     Financial Statements

SCHEDULE 5.14         --     Use of Proceeds

SCHEDULE 5.15         --     Existing Indebtedness

EXHIBIT 1A            --     Form of 6.76% Series A Senior Note due March 15,
                             2008

EXHIBIT 1B            --     Form of 6.76% Series B Senior Note due March 15,
                             2010

EXHIBIT 4.4(a)        --     Form of Opinion of Special Counsel for the Company

EXHIBIT 4.4(b)        --     Form of Opinion of Special Counsel for the
                             Purchasers


                                      -6-






                                   CULP, INC.
                             101 South Main Street
                     High Point, North Carolina 27261-2686


           $20,000,000 6.76% Series A Senior Notes due March 15, 2008
           $55,000,000 6.76% Series B Senior Notes due March 15, 2010



                                                                  Dated as of
                                                                March 4, 1998


TO EACH OF THE PURCHASERS LISTED IN
 THE ATTACHED SCHEDULE A:

Ladies and Gentlemen:

         CULP, INC., a North Carolina corporation (the "Company"), agrees with
you as follows:


SECTION 1.               AUTHORIZATION OF NOTES.

         The Company will authorize the issue and sale of $20,000,000 aggregate
principal amount of its 6.76% Series A Senior Notes due March 15, 2008 and
$55,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its 6.76% Series B Senior Notes due
March 15, 2010 (respectively, the "Series A Notes" and the "Series B Notes" and
collectively, the "Notes", such terms to include any such notes issued in
substitution therefor pursuant to Section 13 of this Agreement or the Other
Agreements (as hereinafter defined)). The Series A Notes shall be substantially
in the form set out in Exhibit 1A, and the Series B Notes shall be substantially
in the form set out in Exhibit 1B, in each case with such changes therefrom, if
any, as may be approved by you and the Company. Certain capitalized terms used
in this Agreement are defined in Schedule B; references to a "Schedule" or an
"Exhibit" are, unless otherwise specified, to a Schedule or an Exhibit attached
to this Agreement.


SECTION 2.               SALE AND PURCHASE OF NOTES.

         Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, the Company will
issue and sell to you and you will purchase from the Company, at the Closing
provided for in Section 3, Notes in the principal amount and of the Series
specified opposite your name in Schedule A at the


                                      -7-





purchase price of 100% of the principal amount thereof. Contemporaneously with
entering into this Agreement, the Company is entering into separate Note
Purchase Agreements (the "Other Agreements") identical with this Agreement with
each of the other purchasers named in Schedule A (the "Other Purchasers"),
providing for the sale at such Closing to each of the Other Purchasers of Notes
in the principal amount and of the Series specified opposite its name in
Schedule A. Your obligation hereunder, and the obligations of the Other
Purchasers under the Other Agreements, are several and not joint obligations,
and you shall have no obligation under any Other Agreement and no liability to
any Person for the performance or nonperformance by any Other Purchaser
thereunder.


SECTION 3.               CLOSING.

         The sale and purchase of the Notes to be purchased by you and the Other
Purchasers shall occur at the offices of Chapman and Cutler, 111 West Monroe
Street, Chicago, Illinois 60603, at 10:00 A.M. Chicago time, at a closing (the
"Closing") on March 26, 1998 or on such other Business Day thereafter on or
prior to April 15, 1998 as may be agreed upon by the Company and you and the
Other Purchasers. At the Closing the Company will deliver to you the Notes to be
purchased by you in the form of a single Note (or such greater number of Notes
in denominations of at least $100,000 as you may request) dated the date of the
Closing and registered in your name (or in the name of your nominee), against
delivery by you to the Company or its order of immediately available funds in
the amount of the purchase price therefor by wire transfer of immediately
available funds for the account of the Company to account number 4023-001418 at
Wachovia Bank, N.A., ABA Number 0531-00494, Winston-Salem, North Carolina. If at
the Closing the Company shall fail to tender such Notes to you as provided above
in this Section 3, or any of the conditions specified in Section 4 shall not
have been fulfilled to your satisfaction, you shall, at your election, be
relieved of all further obligations under this Agreement, without thereby
waiving any rights you may have by reason of such failure or such
nonfulfillment.


SECTION 4.               CONDITIONS TO CLOSING.

         Your obligation to purchase and pay for the Notes to be sold to you at
the Closing is subject to the fulfillment to your satisfaction, prior to or at
the Closing, of the following conditions:

             Section 4.1.    Representations  and Warranties.  The
representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement shall be correct
when made and at the time of the Closing.

             Section 4.2.    Performance; No Default. The Company shall have
performed and complied with all agreements and conditions contained in this
Agreement required to be


                                      -8-





performed or complied with by it prior to or at the Closing, and after giving
effect to the issue and sale of the Notes (and the application of the proceeds
thereof as contemplated by Schedule 5.14), no Default or Event of Default shall
have occurred and be continuing. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary shall
have entered into any transaction since the date of the Memorandum that would
have been prohibited by Section 10 hereof had such Sections applied since such
date.

             Section 4.3.    Compliance Certificates.

           (a) Officer's Certificate. The Company shall have delivered to you an
Officer's Certificate, dated the date of the Closing, certifying that the
conditions specified in Sections 4.1, 4.2 and 4.9 have been fulfilled.

           (b) Secretary's Certificate. The Company shall have delivered to you
a certificate certifying as to the resolutions attached thereto and other
corporate proceedings relating to the authorization, execution and delivery of
the Notes and the Agreements.

             Section 4.4.    Opinions of Counsel. You shall have received
opinions in form and substance satisfactory to you, dated the date of the
Closing (a) from Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson, P.A., special counsel for the
Company, and Ogilvy Renault, special Canadian counsel for the Company, covering
the matters set forth in Exhibit 4.4(a) and covering such other matters incident
to the transactions contemplated hereby as you or your counsel may reasonably
request (and the Company hereby instructs its counsel to deliver such opinion to
you) and (b) from Chapman and Cutler, your special counsel in connection with
such transactions, substantially in the form set forth in Exhibit 4.4(b) and
covering such other matters incident to such transactions as you may reasonably
request.

             Section 4.5.    Purchase Permitted by Applicable Law, etc. On the
date of the Closing your purchase of Notes shall (i) be permitted by the laws
and regulations of each jurisdiction to which you are subject, without recourse
to provisions (such as Section 1405(a)(8) of the New York Insurance Law)
permitting limited investments by insurance companies without restriction as to
the character of the particular investment, (ii) not violate any applicable law
or regulation (including, without limitation, Regulation G, T or X of the Board
of Governors of the Federal Reserve System) and (iii) not subject you to any
tax, penalty or liability under or pursuant to any applicable law or regulation,
which law or regulation was not in effect on the date hereof. If requested by
you, you shall have received an Officer's Certificate certifying as to such
matters of fact as you may reasonably specify to enable you to determine whether
such purchase is so permitted.


                                      -9-





             Section 4.6.    Sale of Other Notes. Contemporaneously with the
Closing, the Company shall sell to the Other Purchasers, and the Other
Purchasers shall purchase, the Notes to be purchased by them at the Closing as
specified in Schedule A.

             Section 4.7.    Payment of Special Counsel Fees. Without limiting
the provisions of Section 15.1, the Company shall have paid on or before the
Closing the fees, charges and disbursements of your special counsel referred to
in Section 4.4 to the extent reflected in a statement of such counsel rendered
to the Company at least one Business Day prior to the Closing.

             Section 4.8.    Changes in Corporate Structure. The Company shall
not have changed its jurisdiction of incorporation or been a party to any merger
or consolidation and shall not have succeeded to all or any substantial part of
the liabilities of any other entity, at any time following the date of the most
recent financial statements referred to in Schedule 5.5.

             Section 4.9.    Proceedings and Documents. All corporate and other
proceedings in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement
and all documents and instruments incident to such transactions shall be
satisfactory to you and your special counsel, and you and your special counsel
shall have received all such counterpart originals or certified or other copies
of such documents as you or they may reasonably request.


SECTION 5.               REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY

         The Company represents and warrants to you that:

             Section 5.1.    Organization; Power and Authority. The Company is a
corporation duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws
of its jurisdiction of incorporation, and is duly qualified as a foreign
corporation and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such
qualification is required by law, other than those jurisdictions as to which the
failure to be so qualified or in good standing could not, individually or in the
aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company
has the corporate power and authority to own or hold under lease the properties
it purports to own or hold under lease, to transact the business it transacts
and proposes to transact, to execute and deliver this Agreement and the Other
Agreements and the Notes and to perform the provisions hereof and thereof.

             Section 5.2.    Authorization, etc. This Agreement, the Other
Agreements and the Notes have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate
action on the part of the Company, and this Agreement constitutes, and upon
execution and delivery thereof each Note will constitute, a legal, valid and
binding obligation of the Company enforceable against the


                                      -10-





Company in accordance with its terms, except as such enforceability may be
limited by (i) applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or
other similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors' rights generally and
(ii) general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is
considered in a proceeding in equity or at law).

             Section 5.3.    Disclosure. The Company, through its co-agents,
First Union Capital Markets Corp. and Wachovia Bank, N.A., has delivered to you
and each Other Purchaser a copy of a Private Placement Memorandum, dated January
1998 (the "Memorandum"), relating to the transactions contemplated hereby. The
Memorandum fairly describes, in all material respects, the general nature of the
business and principal properties of the Company and its Subsidiaries. This
Agreement, the Schedules hereto, the Memorandum, the documents, certificates or
other writings delivered to you by or on behalf of the Company in connection
with the transactions contemplated hereby and the financial statements listed in
Schedule 5.5, taken as a whole, do not contain any untrue statement of a
material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make the
statements therein not misleading in light of the circumstances under which they
were made. Except as disclosed in the Memorandum or as expressly described in
Schedule 5.3, or in one of the documents, certificates or other writings
identified therein, or in the financial statements listed in Schedule 5.5, since
April 27, 1997, there has been no event, act, condition or occurrence having a
Material Adverse Effect.

             Section 5.4.    Organization and Ownership of Shares of
Subsidiaries; Affiliates. (a) Schedule 5.4 contains (except as noted therein)
complete and correct lists (i) of the Company's Subsidiaries, showing, as to
each Subsidiary, the correct name thereof, the jurisdiction of its organization,
and the percentage of shares of each class of its capital stock or similar
equity interests outstanding owned by the Company and each other Subsidiary,
(ii) of the Company's Affiliates, other than Subsidiaries, and (iii) of the
Company's directors and senior officers.

           (b) All of the outstanding shares of capital stock or similar equity
interests of each Subsidiary shown in Schedule 5.4 as being owned by the Company
and its Subsidiaries have been validly issued, are fully paid and nonassessable
and are owned by the Company or another Subsidiary free and clear of any Lien
(except as otherwise disclosed in Schedule 5.4).

           (c) Each Subsidiary identified in Schedule 5.4 is a corporation or
other legal entity duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under
the laws of its jurisdiction of organization, and is duly qualified as a foreign
corporation or other legal entity and is in good standing in each jurisdiction
in which such qualification is required by law, other than those jurisdictions
as to which the failure to be so qualified or in good standing could not,
individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material
Adverse Effect. Each such Subsidiary has the corporate or other power and
authority to own or hold under lease the


                                      -11-





properties it purports to own or hold under lease and to transact the business
it transacts and proposes to transact.

           (d) No Subsidiary is a party to, or otherwise subject to any legal
restriction or any agreement (other than this Agreement, the agreements listed
on Schedule 5.4 and customary limitations imposed by corporate law statutes)
restricting the ability of such Subsidiary to pay dividends out of profits or
make any other similar distributions of profits to the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries that owns outstanding shares of capital stock or similar equity
interests of such Subsidiary.

             Section 5.5.    Financial Statements. The Company has delivered to
each Purchaser copies of the financial statements of the Company and its
Subsidiaries listed on Schedule 5.5. All of said financial statements (including
in each case the related schedules and notes) fairly present in all material
respects the consolidated financial position of the Company and its Subsidiaries
as of the respective dates specified in such Schedule and the consolidated
results of their operations and cash flows for the respective periods so
specified and have been prepared in accordance with GAAP consistently applied
throughout the periods involved except as set forth in the notes thereto
(subject, in the case of any interim financial statements, to normal year-end
adjustments).

             Section 5.6.    Compliance with Laws, Other Instruments, etc. The
execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement and the
Notes will not (i) contravene, result in any breach of, or constitute a default
under, or result in the creation of any Lien in respect of any property of the
Company or any Subsidiary under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan,
purchase or credit agreement, lease, corporate charter or by-laws, or any other
agreement or instrument to which the Company or any Subsidiary is bound or by
which the Company or any Subsidiary or any of their respective properties may be
bound or affected, (ii) conflict with or result in a breach of any of the terms,
conditions or provisions of any order, judgment, decree, or ruling of any court,
arbitrator or Governmental Authority applicable to the Company or any Subsidiary
or (iii) violate any provision of any statute or other rule or regulation of any
Governmental Authority applicable to the Company or any Subsidiary.

             Section 5.7.    Governmental Authorizations, etc. No consent,
approval or authorization of, or registration, filing or declaration with, any
Governmental Authority is required in connection with the execution, delivery or
performance by the Company of this Agreement or the Notes.

             Section 5.8.    Litigation; Observance of Agreements, Statutes and
Orders. (a) There are no actions, suits or proceedings pending or, to the
knowledge of the Company, threatened against or affecting the Company or any
Subsidiary or any property of the Company or any Subsidiary in any court or
before any arbitrator of any kind or before or by any Governmental


                                      -12-





Authority that, individually or in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected
to have a Material Adverse Effect.

           (b) Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is in default under any
term of any agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it is
bound, or any order, judgment, decree or ruling of any court, arbitrator or
Governmental Authority or is in violation of any applicable law, ordinance, rule
or regulation (including without limitation Environmental Laws) of any
Governmental Authority, which default or violation, individually or in the
aggregate, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

             Section 5.9.    Taxes. The Company and its Subsidiaries have filed
all material tax returns that are required to have been filed in any
jurisdiction, or have properly filed for extensions of time for the filing
thereof, and have paid all taxes shown to be due and payable on such returns and
all other taxes and assessments levied upon them or their properties, assets,
income or franchises, to the extent such taxes and assessments have become due
and payable and before they have become delinquent, except for any taxes and
assessments (i) the amount of which is not individually or in the aggregate
Material or (ii) the amount, applicability or validity of which is currently
being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and with respect to
which the Company or a Subsidiary, as the case may be, has established adequate
reserves in accordance with GAAP. The Company knows of no basis for any other
tax or assessment that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse
Effect. The charges, accruals and reserves on the books of the Company and its
Subsidiaries in respect of Federal, state or other taxes for all fiscal periods
are adequate. The Federal income tax liabilities of the Company and its
Subsidiaries have been determined by the Internal Revenue Service and paid for
all fiscal years up to and including fiscal year 1994.

            Section 5.10.    Title to Property; Leases. The Company and its
Subsidiaries have good and sufficient title to their respective properties that
individually or in the aggregate are Material, including all such properties
reflected in the most recent audited balance sheet referred to in Section 5.5 or
purported to have been acquired by the Company or any Subsidiary after said date
(except as sold or otherwise disposed of in the ordinary course of business), in
each case free and clear of Liens prohibited by this Agreement. All leases that
individually or in the aggregate are Material are valid and subsisting and are
in full force and effect in all Material respects.

            Section 5.11.    Licenses, Permits, etc. (a) The Company and its
Subsidiaries own or possess all licenses, permits, franchises, authorizations,
patents, copyrights, service marks, trademarks and trade names, or rights
thereto, that individually or in the aggregate are Material, without known
conflict with the rights of others.


                                      -13-





           (b) To the best knowledge of the Company, no product of the Company
infringes in any Material respect any license, permit, franchise, authorization,
patent, copyright, service mark, trademark, trade name or other right owned by
any other Person.

           (c) To the best knowledge of the Company, there is no Material
violation by any Person of any right of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
with respect to any patent, copyright, service mark, trademark, trade name or
other right owned or used by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.

            Section 5.12.    Compliance with ERISA. (a) Neither the Company nor
any ERISA Affiliate of the Company sponsors, contributes to, or has any
liability with respect to any Plan subject to Title IV of ERISA. The Company and
each ERISA Affiliate of the Company have operated and administered each Plan in
compliance with all applicable laws except for such instances of noncompliance
as have not resulted in and could not reasonably be expected to result in a
Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any ERISA Affiliate of the
Company has incurred any liability pursuant to Title I of ERISA or the penalty
or excise tax provisions of the Code relating to employee benefit plans (as
defined in Section 3 of ERISA), and no event, transaction or condition has
occurred or exists that could reasonably be expected to result in the incurrence
of any such liability by the Company or any ERISA Affiliate of the Company, or
in the imposition of any Lien on any of the rights, properties or assets of the
Company or any ERISA Affiliate of the Company, in either case pursuant to Title
I of ERISA or to such penalty or excise tax provisions or to Section 401(a)(29)
or 412 of the Code, other than such liabilities or Liens as would not be
individually or in the aggregate Material.

           (b) The expected post-retirement benefit obligation (determined as of
the last day of the Company's most recently ended fiscal year in accordance with
Financial Accounting Standards Board Statement No. 106, without regard to
liabilities attributable to continuation coverage mandated by section 4980B of
the Code) of the Company and its Subsidiaries is not Material.

           (c) The execution and delivery of this Agreement and the issuance and
sale of the Notes hereunder will not involve any transaction that is subject to
the prohibitions of section 406 of ERISA or in connection with which a tax could
be imposed pursuant to section 4975(c)(1)(A)-(D) of the Code. The representation
by the Company in the first sentence of this Section 5.12(e) is made in reliance
upon and subject to the accuracy of your representation in Section 6.2 as to the
sources of the funds used to pay the purchase price of the Notes to be purchased
by you.

            Section 5.13.    Private Offering by the Company. Neither the
Company nor anyone acting on its behalf has offered the Notes or any similar
securities for sale to, or solicited any offer to buy any of the same from, or
otherwise approached or negotiated in respect thereof with,


                                      -14-





any person other than you, the Other Purchasers and not more than 25 other
Institutional Investors, each of which has been offered the Notes at a private
sale for investment. Neither the Company nor anyone acting on its behalf has
taken, or will take, any action that would subject the issuance or sale of the
Notes to the registration requirements of Section 5 of the Securities Act.

            Section 5.14.    Use of Proceeds; Margin Regulations. The Company
will apply the proceeds of the sale of the Notes as set forth in Schedule 5.14.
No part of the proceeds from the sale of the Notes hereunder will be used,
directly or indirectly, for the purpose of buying or carrying any margin stock
within the meaning of Regulation G of the Board of Governors of the Federal
Reserve System (12 CFR 207), or for the purpose of buying or carrying or trading
in any securities under such circumstances as to involve the Company in a
violation of Regulation X of said Board (12 CFR 224) or to involve any broker or
dealer in a violation of Regulation T of said Board (12 CFR 220). Neither the
Company nor any Subsidiary presently owns, legally or beneficially, or has any
present intention to acquire, any margin stock. As used in this Section, the
terms "margin stock" and "purpose of buying or carrying" shall have the meanings
assigned to them in said Regulation G.

            Section 5.15.    Existing Indebtedness; Future Liens. (a) Except as
described therein, Schedule 5.15 sets forth a complete and correct list of all
outstanding Indebtedness of the Company and its Subsidiaries, excluding
indebtedness having an unpaid principal amount of less than $50,000, as of March
8, 1998, since which date there has been no Material change in the amounts,
interest rates, sinking funds, installment payments or maturities of the
Indebtedness of the Company or its Subsidiaries. Neither the Company nor any
Subsidiary is in default and no waiver of default is currently in effect, in the
payment of any principal or interest on any Indebtedness of the Company or such
Subsidiary and no event or condition exists with respect to any Indebtedness of
the Company or any Subsidiary that would permit (or that with notice or the
lapse of time, or both, would permit) one or more Persons to cause such
Indebtedness to become due and payable before its stated maturity or before its
regularly scheduled dates of payment.

           (b) Except as disclosed in Schedule 5.15, neither the Company nor any
Subsidiary has agreed or consented to cause or permit in the future (upon the
happening of a contingency or otherwise) any of its property, whether now owned
or hereafter acquired, to be subject to a Lien not permitted by Section 10.2.

            Section 5.16.    Foreign Assets Control Regulations, etc. Neither
the sale of the Notes by the Company hereunder nor its use of the proceeds
thereof will violate the Trading with the Enemy Act, as amended, or any of the
foreign assets control regulations of the United States Treasury Department (31
CFR, Subtitle B, Chapter V, as amended) or any enabling legislation or executive
order relating thereto.


                                      -15-





            Section 5.17.    Status under Certain Statutes. Neither the Company
nor any Subsidiary is subject to regulation under the Investment Company Act of
1940, as amended, the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935, as amended,
the ICC Termination Act of 1995, as amended, or the Federal Power Act, as
amended.

            Section 5.18.    Environmental Matters. Neither the Company nor any
Subsidiary has knowledge of any claim or has received any notice of any claim,
and no proceeding has been instituted raising any claim against the Company or
any of its Subsidiaries or, to the Company's knowledge, any of their respective
real properties now or formerly owned, leased or operated by any of them or
other assets, alleging any damage to the environment or violation of any
Environmental Laws, except, in each case, such as could not reasonably be
expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. Except as otherwise disclosed
to you in writing:

                   (a) neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has knowledge of
         any facts which would give rise to any claim, public or private, of
         violation of Environmental Laws or damage to the environment emanating
         from, occurring on or in any way related to real properties now or
         formerly owned, leased or operated by any of them or to other assets or
         their use, except, in each case, such as could not reasonably be
         expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect;

                   (b) neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has
         stored any Hazardous Materials on real properties now or formerly
         owned, leased or operated by any of them nor has disposed of any
         Hazardous Materials in a manner contrary to any Environmental Laws in
         each case in any manner that could reasonably be expected to result in
         a Material Adverse Effect; and

                   (c) to the knowledge of the Company, all buildings on all
         real properties now owned, leased or operated by the Company or any of
         its Subsidiaries are in compliance with applicable Environmental Laws,
         except where failure to comply could not reasonably be expected to
         result in a Material Adverse Effect.


SECTION 6.               REPRESENTATIONS OF THE PURCHASER.

             Section 6.1.    Purchase for Investment. You represent that you are
purchasing the Notes for your own account or for one or more separate accounts
maintained by you or for the account of one or more pension or trust funds and
not with a view to the distribution thereof, provided that the disposition of
your or their property shall at all times be within your or their control. You
understand that the Notes have not been registered under the Securities Act and
may be resold only if registered pursuant to the provisions of the Securities
Act or if an exemption from registration is available, except under
circumstances where neither such


                                      -16-





registration nor such an exemption is required by law, and that the Company is
not required to register the Notes.

             Section 6.2.    Source of Funds. You represent that at least one of
the following statements is an accurate representation as to each source of
funds (a "Source") to be used by you to pay the purchase price of the Notes to
be purchased by you hereunder:

                   (a) the Source is an "insurance company general account"
         within the meaning of Department of Labor Prohibited Transaction
         Exemption ("PTE") 95-60 (issued July 12, 1995) and there is no employee
         benefit plan, treating as a single plan all plans maintained by the
         same employer or employee organization, with respect to which the
         amount of the general account reserves and liabilities for all
         contracts held by or on behalf of such plan, exceeds ten percent (10%)
         of the total reserves and liabilities of such general account
         (exclusive of separate account liabilities) plus surplus, as set forth
         in the NAIC Annual Statement filed with your state of domicile; or

                   (b) the Source is either (i) an insurance company pooled
         separate account, within the meaning of PTE 90-1 (issued January 29,
         1990), or (ii) a bank collective investment fund, within the meaning of
         the PTE 91-38 (issued July 12, 1991) and, except as you have disclosed
         to the Company in writing pursuant to this paragraph (b), no employee
         benefit plan or group of plans maintained by the same employer or
         employee organization beneficially owns more than 10% of all assets
         allocated to such pooled separate account or collective investment
         fund; or

                   (c) the Source constitutes assets of an "investment fund"
         (within the meaning of Part V of the QPAM Exemption) managed by a
         "qualified professional asset manager" or "QPAM" (within the meaning of
         Part V of the QPAM Exemption), no employee benefit plan's assets that
         are included in such investment fund, when combined with the assets of
         all other employee benefit plans established or maintained by the same
         employer or by an affiliate (within the meaning of Section V(c)(1) of
         the QPAM Exemption) of such employer or by the same employee
         organization and managed by such QPAM, exceed 20% of the total client
         assets managed by such QPAM, the conditions of Part l(c) and (g) of the
         QPAM Exemption are satisfied, neither the QPAM nor a person controlling
         or controlled by the QPAM (applying the definition of "control" in
         Section V(e) of the QPAM Exemption) owns a 5% or more interest in the
         Company and (i) the identity of such QPAM and (ii) the names of all
         employee benefit plans whose assets are included in such investment
         fund have been disclosed to the Company in writing pursuant to this
         paragraph (c); or

                   (d)     the Source is a governmental plan; or


                                      -17-





                   (e) the Source is one or more employee benefit plans, or a
         separate account or trust fund comprised of one or more employee
         benefit plans, each of which has been identified to the Company in
         writing pursuant to this paragraph (e); or

                   (f) the Source does not include assets of any employee
         benefit plan, other than a plan exempt from the coverage of ERISA.

         As used in this Section 6.2, the terms "employee benefit plan",
"governmental plan", "party in interest" and "separate account" shall have the
respective meanings assigned to such terms in Section 3 of ERISA.


SECTION 7.               INFORMATION AS TO COMPANY.

             Section 7.1.    Financial and Business  Information.  The Company
shall deliver to each holder of Notes that is an Institutional Investor:

                   (a) Quarterly Statements -- within 60 days after the end of
         each quarterly fiscal period in each fiscal year of the Company (other
         than the last quarterly fiscal period of each such fiscal year),
         duplicate copies of:

                            (i)     a  consolidated  balance sheet of the
                  Company and its  Subsidiaries  as at the end of such quarter,
                  and

                           (ii)      consolidated statements of income,
                  shareholders' equity and cash flows of the Company and its
                  Subsidiaries for such quarter and (in the case of the second
                  and third quarters) for the portion of the fiscal year ending
                  with such quarter,

setting forth in each case in comparative form the figures for the corresponding
periods in the previous fiscal year, all in reasonable detail, prepared in
accordance with GAAP applicable to quarterly financial statements generally, and
certified by a Senior Financial Officer as fairly presenting, in all material
respects, the financial position of the companies being reported on and their
results of operations and cash flows, subject to changes resulting from year-end
adjustments, provided that delivery within the time period specified above of
copies of the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q prepared in compliance
with the requirements therefor and filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission shall be deemed to satisfy the requirements of this Section 7.1(a);

                   (b)     Annual Statements -- within  105  days  after  the
         end of each fiscal year of the Company, duplicate copies of,


                                      -18-





                            (i)     a consolidated  balance sheet of the Company
                  and its  Subsidiaries,  as at the end of such year, and

                           (ii)      consolidated statements of income, changes
                  in shareholders' equity and cash flows of the Company and its
                  Subsidiaries, for such year,

         setting forth in each case in comparative form the figures for the
         previous fiscal year, all in reasonable detail, prepared in accordance
         with GAAP, and accompanied

                                     (A) by an opinion thereon of independent
                           certified public accountants of recognized national
                           standing, which opinion shall state that such
                           financial statements present fairly, in all material
                           respects, the financial position of the companies
                           being reported upon and their results of operations
                           and cash flows and have been prepared in conformity
                           with GAAP, and that the examination of such
                           accountants in connection with such financial
                           statements has been made in accordance with generally
                           accepted auditing standards, and that such audit
                           provides a reasonable basis for such opinion in the
                           circumstances, and

                                     (B) a certificate of such accountants
                           stating that they have reviewed this Agreement and
                           stating further whether, in making their audit, they
                           have become aware of any condition or event that then
                           constitutes a Default or an Event of Default, and, if
                           they are aware that any such condition or event then
                           exists, specifying the nature and period of the
                           existence thereof (it being understood that such
                           accountants shall not be liable, directly or
                           indirectly, for any failure to obtain knowledge of
                           any Default or Event of Default unless such
                           accountants should have obtained knowledge thereof in
                           making an audit in accordance with generally accepted
                           auditing standards or did not make such an audit),

         provided that the delivery within the time period specified above of
         the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for such fiscal year (together
         with the Company's annual report to shareholders, if any, prepared
         pursuant to Rule 14a-3 under the Exchange Act) prepared in accordance
         with the requirements therefor and filed with the Securities and
         Exchange Commission, together with the accountant's certificate
         described in clause (B) above, shall be deemed to satisfy the
         requirements of this Section 7.1(b);

                   (c) SEC and Other Reports -- promptly upon their becoming
         available, one copy of (i) each financial statement, report, notice or
         proxy statement sent by the Company or any Subsidiary to public
         securities holders generally, and (ii) each regular or


                                      -19-





         periodic report, each registration statement other than Registration
         Statements on Form S-8 (without exhibits except as expressly requested
         by such holder), and each prospectus and all amendments thereto filed
         by the Company or any Subsidiary with the Securities and Exchange
         Commission and of all press releases and other statements made
         available generally by the Company or any Subsidiary to the public
         concerning developments that are Material;

                   (d) Notice of Default or Event of Default -- promptly, and in
         any event within five days after a Responsible Officer becoming aware
         of the existence of any Default or Event of Default or that any Person
         has given any notice or taken any action with respect to a claimed
         default hereunder or that any Person has given any notice or taken any
         action with respect to a claimed default of the type referred to in
         Section 11(f), a written notice specifying the nature and period of
         existence thereof and what action the Company is taking or proposes to
         take with respect thereto;

                   (e) ERISA Matters -- promptly, and in any event within five
         days after a Responsible Officer becoming aware of any of the
         following, a written notice setting forth the nature thereof and the
         action, if any, that the Company or an ERISA Affiliate proposes to take
         with respect thereto:

                            (i) with respect to any Plan, any reportable event,
                  as defined in section 4043(b) of ERISA and the regulations
                  thereunder, for which notice thereof has not been waived
                  pursuant to such regulations as in effect on the date hereof;
                  or

                           (ii) the taking by the PBGC of steps to institute, or
                  the threatening by the PBGC of the institution of, proceedings
                  under section 4042 of ERISA for the termination of, or the
                  appointment of a trustee to administer, any Plan, or the
                  receipt by the Company or any ERISA Affiliate of a notice from
                  a Multiemployer Plan that such action has been taken by the
                  PBGC with respect to such Multiemployer Plan; or

                          (iii) any event, transaction or condition that could
                  result in the incurrence of any liability by the Company or
                  any ERISA Affiliate pursuant to Title I or IV of ERISA or the
                  penalty or excise tax provisions of the Code relating to
                  employee benefit plans, or in the imposition of any Lien on
                  any of the rights, properties or assets of the Company or any
                  ERISA Affiliate pursuant to Title I or IV of ERISA or such
                  penalty or excise tax provisions, if such liability or Lien,
                  taken together with any other such liabilities or Liens then
                  existing, could reasonably be expected to have a Material
                  Adverse Effect;


                                      -20-





                   (f) Notices from Governmental Authority -- promptly, and in
         any event within 30 days of receipt thereof, copies of any notice to
         the Company or any Subsidiary from any Federal or state Governmental
         Authority relating to any order, ruling, statute or other law or
         regulation that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse
         Effect; and

                   (g) Requested Information -- with reasonable promptness, such
         other data and information relating to the business, operations,
         affairs, financial condition, assets or properties of the Company or
         any of its Subsidiaries or relating to the ability of the Company to
         perform its obligations hereunder and under the Notes as from time to
         time may be reasonably requested by any such holder of Notes.

             Section 7.2.    Officer's Certificate. Each set of financial
statements delivered to a holder of Notes pursuant to Section 7.1(a) or Section
7.1(b) hereof shall be accompanied by a certificate of a Senior Financial
Officer setting forth:

                   (a) Covenant Compliance -- the information (including
         detailed calculations) required in order to establish whether the
         Company was in compliance with the requirements of Section 10.1 through
         Section 10.3, both inclusive, and Section 10.5 hereof during the
         quarterly or annual period covered by the statements then being
         furnished (including with respect to each such Section, where
         applicable, the calculations of the maximum or minimum amount, ratio or
         percentage, as the case may be, permissible under the terms of such
         Sections, and the calculation of the amount, ratio or percentage then
         in existence); and

                   (b) Event of Default -- a statement that such officer has
         reviewed the relevant terms hereof and has made, or caused to be made,
         under his or her supervision, a review of the transactions and
         conditions of the Company and its Subsidiaries from the beginning of
         the quarterly or annual period covered by the statements then being
         furnished to the date of the certificate and that such review shall not
         have disclosed the existence during such period of any condition or
         event that constitutes a Default or an Event of Default or, if any such
         condition or event existed or exists (including, without limitation,
         any such event or condition resulting from the failure of the Company
         or any Subsidiary to comply with any Environmental Law), specifying the
         nature and period of existence thereof and what action the Company
         shall have taken or proposes to take with respect thereto.

             Section 7.3.    Inspection.  The Company  shall permit the
representatives  of each holder of Notes that is an Institutional Investor:


                                      -21-





                   (a) No Default -- if no Default or Event of Default then
         exists, at the expense of such holder and upon reasonable prior notice
         to the Company, to visit the principal executive office of the Company,
         to discuss the affairs, finances and accounts of the Company and its
         Subsidiaries with the Company's officers, and (with the consent of the
         Company, which consent will not be unreasonably withheld) its
         independent public accountants, and (with the consent of the Company,
         which consent will not be unreasonably withheld) to visit the other
         offices and properties of the Company and each Subsidiary, all at such
         reasonable times and as often as may be reasonably requested in
         writing; and

                   (b) Default -- if a Default or Event of Default then exists,
         at the expense of the Company to visit and inspect any of the offices
         or properties of the Company or any Subsidiary, to examine all their
         respective books of account, records, reports and other papers, to make
         copies and extracts therefrom, and to discuss their respective affairs,
         finances and accounts with their respective officers and independent
         public accountants (and by this provision the Company authorizes said
         accountants to discuss the affairs, finances and accounts of the
         Company and its Subsidiaries), all at such times and as often as may be
         requested.


SECTION 8.               PREPAYMENT OF THE NOTES.

             Section 8.1.    Required  Prepayments.  (a) No regularly  scheduled
prepayment of principal of the Series A Notes is required prior to the date of
their maturity.

           (b) On March 15, 2006, and on the fifteenth day of each March
thereafter to and including March 15, 2009, the Company will prepay $11,000,000
principal amount (or such lesser principal amount as shall then be outstanding)
of the Series B Notes at par and without payment of the Make-Whole Amount or any
premium, provided that upon any partial prepayment of the Series B Notes
pursuant to Section 8.2 or 8.3 or purchase of the Series B Notes permitted by
Section 8.6, the principal amount of each required prepayment of the Series B
Notes becoming due under this Section 8.1(b) on and after the date of such
prepayment or purchase shall be reduced in the same proportion as the aggregate
unpaid principal amount of the Series B Notes is reduced as a result of such
prepayment or purchase.

             Section 8.2.    Change in Control. (a) Notice of Change in Control
or Control Event. The Company will, within five Business Days after any
Responsible Officer has knowledge of the occurrence of any Change in Control or
Control Event, give written notice of such Change in Control or Control Event to
each holder of Notes unless notice in respect of such Change in Control (or the
Change in Control contemplated by such Control Event) shall have been given
pursuant to subparagraph (b) of this Section. If a Change in Control has
occurred, such notice


                                      -22-





shall contain and constitute an offer to prepay Notes as described in
subparagraph (c) of this Section and shall be accompanied by the certificate
described in subparagraph (g) of this Section.

           (b) Condition to Company Action. The Company will not take any action
that consummates or finalizes a Change in Control unless (i) at least 30 days
prior to such action it shall have given to each holder of Notes written notice
containing and constituting an offer to prepay Notes as described in
subparagraph (c) of this Section, accompanied by the certificate described in
subparagraph (g) of this Section, and (ii) contemporaneously with such action,
it prepays all Notes required to be prepaid in accordance with this Section.

           (c) Offer to Prepay Notes. The offer to prepay Notes contemplated by
subparagraphs (a) and (b) of this Section shall be an offer to prepay, in
accordance with and subject to this Section, all, but not less than all, the
Notes held by each holder (in this case only, "holder" in respect of any Note
registered in the name of a nominee for a disclosed beneficial owner shall mean
such beneficial owner) on a date specified in such offer (the "Proposed
Prepayment Date"). If such Proposed Prepayment Date is in connection with an
offer contemplated by subparagraph (a) of this Section, such date shall be not
less than 15 days and not more than 30 days after the date of such offer (if the
Proposed Prepayment Date shall not be specified in such offer, the Proposed
Prepayment Date shall be the first Business Day after the 30th day after the
date of such offer).

           (d) Acceptance. A holder of Notes may accept the offer to prepay made
pursuant to this Section by causing a notice of such acceptance to be delivered
to the Company at least five days prior to the Proposed Prepayment Date. If the
offer is so accepted by any holder of Notes, the Company at least four days
prior to the Proposed Prepayment Date shall give written notice to each holder
of Notes that has not so accepted the offer, in which notice the Company shall
(i) state the aggregate outstanding principal amount of Notes in respect of
which the offer has been accepted and (ii) renew the offer and extend the time
for acceptance by stating that any holder of Notes may yet accept the offer,
whether theretofore rejected or not, by causing a notice of such acceptance to
be delivered to the Company at least two days prior to the Proposed Prepayment
Date. A failure by a holder of Notes to respond to an offer to prepay made
pursuant to this Section shall be deemed to constitute a rejection of such offer
by such holder.

           (e) Prepayment. Prepayment of the Notes to be prepaid pursuant to
this Section shall be at 100% of the principal amount of such Notes, together
with interest on such Notes accrued to the date of prepayment, but without
Make-Whole Amount or other premium. The prepayment shall be made on the Proposed
Prepayment Date except as provided in subparagraph (f) of this Section.


                                      -23-





           (f) Deferral Pending Change in Control. The obligation of the Company
to prepay Notes pursuant to the offers required by subparagraph (b) and accepted
in accordance with subparagraph (d) of this Section is subject to the occurrence
of the Change in Control in respect of which such offers and acceptances shall
have been made. In the event that such Change in Control has not occurred on the
Proposed Prepayment Date in respect thereof, the prepayment shall be deferred
until and shall be made on the date on which such Change in Control occurs. The
Company shall keep each holder of Notes reasonably and timely informed of (i)
any such deferral of the date of prepayment, (ii) the date on which such Change
in Control and the prepayment are expected to occur, and (iii) any determination
by the Company that efforts to effect such Change in Control have ceased or been
abandoned (in which case the offers and acceptances made pursuant to this
Section in respect of such Change in Control shall be deemed rescinded).

           (g) Officer's Certificate. Each offer to prepay the Notes pursuant to
this Section shall be accompanied by a certificate, executed by a Senior
Financial Officer of the Company and dated the date of such offer, specifying:
(i) the Proposed Prepayment Date; (ii) that such offer is made pursuant to this
Section 8.2; (iii) the principal amount of each Note offered to be prepaid; (iv)
the interest that would be due on each Note offered to be prepaid, accrued to
the Proposed Prepayment Date; (v) that the conditions of this Section have been
fulfilled; and (vi) in reasonable detail, the nature and date or proposed date
of the Change in Control.

           (h) "Change in Control" Defined. A "Change in Control" shall be
deemed to have occurred if any Person or Persons acting in concert (other than
the Culp Family), together with Affiliates thereof, shall in the aggregate,
directly or indirectly, control or own (beneficially or otherwise) more than 50%
(by number of shares) of the issued and outstanding Voting Stock of the Company.
"Culp Family" means Robert G. Culp III, his spouse, his mother, his siblings,
his lineal descendants and any trusts for the exclusive benefit of any such
individual, so long as such individual has the exclusive right to control each
such trust.

           (i) "Control Event" Defined. "Control Event" means:

                   (i) the execution by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
         or Affiliates of any agreement or letter of intent with respect to any
         proposed transaction or event or series of transactions or events
         which, individually or in the aggregate, may reasonably be expected to
         result in a Change in Control,

                  (ii) the execution of any written agreement which, when fully
         performed by the parties thereto, would result in a Change in Control,
         or


                                      -24-





                 (iii) the making of any written offer by any person (as such
         term is used in section 13(d) and section 14(d)(2) of the Exchange Act
         as in effect on the date of the Closing) or related persons
         constituting a group (as such term is used in Rule 13d-5 under the
         Exchange Act as in effect on the date of the Closing) to the holders of
         the common stock of the Company, which offer, if accepted by the
         requisite number of holders, would result in a Change in Control.

             Section 8.3.    Optional Prepayments with Make-Whole Amount. The
Company may, at its option, upon notice as provided below, prepay at any time
all, or from time to time any part of, the Notes, in an amount not less than 10%
of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes then outstanding in the case of a
partial prepayment, at 100% of the principal amount so prepaid, plus the
Make-Whole Amount and accrued interest determined for the prepayment date with
respect to such principal amount. The Company will give each holder of Notes
written notice of each optional prepayment under this Section 8.3 not less than
30 days and not more than 60 days prior to the date fixed for such prepayment.
Each such notice shall specify such date, the aggregate principal amount of the
Notes to be prepaid on such date, the principal amount of each Note held by such
holder to be prepaid (determined in accordance with Section 8.4), and the
interest to be paid on the prepayment date with respect to such principal amount
being prepaid, and shall be accompanied by a certificate of a Senior Financial
Officer as to the estimated Make-Whole Amount due in connection with such
prepayment (calculated as if the date of such notice were the date of the
prepayment), setting forth the details of such computation. Two Business Days
prior to such prepayment, the Company shall deliver to each holder of Notes a
certificate of a Senior Financial Officer specifying the calculation of such
Make-Whole Amount as of the specified prepayment date. The calculations with
respect to the Make-Whole Amount shall in any event be subject to the review and
approval of the holders of the Notes and, in the case of any disagreement among
such holders and the Company with respect to such calculations or method of
computation thereof, the conclusion of such holders shall, in the absence of
manifest error, be deemed, binding and conclusive.

             Section 8.4.    Allocation of Partial Prepayments. In the case of
each partial prepayment of the Notes (other than a prepayment pursuant to
Section 8.2), the principal amount of the Notes to be prepaid shall be allocated
among all of the Notes of both Series at the time outstanding in proportion, as
nearly as practicable, to the respective unpaid principal amounts thereof not
theretofore called for prepayment.

             Section 8.5.    Maturity; Surrender, etc. In the case of each
prepayment of Notes pursuant to this Section 8, the principal amount of each
Note to be prepaid shall mature and become due and payable on the date fixed for
such prepayment, together with interest on such principal amount accrued to such
date and the applicable Make-Whole Amount, if any. From and after such date,
unless the Company shall fail to pay such principal amount when so due and


                                      -25-





payable, together with the interest and Make-Whole Amount, if any, as aforesaid,
interest on such principal amount shall cease to accrue. Any Note paid or
prepaid in full shall be surrendered to the Company and cancelled and shall not
be reissued, and no Note shall be issued in lieu of any prepaid principal amount
of any Note.

             Section 8.6.    Purchase of Notes. The Company will not and will
not permit any Affiliate to purchase, redeem, prepay or otherwise acquire,
directly or indirectly, any of the outstanding Notes except upon the payment or
prepayment of the Notes in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and the
Notes. The Company will promptly cancel all Notes acquired by it or any
Affiliate pursuant to any payment, prepayment or purchase of Notes pursuant to
any provision of this Agreement and no Notes may be issued in substitution or
exchange for any such Notes.

             Section 8.7.    Make-Whole Amount. The term "Make-Whole Amount"
means, with respect to any Note, an amount equal to the excess, if any, of the
Discounted Value of the Remaining Scheduled Payments with respect to the Called
Principal of such Note over the amount of such Called Principal, provided that
the Make-Whole Amount may in no event be less than zero. For the purposes of
determining the Make-Whole Amount, the following terms have the following
meanings:

                  "Called Principal" means, with respect to any Note, the
         principal of such Note that is to be prepaid pursuant to Section 8.2 or
         has become or is declared to be immediately due and payable pursuant to
         Section 12.1, as the context requires.

                  "Discounted Value" means, with respect to the Called Principal
         of any Note, the amount obtained by discounting all Remaining Scheduled
         Payments with respect to such Called Principal from their respective
         scheduled due dates to the Settlement Date with respect to such Called
         Principal, in accordance with accepted financial practice and at a
         discount factor (applied on the same periodic basis as that on which
         interest on the Notes is payable) equal to the Reinvestment Yield with
         respect to such Called Principal.

                  "Reinvestment Yield" means, with respect to the Called
         Principal of any Note, 0.50% plus the yield to maturity implied by (i)
         the yields reported, as of 10:00 A.M. (New York City time) on the
         second Business Day preceding the Settlement Date with respect to such
         Called Principal, on the display designated as "Page PX1" on the
         Bloomberg Financial Markets Series Screen (or such other display as may
         replace Page PX1 on the Bloomberg Financial Markets Series Screen) for
         actively traded U.S. Treasury securities having a maturity equal to the
         Remaining Average Life of such Called Principal as of such Settlement
         Date, or (ii) if such yields are not reported as of such time or the
         yields reported as of such time are not ascertainable, the Treasury


                                      -26-





         Constant Maturity Series Yields reported, for the latest day for which
         such yields have been so reported as of the second Business Day
         preceding the Settlement Date with respect to such Called Principal, in
         Federal Reserve Statistical Release H.15 (519) (or any comparable
         successor publication) for actively traded U.S. Treasury securities
         having a constant maturity equal to the Remaining Average Life of such
         Called Principal as of such Settlement Date. Such implied yield will be
         determined, if necessary, by (a) converting U.S. Treasury bill
         quotations to bond-equivalent yields in accordance with accepted
         financial practice and (b) interpolating linearly between (1) the
         actively traded U.S. Treasury security with the average life closest to
         and greater than the Remaining Average Life and (2) the actively traded
         U.S. Treasury security with the average life closest to and less than
         the Remaining Average Life.

                  "Remaining Average Life" means, with respect to any Called
         Principal, the number of years (calculated to the nearest day) obtained
         by dividing (i) such Called Principal into (ii) the sum of the products
         obtained by multiplying (a) the principal component of each Remaining
         Scheduled Payment with respect to such Called Principal by (b) the
         number of years (calculated to the nearest day) that will elapse
         between the Settlement Date with respect to such Called Principal and
         the scheduled due date of such Remaining Scheduled Payment.

                  "Remaining Scheduled Payments" means, with respect to the
         Called Principal of any Note, all payments of such Called Principal and
         interest thereon that would be due after the Settlement Date with
         respect to such Called Principal if no payment of such Called Principal
         were made prior to its scheduled due date, provided that if such
         Settlement Date is not a date on which interest payments are due to be
         made under the terms of the Notes, then the amount of the next
         succeeding scheduled interest payment will be reduced by the amount of
         interest accrued to such Settlement Date and required to be paid on
         such Settlement Date pursuant to Section 8.2 or 12.1.

                  "Settlement Date" means, with respect to the Called Principal
         of any Note, the date on which such Called Principal is to be prepaid
         pursuant to Section 8.3 or has become or is declared to be immediately
         due and payable pursuant to Section 12.1, as the context requires.


SECTION 9.               AFFIRMATIVE COVENANTS.

         The Company covenants that so long as any of the Notes are outstanding:

             Section 9.1.    Compliance with Law. The Company will and will
cause each of its Subsidiaries to comply with all laws, ordinances or
governmental rules or regulations to which


                                      -27-





each of them is subject, including, without limitation, Environmental Laws, and
will obtain and maintain in effect all licenses, certificates, permits,
franchises and other governmental authorizations necessary to the ownership of
their respective properties or to the conduct of their respective businesses, in
each case to the extent necessary to ensure that non-compliance with such laws,
ordinances or governmental rules or regulations or failures to obtain or
maintain in effect such licenses, certificates, permits, franchises and other
governmental authorizations could not, individually or in the aggregate,
reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

             Section 9.2.    Insurance. The Company will and will cause each of
its Subsidiaries to maintain, with financially sound and reputable insurers,
insurance with respect to their respective properties and businesses against
such casualties and contingencies, of such types, on such terms and in such
amounts (including deductibles, co-insurance and self-insurance, if adequate
reserves are maintained with respect thereto) as is customary in the case of
entities of established reputations engaged in the same or a similar business
and similarly situated.

             Section 9.3.    Maintenance of Properties. The Company will and
will cause each of its Subsidiaries to maintain and keep, or cause to be
maintained and kept, their respective properties in reasonably good repair,
working order and condition (other than ordinary wear and tear), so that the
business carried on in connection therewith may be properly conducted at all
times, provided that this Section shall not prevent the Company or any
Subsidiary from discontinuing the operation and the maintenance of any of its
properties if such discontinuance is desirable in the conduct of its business
and the Company has concluded that such discontinuance could not, individually
or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

             Section 9.4.    Payment of Taxes and Claims. The Company will and
will cause each of its Subsidiaries to file all material tax returns required to
be filed in any jurisdiction and to pay and discharge all taxes shown to be due
and payable on such returns and all other taxes, assessments, governmental
charges, or levies imposed on them or any of their properties, assets, income or
franchises, to the extent such taxes and assessments have become due and payable
and before they have become delinquent and all claims for which sums have become
due and payable that have or might become a Lien on properties or assets of the
Company or any Subsidiary, provided that neither the Company nor any Subsidiary
need pay any such tax or assessment or claims if (i) the amount, applicability
or validity thereof is contested by the Company or such Subsidiary on a timely
basis in good faith and in appropriate proceedings, and the Company or a
Subsidiary has established adequate reserves therefor in accordance with GAAP on
the books of the Company or such Subsidiary or (ii) the nonpayment of all such
taxes and assessments in the aggregate could not reasonably be expected to have
a Material Adverse Effect.


                                      -28-





             Section 9.5.    Corporate Existence, etc. The Company will at all
times preserve and keep in full force and effect its corporate existence.
Subject to Sections 10.4 and 10.5, the Company will at all times preserve and
keep in full force and effect the corporate existence of each of its
Subsidiaries (unless merged into the Company or a Subsidiary) and all rights and
franchises of the Company and its Subsidiaries unless, in the good faith
judgment of the Company, the termination of or failure to preserve and keep in
full force and effect such corporate existence, right or franchise could not,
individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.


SECTION 10.              NEGATIVE COVENANTS.

         The Company covenants that so long as any of the Notes are outstanding:

            Section 10.1.    Consolidated Net Worth. The Company will not, at
any time, permit Consolidated Net Worth to be less than the sum of (a)
$100,000,000, plus (b) an aggregate amount equal to 50% of its Consolidated Net
Income (but, in each case, only if a positive number) for each completed fiscal
quarter beginning with the fiscal quarter ended August 2, 1998.

            Section 10.2.    Limitations on Funded Debt and Priority Debt. (a)
The Company will not, and will not permit any Subsidiary to, create, assume or
incur or in any manner be or become liable in respect of any Funded Debt,
except:

                   (1)     Funded Debt evidenced by the Notes;

                   (2)     Funded Debt of the Company and its Subsidiaries
         outstanding as of the date of this Agreement and reflected in Schedule
         5.15 (other than Funded Debt to be repaid out of the proceeds of the
         sale of the Notes) and any renewals, extensions and refinancings
         thereof which, in any case, do not increase the principal amount
         thereof outstanding immediately prior to such renewal, extension or
         refinancing;

                   (3)     Funded Debt of the Company and Priority Debt,
         provided that at the time of issuance thereof and after giving effect
         thereto and to the application of the proceeds thereof:

                            (i)     Consolidated Funded Debt shall not exceed
                   60% of Total Capitalization, and

                           (ii)     Priority Debt shall not exceed 15% of
                   Consolidated Net Worth.


                                      -29-





           (b)   Any Person which becomes a Subsidiary after the date hereof
shall for all purposes of this Section 10.2 be deemed to have created, assumed
or incurred at the time it becomes a Subsidiary all Funded Debt and Priority
Debt of such corporation existing immediately after it becomes a Subsidiary.

            Section 10.3.    Liens. The Company will not, and will not permit
any of its Subsidiaries to, directly or indirectly create, incur, assume or
permit to exist (upon the happening of a contingency or otherwise) any Lien on
or with respect to any property or asset (including, without limitation, any
document or instrument in respect of goods or accounts receivable) of the
Company or any such Subsidiary, whether now owned or held or hereafter acquired,
or any income or profits therefrom, or assign or otherwise convey any right to
receive income or profits, except:

                   (a) Liens for taxes, assessments or other governmental
         charges which are not yet due and payable or the payment of which is
         not at the time required by Section 9.4;

                   (b) any attachment or judgment Lien, unless the judgment it
         secures shall not, within 30 days after the entry thereof, have been
         discharged or execution thereof stayed pending appeal and with respect
         to which judgment adequate reserves have been established by the
         Company and its Subsidiaries in accordance with GAAP;

                   (c) statutory Liens of landlords and Liens of carriers,
         warehousemen, mechanics, materialmen and other similar Liens, in each
         case, incurred in the ordinary course of business for sums not yet due
         and payable or the payment of which is not at the time required by
         Section 9.4;

                   (d) leases or subleases granted to others, easements,
         rights-of-way, restrictions and other similar charges or encumbrances,
         in each case incidental to, and not interfering with, the ordinary
         conduct of the business of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries,
         provided that such Liens do not, in the aggregate, materially detract
         from the value of such property;

                   (e) Liens (other than any Lien imposed by ERISA) incurred or
         deposits made in the ordinary course of business (i) in connection with
         workers' compensation, unemployment insurance and other types of social
         security or retirement benefits, or (ii) to secure (or to obtain
         letters of credit that secure) the performance of tenders, statutory
         obligations, surety bonds, appeal bonds, bids, leases (other than
         Capital Leases), performance bonds, purchase, construction or sales
         contracts and other similar obligations, in each case not incurred or
         made in connection with the borrowing of



                                      -30-





         money, the obtaining of advances or credit or the payment of the
         deferred purchase price of property;

                   (f) Liens existing on the date of this Agreement and securing
         the Debt of the Company and its Subsidiaries referred to in Schedule
         5.15 as secured Debt;

                   (g) Liens on property or assets of the Company or any of its
         Subsidiaries securing Debt owing to the Company or to any of its
         Wholly-Owned Subsidiaries;

                   (h) any Lien created to secure all or any part of the
         purchase price, or to secure Debt incurred or assumed to pay all or any
         part of the purchase price or cost of construction, of tangible
         property (or any improvement thereon) acquired or constructed by the
         Company or a Subsidiary after the date of the Closing, provided that

                            (i) any such Lien shall extend solely to the item or
                  items of such property (or improvement thereon) so acquired or
                  constructed and, if required by the terms of the instrument
                  originally creating such Lien, other property (or improvement
                  thereon) which is an improvement to or is acquired for
                  specific use in connection with such acquired or constructed
                  property (or improvement thereon) or which is real property
                  being improved by such acquired or constructed property (or
                  improvement thereon),

                           (ii) the principal amount of the Debt secured by any
                  such Lien shall at no time exceed an amount equal to the
                  lesser of (A) the cost to the Company or such Subsidiary of
                  the property (or improvement thereon) so acquired or
                  constructed and (B) the Fair Market Value (as determined in
                  good faith by the board of directors of the Company) of such
                  property (or improvement thereon) at the time of such
                  acquisition or construction, and

                          (iii) any such Lien shall be created contemporaneously
                  with, or within 18 months after, the acquisition or
                  construction of such property;

                   (i) any Lien existing on property of a Person immediately
         prior to its being consolidated with or merged into the Company or a
         Subsidiary or its becoming a Subsidiary, or any Lien existing on any
         property acquired by the Company or any Subsidiary at the time such
         property is so acquired (whether or not the Debt secured thereby shall
         have been assumed), provided that (i) no such Lien shall have been
         created or assumed in contemplation of such consolidation or merger or
         such Person's becoming a Subsidiary or such acquisition of property,
         and (ii) each such Lien shall extend solely to the item or items of
         property so acquired and, if required by the terms of the instrument



                                      -31-





         originally creating such Lien, other property which is an improvement
         to or is acquired for specific use in connection with such acquired
         property;

                   (j) any Lien renewing, extending or refunding any Lien
         permitted by paragraphs (f), (h) or (i) of this Section, provided that
         (i) the principal amount of Debt secured by such Lien immediately prior
         to such extension, renewal or refunding is not increased or the
         maturity thereof reduced, (ii) such Lien is not extended to any other
         property, and (iii) immediately after such extension, renewal or
         refunding no Default or Event of Default would exist;

                   (k) other Liens not otherwise permitted by paragraphs (a)
         through (j), provided that after giving effect to the imposition of
         such Lien and the incurrence of the obligation secured thereby,
         Priority Debt shall not exceed 15% of Consolidated Net Worth.

            Section 10.4.    Merger, Consolidation, etc. The Company will not,
and will not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, consolidate with or merge with
any other corporation or convey, transfer or lease substantially all of its
assets in a single transaction or series of transactions to any Person (except
that a Subsidiary of the Company may (x) consolidate with or merge with, or
convey, transfer or lease substantially all of its assets in a single
transaction or series of transactions to, the Company or another Wholly-Owned
Subsidiary of the Company and (y) convey, transfer or lease all of its assets in
compliance with the provisions of Section 10.5), provided that the foregoing
restriction does not apply to the consolidation or merger of the Company with,
or the conveyance, transfer or lease of substantially all of the assets of the
Company in a single transaction or series of transactions to, any Person so long
as:

                   (a) the successor formed by such consolidation or the
         survivor of such merger or the Person that acquires by conveyance,
         transfer or lease substantially all of the assets of the Company as an
         entirety, as the case may be (the "Successor Corporation"), shall be a
         solvent corporation organized and existing under the laws of the United
         States of America, any State thereof or the District of Columbia;

                   (b) if the Company is not the Successor Corporation, such
         corporation shall have executed and delivered to each holder of Notes
         its assumption of the due and punctual performance and observance of
         each covenant and condition of this Agreement, the Other Agreements and
         the Notes (pursuant to such agreements and instruments as shall be
         reasonably satisfactory to the Required Holders), and the Company shall
         have caused to be delivered to each holder of Notes an opinion of
         nationally recognized independent counsel, or other independent counsel
         reasonably satisfactory to the Required Holders, to the effect that all
         agreements or instruments effecting such


                                      -32-





         assumption are enforceable in accordance with their terms and comply
         with the terms hereof; and

                   (c) immediately after giving effect to such transaction:

                            (i) no Default or Event of Default would exist, and

                           (ii) the Successor Corporation would be permitted by
                  the provisions of Section 10.2 hereof to incur at least $1.00
                  of additional Funded Debt owing to a Person other than a
                  Subsidiary of the Successor Corporation.

No such conveyance, transfer or lease of substantially all of the assets of the
Company shall have the effect of releasing the Company or any Successor
Corporation from its liability under this Agreement or the Notes.

            Section 10.5.    Sale of Assets, etc. Except as permitted under
Section 10.4, the Company will not, and will not permit any of its Subsidiaries
to, make any Asset Disposition unless:

                   (a) in the good faith opinion of the Company, the Asset
         Disposition is in exchange for consideration having a Fair Market Value
         at least equal to that of the property exchanged and is in the best
         interest of the Company or such Subsidiary; and

                   (b) immediately prior to and after giving effect to the Asset
         Disposition, no Default or Event of Default would exist; and

                   (c) immediately after giving effect to the Asset Disposition,
         the Disposition Value of all property that was the subject of any Asset
         Disposition occurring in the then current fiscal year of the Company
         would not exceed 15% of Consolidated Assets as of the end of the then
         most recently ended fiscal quarter of the Company.

         If the Net Proceeds Amount for any Transfer is applied to a Debt
Prepayment Application or a Property Reinvestment Application within one year
after such Transfer, then such Transfer, only for the purpose of determining
compliance with subsection (c) of this Section as of a date on or after the Net
Proceeds Amount is so applied, shall be deemed not to be an Asset Disposition.

            Section 10.6.    Transactions with Affiliates. The Company will not
and will not permit any Subsidiary to enter into directly or indirectly any
transaction or Material group of related transactions (including without
limitation the purchase, lease, sale or exchange of properties of


                                      -33-





any kind or the rendering of any service) with any Affiliate (other than the
Company or another Subsidiary), except in the ordinary course and pursuant to
the reasonable requirements of the Company's or such Subsidiary's business and
upon fair and reasonable terms no less favorable to the Company or such
Subsidiary than would be obtainable in a comparable arm's-length transaction
with a Person not an Affiliate.


SECTION 11.              EVENTS OF DEFAULT.

         An "Event of Default" shall exist if any of the following conditions or
events shall occur and be continuing:

                   (a) the Company defaults in the payment of any principal or
         Make-Whole Amount, if any, on any Note when the same becomes due and
         payable, whether at maturity or at a date fixed for prepayment or by
         declaration or otherwise; or

                   (b) the Company defaults in the payment of any interest on
         any Note for more than five Business Days after the same becomes due
         and payable; or

                   (c) the Company defaults in the performance of or compliance
         with any term contained in Sections 10.1 through 10.5, both inclusive,
         or Section 7.1(d); or

                   (d) the Company defaults in the performance of or compliance
         with any term contained herein (other than those referred to in
         paragraphs (a), (b) and (c) of this Section 11) and such default is not
         remedied within 30 days after the earlier of (i) a Responsible Officer
         obtaining actual knowledge of such default and (ii) the Company
         receiving written notice of such default from any holder of a Note (any
         such written notice to be identified as a "notice of default" and to
         refer specifically to this paragraph (d) of Section 11); or

                   (e) any representation or warranty made in writing by or on
         behalf of the Company or by any officer of the Company in this
         Agreement or in any writing furnished in connection with the
         transactions contemplated hereby proves to have been false or incorrect
         in any material respect on the date as of which made; or

                   (f) (i) the Company or any Subsidiary is in default (as
         principal or as guarantor or other surety) in the payment of any
         principal of or premium or make-whole amount or interest on any
         Indebtedness that is outstanding in an aggregate principal amount of at
         least $5,000,000 beyond any period of grace provided with respect
         thereto, or (ii) the Company or any Subsidiary is in default in the
         performance of or compliance with any term of any evidence of any
         Indebtedness in an aggregate outstanding principal


                                      -34-





         amount of at least $5,000,000 or of any mortgage, indenture or other
         agreement relating thereto or any other condition exists, and as a
         consequence of such default or condition such Indebtedness has become,
         or has been declared (or one or more Persons are entitled to declare
         such Indebtedness to be), due and payable before its stated maturity or
         before its regularly scheduled dates of payment, or (iii) as a
         consequence of the occurrence or continuation of any event or condition
         (other than the passage of time or the right of the holder of
         Indebtedness to convert such Indebtedness into equity interests), (x)
         the Company or any Subsidiary has become obligated to purchase or repay
         Indebtedness before its regular maturity or before its regularly
         scheduled dates of payment in an aggregate outstanding principal amount
         of at least $5,000,000, or (y) one or more Persons have the right to
         require the Company or any Subsidiary so to purchase or repay such
         Indebtedness; or

                   (g) the Company or any Subsidiary (i) is generally not
         paying, or admits in writing its inability to pay, its debts as they
         become due, (ii) files, or consents by answer or otherwise to the
         filing against it of, a petition for relief or reorganization or
         arrangement or any other petition in bankruptcy, for liquidation or to
         take advantage of any bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization,
         moratorium or other similar law of any jurisdiction, (iii) makes an
         assignment for the benefit of its creditors, (iv) consents to the
         appointment of a custodian, receiver, trustee or other officer with
         similar powers with respect to it or with respect to any substantial
         part of its property, (v) is adjudicated as insolvent or to be
         liquidated, or (vi) takes corporate action for the purpose of any of
         the foregoing; or

                   (h) a court or governmental authority of competent
         jurisdiction enters an order appointing, without consent by the Company
         or any of its Subsidiaries, a custodian, receiver, trustee or other
         officer with similar powers with respect to it or with respect to any
         substantial part of its property, or constituting an order for relief
         or approving a petition for relief or reorganization or any other
         petition in bankruptcy or for liquidation or to take advantage of any
         bankruptcy or insolvency law of any jurisdiction, or ordering the
         dissolution, winding-up or liquidation of the Company or any of its
         Subsidiaries, or any such petition shall be filed against the Company
         or any of its Subsidiaries and such petition shall not be dismissed
         within 60 days; or

                   (i) a final judgment or judgments for the payment of money
         aggregating in excess of $5,000,000 are rendered against one or more of
         the Company and its Subsidiaries and which judgments are not, within 60
         days after entry thereof, bonded, discharged or stayed pending appeal;
         or


                                      -35-





                   (j) if (i) any Plan shall fail to satisfy the minimum funding
         standards of ERISA or the Code for any plan year or part thereof or a
         waiver of such standards or extension of any amortization period is
         sought or granted under section 412 of the Code, (ii) a notice of
         intent to terminate any Plan shall have been or is reasonably expected
         to be filed with the PBGC or the PBGC shall have instituted proceedings
         under ERISA section 4042 to terminate or appoint a trustee to
         administer any Plan or the PBGC shall have notified the Company or any
         ERISA Affiliate that a Plan may become a subject of any such
         proceedings, (iii) the aggregate "amount of unfunded benefit
         liabilities" (within the meaning of section 4001(a)(18) of ERISA) under
         all Plans, determined in accordance with Title IV of ERISA, shall
         exceed $5,000,000, (iv) the Company or any ERISA Affiliate shall have
         incurred or is reasonably expected to incur any liability pursuant to
         Title I or IV of ERISA or the penalty or excise tax provisions of the
         Code relating to employee benefit plans, (v) the Company or any ERISA
         Affiliate withdraws from any Multiemployer Plan, or (vi) the Company or
         any Subsidiary establishes or amends any employee welfare benefit plan
         that provides post-employment welfare benefits in a manner that would
         increase the liability of the Company or any Subsidiary thereunder; and
         any such event or events described in clauses (i) through (vi) above,
         either individually or together with any other such event or events,
         could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

As used in Section 11(j), the terms "employee benefit plan" and "employee
welfare benefit plan" shall have the respective meanings assigned to such terms
in Section 3 of ERISA.


SECTION 12.              REMEDIES ON DEFAULT, ETC.

            Section 12.1.    Acceleration.

                   (a) If an Event of Default with respect to the Company
         described in paragraph (g) or (h) of Section 11 has occurred, all the
         Notes then outstanding shall automatically become immediately due and
         payable.

                   (b) If any other Event of Default has occurred and is
         continuing, any holder or holders of more than 35% in principal amount
         of the Notes at the time outstanding may at any time at its or their
         option, by notice or notices to the Company, declare all the Notes then
         outstanding to be immediately due and payable.

                   (c) If any Event of Default described in paragraph (a) or (b)
         of Section 11 has occurred and is continuing, any holder or holders of
         Notes at the time outstanding affected by such Event of Default may at
         any time, at its or their option, by notice or


                                      -36-





         notices to the Company, declare all the Notes held by it or them to be
         immediately due and payable.

         Upon any Note's becoming due and payable under this Section 12.1,
whether automatically or by declaration, such Note will forthwith mature and the
entire unpaid principal amount of such Note, plus (x) all accrued and unpaid
interest thereon and (y) the Make-Whole Amount determined in respect of such
principal amount (to the full extent permitted by applicable law), shall all be
immediately due and payable, in each and every case without presentment, demand,
protest or further notice, all of which are hereby waived. The Company
acknowledges, and the parties hereto agree, that each holder of a Note has the
right to maintain its investment in the Notes free from repayment by the Company
(except as herein specifically provided for), and that the provision for payment
of a Make-Whole Amount by the Company in the event that the Notes are prepaid or
are accelerated as a result of an Event of Default, is intended to provide
compensation for the deprivation of such right under such circumstances.

            Section 12.2.    Other Remedies. If any Default or Event of Default
has occurred and is continuing, and irrespective of whether any Notes have
become or have been declared immediately due and payable under Section 12.1, the
holder of any Note at the time outstanding may proceed to protect and enforce
the rights of such holder by an action at law, suit in equity or other
appropriate proceeding, whether for the specific performance of any agreement
contained herein or in any Note, or for an injunction against a violation of any
of the terms hereof or thereof, or in aid of the exercise of any power granted
hereby or thereby or by law or otherwise.

            Section 12.3.    Rescission. At any time after any Notes have been
declared due and payable pursuant to clause (b) or (c) of Section 12.1, the
holders of not less than 66-2/3% in principal amount of the Notes then
outstanding, by written notice to the Company, may rescind and annul any such
declaration and its consequences if (a) the Company has paid all overdue
interest on the Notes, all principal of and Make-Whole Amount, if any, on any
Notes that are due and payable and are unpaid other than by reason of such
declaration, and all interest on such overdue principal and Make-Whole Amount,
if any, and (to the extent permitted by applicable law) any overdue interest in
respect of the Notes, at the Default Rate, (b) all Events of Default and
Defaults, other than non-payment of amounts that have become due solely by
reason of such declaration, have been cured or have been waived pursuant to
Section 17, and (c) no judgment or decree has been entered for the payment of
any monies due pursuant hereto or to the Notes. No rescission and annulment
under this Section 12.3 will extend to or affect any subsequent Event of Default
or Default or impair any right consequent thereon.

            Section 12.4.    No Waivers or Election of Remedies, Expenses, etc.
No course of dealing and no delay on the part of any holder of any Note in
exercising any right, power or remedy shall operate as a waiver thereof or
otherwise prejudice such holder's rights, powers or


                                      -37-





remedies. No right, power or remedy conferred by this Agreement or by any Note
upon any holder thereof shall be exclusive of any other right, power or remedy
referred to herein or therein or now or hereafter available at law, in equity,
by statute or otherwise. Without limiting the obligations of the Company under
Section 15, the Company will pay to the holder of each Note on demand such
further amount as shall be sufficient to cover all costs and expenses of such
holder incurred in any enforcement or collection under this Section 12,
including, without limitation, reasonable attorneys' fees, expenses and
disbursements.


SECTION 13.              REGISTRATION; EXCHANGE; SUBSTITUTION OF NOTES.

            Section 13.1.    Registration of Notes. The Company shall keep at
its principal executive office a register for the registration and registration
of transfers of Notes. The name and address of each holder of one or more Notes,
each transfer thereof and the name and address of each transferee of one or more
Notes shall be registered in such register. Prior to due presentment for
registration of transfer, the Person in whose name any Note shall be registered
shall be deemed and treated as the owner and holder thereof for all purposes
hereof, and the Company shall not be affected by any notice or knowledge to the
contrary. The Company shall give to any holder of a Note that is an
Institutional Investor promptly upon request therefor, a complete and correct
copy of the names and addresses of all registered holders of Notes.

            Section 13.2.    Transfer and Exchange of Notes. Upon surrender of
any Note at the principal executive office of the Company for registration of
transfer or exchange (and in the case of a surrender for registration of
transfer, duly endorsed or accompanied by a written instrument of transfer duly
executed by the registered holder of such Note or its attorney duly authorized
in writing and accompanied by the address for notices of each transferee of such
Note or part thereof), the Company shall execute and deliver, at the Company's
expense (except as provided below), one or more new Notes (as requested by the
holder thereof) in exchange therefor, in an aggregate principal amount equal to
the unpaid principal amount of, and of the same Series as, the surrendered Note.
Each such new Note shall be payable to such Person as such holder may request
and shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit 1. Each such new Note shall be
dated and bear interest from the date to which interest shall have been paid on
the surrendered Note or dated the date of the surrendered Note if no interest
shall have been paid thereon. The Company may require payment of a sum
sufficient to cover any stamp tax or governmental charge imposed in respect of
any such transfer of Notes. Notes shall not be transferred in denominations of
less than $100,000, provided that if necessary to enable the registration of
transfer by a holder of its entire holding of Notes, one Note may be in a
denomination of less than $100,000. Any transferee, by its acceptance of a Note
registered in its name (or the name of its nominee), shall be deemed to have
made the representation set forth in Section 6.2.


                                      -38-





            Section 13.3.    Replacement of Notes. Upon receipt by the Company
of evidence reasonably satisfactory to it of the ownership of and the loss,
theft, destruction or mutilation of any Note (which evidence shall be, in the
case of an Institutional Investor, notice from such Institutional Investor of
such ownership and such loss, theft, destruction or mutilation), and

                   (a)    in the case of loss, theft or destruction, of
         indemnity reasonably satisfactory to it (provided that if the holder of
         such Note is, or is a nominee for, an original Purchaser or another
         holder of a Note with a minimum net worth of at least $100,000,000,
         such Person's own unsecured agreement of indemnity shall be deemed to
         be satisfactory), or

                   (b)     in the case of mutilation, upon surrender and
         cancellation thereof,

the Company at its own expense shall execute and deliver, in lieu thereof, a new
Note, dated and bearing interest from the date to which interest shall have been
paid on, and of the same Series as, such lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated
Note or dated the date of such lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated Note if no
interest shall have been paid thereon.


SECTION 14.              PAYMENTS ON NOTES.

            Section 14.1.    Place of Payment. Subject to Section 14.2, payments
of principal, Make-Whole Amount, if any, and interest becoming due and payable
on the Notes shall be made in the Borough of Manhattan, City and State of New
York, at the principal office of Citibank, N.A. in such jurisdiction. The
Company may at any time, by notice to each holder of a Note, change the place of
payment of the Notes so long as such place of payment shall be either the
principal office of the Company in such jurisdiction or the principal office of
a bank or trust company in such jurisdiction.

            Section 14.2.    Home Office Payment. So long as you or your nominee
shall be the holder of any Note, and notwithstanding anything contained in
Section 14.1 or in such Note to the contrary, the Company will pay all sums
becoming due on such Note for principal, Make-Whole Amount, if any, and interest
by the method and at the address specified for such purpose below your name in
Schedule A, or by such other method or at such other address as you shall have
from time to time specified to the Company in writing for such purpose, without
the presentation or surrender of such Note or the making of any notation
thereon, except that upon written request of the Company made concurrently with
or reasonably promptly after payment or prepayment in full of any Note, you
shall surrender such Note for cancellation, reasonably promptly after any such
request, to the Company at its principal executive office or at the place of
payment most recently designated by the Company pursuant to Section 14.1. Prior
to any sale or other disposition of any Note held by you or your nominee you
will surrender such Note to the


                                      -39-





Company in exchange for a new Note or Notes pursuant to Section 13.2. The
Company will afford the benefits of this Section 14.2 to any Institutional
Investor that is the direct or indirect transferee of any Note purchased by you
under this Agreement and that has made the same agreement relating to such Note
as you have made in this Section 14.2.


SECTION 15.              EXPENSES, ETC.

            Section 15.1.    Transaction Expenses. Whether or not the
transactions contemplated hereby are consummated, the Company will pay all costs
and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees of a special counsel and, if
reasonably required, local or other counsel) incurred by you and each Other
Purchaser or holder of a Note in connection with such transactions and in
connection with any amendments, waivers or consents under or in respect of this
Agreement or the Notes (whether or not such amendment, waiver or consent becomes
effective), including, without limitation: (a) the costs and expenses incurred
in enforcing or defending (or determining whether or how to enforce or defend)
any rights under this Agreement or the Notes or in responding to any subpoena or
other legal process or informal investigative demand issued in connection with
this Agreement or the Notes, or by reason of being a holder of any Note, and (b)
the costs and expenses, including financial advisors' fees, incurred in
connection with the insolvency or bankruptcy of the Company or any Subsidiary or
in connection with any work-out or restructuring of the transactions
contemplated hereby and by the Notes. The Company will pay, and will save you
and each other holder of a Note harmless from, all claims in respect of any
fees, costs or expenses, if any, of brokers and finders (other than those
retained by you).

            Section 15.2.    Survival. The obligations of the Company under this
Section 15 will survive the payment or transfer of any Note, the enforcement,
amendment or waiver of any provision of this Agreement or the Notes, and the
termination of this Agreement.


SECTION 16.              SURVIVAL OF REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES; ENTIRE
                         AGREEMENT.

         All representations and warranties contained herein shall survive the
execution and delivery of this Agreement and the Notes, the purchase or transfer
by you of any Note or portion thereof or interest therein and the payment of any
Note, and may be relied upon by any subsequent holder of a Note, regardless of
any investigation made at any time by or on behalf of you or any other holder of
a Note. All statements contained in any certificate or other instrument
delivered by or on behalf of the Company pursuant to this Agreement shall be
deemed representations and warranties of the Company under this Agreement.
Subject to the preceding sentence, this Agreement and the Notes embody the
entire agreement and understanding between you and the Company and supersede all
prior agreements and understandings relating to the subject matter hereof.


                                      -40-





SECTION 17.              AMENDMENT AND WAIVER.

            Section 17.1.    Requirements. This Agreement and the Notes may be
amended, and the observance of any term hereof or of the Notes may be waived
(either retroactively or prospectively), with (and only with) the written
consent of the Company and the Required Holders, except that (a) no amendment or
waiver of any of the provisions of Section 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 21 hereof, or any
defined term (as it is used therein), will be effective as to you unless
consented to by you in writing, and (b) no such amendment or waiver may, without
the written consent of the holder of each Note at the time outstanding affected
thereby, (i) subject to the provisions of Section 12 relating to acceleration or
rescission, change the amount or time of any prepayment or payment of principal
of, or reduce the rate or change the time of payment or method of computation of
interest or of the Make-Whole Amount on, the Notes, (ii) change the percentage
of the principal amount of the Notes the holders of which are required to
consent to any such amendment or waiver, or (iii) amend any of Sections 8,
11(a), 11(b), 12, 17 or 20.

            Section 17.2.    Solicitation of Holders of Notes.

           (a) Solicitation. The Company will provide each holder of the Notes
(irrespective of the amount of Notes then owned by it) with sufficient
information, sufficiently far in advance of the date a decision is required, to
enable such holder to make an informed and considered decision with respect to
any proposed amendment, waiver or consent in respect of any of the provisions
hereof or of the Notes. The Company will deliver executed or true and correct
copies of each amendment, waiver or consent effected pursuant to the provisions
of this Section 17 to each holder of outstanding Notes promptly following the
date on which it is executed and delivered by, or receives the consent or
approval of, the requisite holders of Notes.

           (b) Payment. The Company will not directly or indirectly pay or cause
to be paid any remuneration, whether by way of supplemental or additional
interest, fee or otherwise, or grant any security, to any holder of Notes as
consideration for or as an inducement to the entering into by any holder of
Notes or any waiver or amendment of any of the terms and provisions hereof
unless such remuneration is concurrently paid, or security is concurrently
granted, on the same terms, ratably to each holder of Notes then outstanding
even if such holder did not consent to such waiver or amendment.

            Section 17.3.    Binding Effect, etc. Any amendment or waiver
consented to as provided in this Section 17 applies equally to all holders of
Notes and is binding upon them and upon each future holder of any Note and upon
the Company without regard to whether such Note has been marked to indicate such
amendment or waiver. No such amendment or waiver will extend to or affect any
obligation, covenant, agreement, Default or Event of Default not expressly
amended or waived or impair any right consequent thereon. No course of dealing
between the Company


                                      -41-





and the holder of any Note nor any delay in exercising any rights hereunder or
under any Note shall operate as a waiver of any rights of any holder of such
Note. As used herein, the term "this Agreement" and references thereto shall
mean this Agreement as it may from time to time be amended or supplemented.

            Section 17.4.    Notes Held by Company, etc. Solely for the purpose
of determining whether the holders of the requisite percentage of the aggregate
principal amount of Notes then outstanding approved or consented to any
amendment, waiver or consent to be given under this Agreement or the Notes, or
have directed the taking of any action provided herein or in the Notes to be
taken upon the direction of the holders of a specified percentage of the
aggregate principal amount of Notes then outstanding, Notes directly or
indirectly owned by the Company or any of its Affiliates shall be deemed not to
be outstanding.


SECTION 18.              NOTICES.

         All notices and communications provided for hereunder shall be in
writing and sent (a) by telefacsimile if the sender on the same day sends a
confirming copy of such notice by a recognized overnight delivery service
(charges prepaid), or (b) by registered or certified mail with return receipt
requested (postage prepaid), or (c) by a recognized overnight delivery service
(with charges prepaid). Any such notice must be sent:

                   (i) if to you or your nominee, to you or it at the address
         specified for such communications in Schedule A, or at such other
         address as you or it shall have specified to the Company in writing,

                  (ii) if to any other holder of any Note, to such holder at
         such address as such other holder shall have specified to the Company
         in writing, or

                 (iii) if to the Company, to the Company at its address set
         forth at the beginning hereof to the attention of Chief Financial
         Officer, or at such other address as the Company shall have specified
         to the holder of each Note in writing.

Notices under this Section 18 will be deemed given only when actually received.


SECTION 19.              REPRODUCTION OF DOCUMENTS.

         This Agreement and all documents relating thereto, including, without
limitation, (a) consents, waivers and modifications that may hereafter be
executed, (b) documents received by you at the Closing (except the Notes
themselves), and (c) financial statements, certificates and other information
previously or hereafter furnished to you, may be reproduced by you by any


                                      -42-





photographic, photostatic, microfilm, microcard, miniature photographic or other
similar process and you may destroy any original document so reproduced. The
Company agrees and stipulates that, to the extent permitted by applicable law,
any such reproduction shall be admissible in evidence as the original itself in
any judicial or administrative proceeding (whether or not the original is in
existence and whether or not such reproduction was made by you in the regular
course of business) and any enlargement, facsimile or further reproduction of
such reproduction shall likewise be admissible in evidence. This Section 19
shall not prohibit the Company or any other holder of Notes from contesting any
such reproduction to the same extent that it could contest the original, or from
introducing evidence to demonstrate the inaccuracy of any such reproduction.


SECTION 20.              CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION.

         For the purposes of this Section 20, "Confidential Information" means
information delivered to you by or on behalf of the Company or any Subsidiary in
connection with the transactions contemplated by or otherwise pursuant to this
Agreement that is proprietary in nature and that was clearly marked or labeled
or otherwise adequately identified when received by you as being confidential
information of the Company or such Subsidiary, provided that such term does not
include information that (a) was publicly known or otherwise known to you prior
to the time of such disclosure, (b) subsequently becomes publicly known through
no act or omission by you or any person acting on your behalf, (c) otherwise
becomes known to you other than through disclosure by the Company or any
Subsidiary or (d) constitutes financial statements delivered to you under
Section 7.1 that are otherwise publicly available. You will maintain the
confidentiality of such Confidential Information in accordance with procedures
adopted by you in good faith to protect confidential information of third
parties delivered to you, provided that you may deliver or disclose Confidential
Information to (i) your directors, officers, employees, agents, attorneys and
affiliates (to the extent such disclosure reasonably relates to the
administration of the investment represented by your Notes), (ii) your financial
advisors and other professional advisors who agree to hold confidential the
Confidential Information substantially in accordance with the terms of this
Section 20, (iii) any other holder of any Note, (iv) any Institutional Investor
to which you sell or offer to sell such Note or any part thereof or any
participation therein (if such Person has agreed in writing prior to its receipt
of such Confidential Information to be bound by the provisions of this Section
20), (v) any Person from which you offer to purchase any security of the Company
(if such Person has agreed in writing prior to its receipt of such Confidential
Information to be bound by the provisions of this Section 20), (vi) any federal
or state regulatory authority having jurisdiction over you, (vii) the National
Association of Insurance Commissioners or any similar organization, or any
nationally recognized rating agency that requires access to information about
your investment portfolio or (viii) any other Person to which such delivery or
disclosure may be necessary or appropriate (w) to effect compliance with any
law, rule, regulation or order applicable to you, (x) in response


                                      -43-





to any subpoena or other legal process, (y) in connection with any litigation to
which you are a party or (z) if an Event of Default has occurred and is
continuing, to the extent you may reasonably determine such delivery and
disclosure to be necessary or appropriate in the enforcement or for the
protection of the rights and remedies under your Notes and this Agreement. Each
holder of a Note, by its acceptance of a Note, will be deemed to have agreed to
be bound by and to be entitled to the benefits of this Section 20 as though it
were a party to this Agreement. On reasonable request by the Company in
connection with the delivery to any holder of a Note of information required to
be delivered to such holder under this Agreement or requested by such holder
(other than a holder that is a party to this Agreement or its nominee), such
holder will enter into an agreement with the Company embodying the provisions of
this Section 20.


SECTION 21.              SUBSTITUTION OF PURCHASER.

         You shall have the right to substitute any one of your Affiliates as
the purchaser of the Notes that you have agreed to purchase hereunder, by
written notice to the Company, which notice shall be signed by both you and such
Affiliate, shall contain such Affiliate's agreement to be bound by this
Agreement and shall contain a confirmation by such Affiliate of the accuracy
with respect to it of the representations set forth in Section 6. Upon receipt
of such notice, wherever the word "you" is used in this Agreement (other than in
this Section 21), such word shall be deemed to refer to such Affiliate in lieu
of you. In the event that such Affiliate is so substituted as a purchaser
hereunder and such Affiliate thereafter transfers to you all of the Notes then
held by such Affiliate, upon receipt by the Company of notice of such transfer,
wherever the word "you" is used in this Agreement (other than in this Section
21), such word shall no longer be deemed to refer to such Affiliate, but shall
refer to you, and you shall have all the rights of an original holder of the
Notes under this Agreement.


SECTION 22.              MISCELLANEOUS.

            Section 22.1.    Successors and Assigns. All covenants and other
agreements contained in this Agreement by or on behalf of any of the parties
hereto bind and inure to the benefit of their respective successors and assigns
(including, without limitation, any subsequent holder of a Note) whether so
expressed or not.

            Section 22.2.    Payments Due on Non-Business Days. Anything in this
Agreement or the Notes to the contrary notwithstanding, any payment of principal
of or Make-Whole Amount or interest on any Note that is due on a date other than
a Business Day shall be made on the next succeeding Business Day without
including the additional days elapsed in the computation of the interest payable
on such next succeeding Business Day.


                                      -44-





            Section 22.3.    Severability. Any provision of this Agreement that
is prohibited or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as to such
jurisdiction, be ineffective to the extent of such prohibition or
unenforceability without invalidating the remaining provisions hereof, and any
such prohibition or unenforceability in any jurisdiction shall (to the full
extent permitted by law) not invalidate or render unenforceable such provision
in any other jurisdiction.

            Section 22.4.    Construction. Each covenant contained herein shall
be construed (absent express provision to the contrary) as being independent of
each other covenant contained herein, so that compliance with any one covenant
shall not (absent such an express contrary provision) be deemed to excuse
compliance with any other covenant. Where any provision herein refers to action
to be taken by any Person, or which such Person is prohibited from taking, such
provision shall be applicable whether such action is taken directly or
indirectly by such Person.

            Section 22.5.    Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any
number of counterparts, each of which shall be an original but all of which
together shall constitute one instrument. Each counterpart may consist of a
number of copies hereof, each signed by less than all, but together signed by
all, of the parties hereto.

            Section 22.6.    Governing Law. This Agreement shall be construed
and enforced in accordance with, and the rights of the parties shall be governed
by, the law of the State of New York excluding choice-of-law principles of the
law of such State that would require the application of the laws of a
jurisdiction other than such State.

                           *     *     *     *     *


                                      -45-





         If you are in agreement with the foregoing, please sign the form of
agreement on the accompanying counterpart of this Agreement and return it to the
Company, whereupon the foregoing shall become a binding agreement between you
and the Company.

                                    Very truly yours,

                                    CULP, INC.



                                    By

                                       Name:
                                       Title:


The foregoing is hereby agreed
to as of the date thereof.

                                    [VARIATION]



                                    By

                                       Name:
                                       Title:


                                      -46-





                       INFORMATION RELATING TO PURCHASERS
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                         PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF
NAME AND ADDRESS OF PURCHASER                           NOTES TO BE PURCHASED
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                      SERIES A        SERIES B

CONNECTICUT GENERAL LIFE                                $-0-         $6,500,000
   INSURANCE COMPANY                                                 $3,100,000
c/o CIGNA Investments, Inc.                                          $3,100,000
900 Cottage Grove Road                                               $3,100,000
Hartford, Connecticut  06152-2307
Attention:  Private Securities Division S-307
Fax:  860-726-7203

Payments

All payments on or in respect of the Notes to be by Federal Funds Wire Transfer
to:

         Chase NYC/CTR/
         BNF=CIGNA Private Placements/AC=9009001802
         ABA #021000021
         OBI=[name of company; description of security; interest rate; maturity
         date; PPN; due date and application (as among principal, premium and
         interest of the payment being made); contact name and phone.]

Address for Notices Related to Payments:

         CIG & Co.
         c/o CIGNA Investments, Inc.
         Attention:  Securities Processing S-309
         900 Cottage Grove Road
         Hartford, Connecticut  06152-2309

         and

         CIG & Co.
         c/o CIGNA Investments, Inc.
         Attention:  Private Securities S-307
         Operations Group




                                   SCHEDULE A
                          (to Note Purchase Agreement)







         900 Cottage Grove Road
         Hartford, Connecticut  06152-2307
         Fax:  860-726-7203

         with a copy to:

         Chase Manhattan Bank, N.A.
         Private Placement Servicing
         P. O. Box 1508
         Bowling Green Station
         New York, New York  10081
         Attention:  CIGNA Private Placements
         Fax:  212-552-3107/1005

Address for All Other Notices:

         CIG & Co.
         c/o CIGNA Investments, Inc.
         Attention:  Private Securities Division S-307
         900 Cottage Grove Road
         Hartford, Connecticut  06152-2307
         Fax:  860-726-7203

Name of Nominee in which Notes are to be issued: CIG & Co.

Taxpayer I.D. Number for CIG & Co.:  13-3574027



                                      A-48





- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                         PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF
NAME AND ADDRESS OF PURCHASER                           NOTES TO BE PURCHASED
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                      SERIES A        SERIES B

LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY OF                              $-0-          $3,100,000
  NORTH AMERICA
c/o CIGNA Investments, Inc.
900 Cottage Grove Road
Hartford, Connecticut  06152-2307
Attention:  Private Securities Division S-307
Fax:  860-726-7203

Payments

All payments on or in respect of the Notes to be by Federal Funds Wire Transfer
to:

         Chase NYC/CTR/
         BNF=CIGNA Private Placements/AC=9009001802
         ABA #021000021
         OBI=[name of company; description of security; interest rate; maturity
         date; PPN; due date and application (as among principal, premium and
         interest of the payment being made); contact name and phone.]

Address for Notices Related to Payments:

         CIG & Co.
         c/o CIGNA Investments, Inc.
         Attention:  Securities Processing S-309
         900 Cottage Grove Road
         Hartford, Connecticut  06152-2309

         and

         CIG & Co.
         c/o CIGNA Investments, Inc.
         Attention:  Private Securities S-307
         Operations Group
         900 Cottage Grove Road


                                      A-49





         Hartford, Connecticut  06152-2307
         Fax:  860-726-7203

         with a copy to:

         Chase Manhattan Bank, N.A.
         Private Placement Servicing
         P. O. Box 1508
         Bowling Green Station
         New York, New York  10081
         Attention:  CIGNA Private Placements
         Fax:  212-552-3107/1005

Address for All Other Notices:

         CIG & Co.
         c/o CIGNA Investments, Inc.
         Attention:  Private Securities Division S-307
         900 Cottage Grove Road
         Hartford, Connecticut  06152-2307
         Fax:  860-726-7203

Name of Nominee in which Notes are to be issued: CIG & Co.

Taxpayer I.D. Number for CIG & Co.:  13-3574027


                                      A-50





- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                         PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF
NAME AND ADDRESS OF PURCHASER                           NOTES TO BE PURCHASED
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                      SERIES A        SERIES B

CIGNA PROPERTY AND CASUALTY                            $-0-          $3,100,000
  INSURANCE COMPANY
c/o CIGNA Investments, Inc.
900 Cottage Grove Road
Hartford, Connecticut  06152-2307
Attention:  Private Securities Division S-307
Fax:  860-726-7203

Payments

All payments on or in respect of the Notes to be by Federal Funds Wire Transfer
to:

         Chase NYC/CTR/
         BNF=CIGNA Private Placements/AC=9009001802
         ABA #021000021
         OBI=[name of company; description of security; interest rate; maturity
         date; PPN; due date and application (as among principal, premium and
         interest of the payment being made); contact name and phone.]

Address for Notices Related to Payments:

         CIG & Co.
         c/o CIGNA Investments, Inc.
         Attention:  Securities Processing S-309
         900 Cottage Grove Road
         Hartford, Connecticut  06152-2309

         and

         CIG & Co.
         c/o CIGNA Investments, Inc.
         Attention:  Private Securities S-307
         Operations Group
         900 Cottage Grove Road

                                      A-51





         Hartford, Connecticut  06152-2307
         Fax:  860-726-7203

         with a copy to:

         Chase Manhattan Bank, N.A.
         Private Placement Servicing
         P. O. Box 1508
         Bowling Green Station
         New York, New York  10081
         Attention:  CIGNA Private Placements
         Fax:  212-552-3107/1005

Address for All Other Notices:

         CIG & Co.
         c/o CIGNA Investments, Inc.
         Attention:  Private Securities Division S-307
         900 Cottage Grove Road
         Hartford, Connecticut  06152-2307
         Fax:  860-726-7203

Name of Nominee in which Notes are to be issued: CIG & Co.

Taxpayer I.D. Number for CIG & Co.:  13-3574027


                                      A-52





- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                         PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF
NAME AND ADDRESS OF PURCHASER                           NOTES TO BE PURCHASED
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                      SERIES A        SERIES B

CONNECTICUT GENERAL LIFE INSURANCE                      $-0-         $3,000,000
  COMPANY, on behalf of one or more separate
   accounts
c/o CIGNA Investments, Inc.
900 Cottage Grove Road
Hartford, Connecticut  06152-2307
Attention:  Private Securities Division S-307
Fax:  860-726-7203

Payments

All payments on or in respect of the Notes to be by Federal Funds Wire Transfer
to:

         Chase NYC/CTR/
         BNF=CIGNA Private Placements/AC=9009001802
         ABA #021000021
         OBI=[name of company; description of security; interest rate; maturity
         date; PPN; due date and application (as among principal, premium and
         interest of the payment being made); contact name and phone.]

Address for Notices Related to Payments:

         CIG & Co.
         c/o CIGNA Investments, Inc.
         Attention:  Securities Processing S-309
         900 Cottage Grove Road
         Hartford, Connecticut  06152-2309

         and

         CIG & Co.
         c/o CIGNA Investments, Inc.
         Attention:  Private Securities S-307
         Operations Group


                                      A-53





         900 Cottage Grove Road
         Hartford, Connecticut  06152-2307
         Fax:  860-726-7203

         with a copy to:

         Chase Manhattan Bank, N.A.
         Private Placement Servicing
         P. O. Box 1508
         Bowling Green Station
         New York, New York  10081
         Attention:  CIGNA Private Placements
         Fax:  212-552-3107/1005

Address for All Other Notices:

         CIG & Co.
         c/o CIGNA Investments, Inc.
         Attention:  Private Securities Division S-307
         900 Cottage Grove Road
         Hartford, Connecticut  06152-2307
         Fax:  860-726-7203

Name of Nominee in which Notes are to be issued: CIG & Co.

Taxpayer I.D. Number for CIG & Co.:  13-3574027


                                      A-54




- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                         PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF
NAME AND ADDRESS OF PURCHASER                           NOTES TO BE PURCHASED
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                      SERIES A        SERIES B

THE MUTUAL LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY                       $-0-        $19,000,000
  OF NEW YORK
1740 Broadway
New York, New York  10019
Attention:  MONY Capital Management Unit
Telecopy Number:  (212) 708-2491

Payments

All payments on or in respect of the Notes to be by bank wire transfer of
Federal or other immediately available funds (identifying each payment as "Culp,
Inc. 6.76% Senior Notes Series B due 2010, PPN 230215 A@ 4, principal, premium
or interest") to:

         Chase Manhattan Bank
         ABA #021000021
         for credit to Private Income Processing Account No. 544-755102

Notices

All notices of payment on or in respect of the Notes and written confirmation of
each such payment to:

         IF BY REGISTERED MAIL, CERTIFIED MAIL OR FEDERAL EXPRESS:

         The Chase Manhattan Bank
         4 New York Plaza, 13th Floor
         New York, New York  10004
         Attention:  Income Processing - J. Piperato, 13th Floor

         IF BY REGULAR MAIL:

         The Chase Manhattan Bank
         Dept. 3492
         P. O. Box 50000

                                      A-55




         Newark, NJ  07101-8006

         WITH A SECOND COPY TO:

         Telecopy Confirms and Notices:

         (212) 708-2152
         Attention:  Securities Custody Division M.D. 6-39A

         Mailing Confirms and Notices:

         The Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York
         1740 Broadway
         New York, New York  10019
         Attention:  Securities Custody Division M.D. 6-39A

All notices and communications other than those in respect to payments to be
addressed as first provided above.

Name of Nominee in which Notes are to be issued:  J. ROMEO & Co.

Taxpayer I.D. Number:  13-1632487

                                      A-56




- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                         PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF
NAME AND ADDRESS OF PURCHASER                           NOTES TO BE PURCHASED
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                      SERIES A        SERIES B

THE MUTUAL LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY                       $-0-         $1,000,000
  OF NEW YORK
(For the account of a Separate Account)
1740 Broadway
New York, New York  10019
Attention:  MONY Capital Management Unit
Telecopy Number:  (212) 708-2491

Payments

All payments on or in respect of the Notes to be by bank wire transfer of
Federal or other immediately available funds (identifying each payment as "Culp,
Inc. 6.76% Senior Notes Series B due 2010, PPN 230215 A@4, principal, premium or
interest") to:

         Bank of New York
         New York, New York
         ABA #021000018
         for credit to HARE & Co. Account No. BNF 10C566
         Attention:  P&I Dept.

Notices

All notices of payment on or in respect of the Notes and written confirmation of
each such payment to:

         HARE & Co.
         c/o Bank of New York
         P. O. Box 11203
         New York, New York  10249
         Attention:  P&I Dept.

All notices and communications other than those in respect to payments to be
addressed as first provided above.


                                      A-57





Name of Nominee in which Notes are to be issued: HARE & Co.


                                      A-58




- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                         PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF
NAME AND ADDRESS OF PURCHASER                           NOTES TO BE PURCHASED
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                      SERIES A        SERIES B

UNITED OF OMAHA LIFE INSURANCE                         $-0-          $5,000,000
  COMPANY
Mutual of Omaha Plaza
Omaha, Nebraska  68175-1011
Attention:  4-Investment Loan Administration

Payments

All payments on or in respect of the Notes to be by bank wire transfer of
Federal or other immediately available funds (identifying each payment as "Culp,
Inc. 6.76% Senior Notes Series B due 2010, PPN 230215 A@4, principal, premium or
interest") to:

         Chase Manhattan Bank
         ABA #021000021
         Private Income Processing

         for credit to:  United of Omaha Life Insurance Company
         Account Number 900-9000200
         a/c:  G07097
         Cusip/PPN:  ________________
         Interest Amount:  ____________________________________________
         Principal Amount:  ___________________________________________

Notices

All notices of payments, on or in respect of the Notes and written confirmation
of each such payment, corporate actions and reorganization notifications to:

         The Chase Manhattan Bank
         4 New York Plaza-13th Floor
         New York, New York  10004
         Attention:  Investment Processing-J. Pipperato
         a/c:  G07097


                                      A-59





All other notices and communications (i.e., quarterly/annual reports, tax
filings, modifications, waivers regarding the indenture) to be addressed as
first provided above.

Name of Nominee in which Notes are to be issued:  None

Taxpayer I.D. Number:  47-0322111



                                      A-60




- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                         PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF
NAME AND ADDRESS OF PURCHASER                           NOTES TO BE PURCHASED
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                      SERIES A        SERIES B

MUTUAL OF OMAHA INSURANCE COMPANY                      $-0-          $5,000,000
Mutual of Omaha Plaza
Omaha, Nebraska  68175-1011
Attention:  4-Investment Loan Administration

Payments

All payments on or in respect of the Notes to be by bank wire transfer of
Federal or other immediately available funds (identifying each payment as "Culp,
Inc. 6.76% Senior Notes Series B due 2010, PPN 230215 A@4, principal, premium or
interest") to:

         Chase Manhattan Bank
         ABA #021000021
         Private Income Processing

         for credit to:  Mutual of Omaha Insurance Company
         Account #900-9000200
         a/c:  G07096
         Cusip/PPN:  ________________
         Interest Amount:  ____________________________________________
         Principal Amount:  ___________________________________________

Notices

All notices of payments, on or in respect of the Notes and written confirmation
of each such payment, corporate actions and reorganization notifications to:

         The Chase Manhattan Bank
         4 New York Plaza-13th Floor
         New York, New York  10004
         Attention:  Investment Processing-J. Pipperato
         a/c:  G07096


                                      A-61




All other notices and communications (i.e., quarterly/annual reports, tax
filings, modifications, waivers regarding the indenture) to be addressed as
first provided above.

Name of Nominee in which Notes are to be issued:  None

Taxpayer I.D. Number:  47-0246511


                                      A-62





- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                         PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF
NAME AND ADDRESS OF PURCHASER                           NOTES TO BE PURCHASED
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                      SERIES A        SERIES B

THE PRUDENTIAL INSURANCE COMPANY                     $8,000,000         $-0-
  OF AMERICA                                         $2,000,000
c/o Prudential Capital Group
One Gateway Center, 11th Floor
7-45 Raymond Boulevard West
Newark, New Jersey  07102-5311
Attention:  Managing Director
Telephone:  (973) 802-9182
Facsimile:  (973) 802-3200

Payments

All payments on or in respect of the Notes to be by bank wire transfer of
Federal or other immediately available funds (identifying each payment as "Culp,
Inc. 6.76% Series A Senior Notes due 2008, PPN 230215 A*6, INV 5900 in the case
of the Note in the original principal amount of $8,000,000 and INV 5901 in the
case of the Note in the original principal amount of $2,000,000, and the due
date and application (among principal, interest and Make-Whole Amount)") to:

         Bank of New York
         New York, New York  10015
         ABA #021-000-018
         for credit to Account Number 890-0304-391,
         Prudential Managed Account
         (in the case of payments on account of the Note originally issued in
         the principal amount of $8,000,000) and Account Number 890-0304-944,
         PRIVEST Portfolio Account (in the case of payments on account of the
         Note originally issued in the principal amount of $2,000,000)

Notices

All notices and communications to be addressed as first provided above, except
notices with respect to payments, and written confirmation of each such payment
to be addressed to:

         The Prudential Insurance Company of America
         Three Gateway Center


                                      A-63





         100 Mulberry Street
         Newark, New Jersey  07102-4077
         Attention:  Manager, Billings and Collections
         Telephone:  (973) 802-5260
         Facsimile:  (973) 802-8055

Recipient of telephonic prepayment notices: Manager, Trade Management -
Telephone: (973) 802-7398; Facsimile: (973) 802-9425.

Name of Nominee in which Notes are to be issued:  None

Taxpayer I.D. Number:  22-1211670



                                      A-64




- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                         PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF
NAME AND ADDRESS OF PURCHASER                           NOTES TO BE PURCHASED
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                      SERIES A        SERIES B

ALLSTATE LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY                     $10,000,000         $-0-
3075 Sanders Road, STE G3A
Northbrook, Illinois  60062-7127
Attention:  Private Placements Department
Telephone Number:  (847) 402-4394
Telecopier Number:  (847) 402-3092

Payments

All payments on or in respect of the Notes to be made by Fedwire transfer of
immediately available funds (identifying each payment with name of the Issuer
(and the Credit, if any), the Private Placement Number preceded by "DPP" and the
payment as principal, interest or premium) in the exact format as follows:

         BBK =        Harris Trust and Savings Bank
                      ABA #071000288
         BNF =        Allstate Life Insurance Company
                      Collection Account #168-117-0
         ORG =        Culp Inc.
         OBI  =       DPP - PPN 230215 A* 6 --
                      Payment Due Date (MM/DD/YY) --
                      P    ______ (enter "P" and the amount of principal being
                           remitted, for example, P5000000.00) --
                      I    ______ (enter "I" and the amount of interest being
                           remitted, for example, I225000.00)

Notices

All notices of scheduled payments and written confirmation of each such payment,
to be addressed:

         Allstate Insurance Company
         Investment Operations--Private Placements
         3075 Sanders Road, STE G4A


                                      A-65





         Northbrook, Illinois  60062-7127
         Telephone:  (847) 402-2769
         Telecopy:  (847) 326-5040

All financial reports, compliance certificates and all other written
communications, including notice of prepayments to be addressed as first
provided above.

Name of Nominee in which Notes are to be issued:  None

Taxpayer I.D. Number:  36-2554642


                                      A-66




                                 DEFINED TERMS

         As used herein, the following terms have the respective meanings set
forth below or set forth in the Section hereof following such term:

         "Affiliate" means, at any time, and with respect to any Person, (a) any
other Person that at such time directly or indirectly through one or more
intermediaries Controls, or is Controlled by, or is under common Control with,
such first Person, and (b) any Person beneficially owning or holding, directly
or indirectly, 10% or more of any class of voting or equity interests of the
Company or any Subsidiary or any corporation of which the Company and its
Subsidiaries beneficially own or hold, in the aggregate, directly or indirectly,
10% or more of any class of voting or equity interests. As used in this
definition, "Control" means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power
to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of a Person,
whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise.
Unless the context otherwise clearly requires, any reference to an "Affiliate"
is a reference to an Affiliate of the Company.

         "Asset Disposition" means any Transfer except:

                   (a) any transfer from a Subsidiary to the Company or a
         Wholly-Owned Subsidiary so long as immediately before and immediately
         after the consummation of any such Transfer and after giving effect
         thereto, no Default or Event of Default exists; and

                   (b) any Transfer made in the ordinary course of business and
         involving only property that is either (i) inventory held for sale or
         (ii) equipment, fixtures, supplies or materials no longer required in
         the operation of the business of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
         or that is obsolete; and

                   (c) the conveyance by the Company to The Industrial
         Development Board of the City of Chattanooga (the "Board") of the
         Company's Rossville, Georgia, plant and related personal property (the
         "Project"), so long as the (i) the Board leases the Project back to the
         Company for payments in a nominal amount in lieu of ad valorem taxes
         for the period ending December 31, 2000; (ii) the Company has the right
         to terminate the lease at any time upon written notice; (iii) the
         Company has the right to purchase the Project from the Board upon any
         lease termination (whether at maturity or upon early termination by the
         Company) for a purchase price of $1.00; and (iv) the Company's cost
         basis in the Project at the time of such sale does not exceed
         $20,000,000 in the aggregate.

         "Business Day" means (a) for the purposes of Section 8.6 only, any day
other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which commercial banks in New York
City are generally closed,



                                   SCHEDULE B
                          (to Note Purchase Agreement)






and (b) for the purposes of any other provision of this Agreement, any day other
than a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which commercial banks in New York, New
York, or Charlotte, North Carolina, are generally closed.

         "Capital Lease" means, at any time, a lease with respect to which the
lessee is required concurrently to recognize the acquisition of an asset and the
incurrence of a liability in accordance with GAAP.

         "Capital Lease Obligation" means, with respect to any Person and a
Capital Lease, the amount of the obligation of such Person as the lessee under
such Capital Lease which would, in accordance with GAAP, appear as a liability
on a balance sheet of such Person.

         "Change in Control" has the meaning set forth in Section 8.2.

         "Closing" is defined in Section 3.

         "Code" means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to
time, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder from time to time.

         "Company" means Culp, Inc., a North Carolina corporation.

         "Confidential Information" is defined in Section 20.

         "Consolidated Assets" means, at any time, the total assets of the
Company and its Subsidiaries which would be shown as assets on a consolidated
balance sheet of the Company and its Subsidiaries as of such time prepared in
accordance with GAAP, after eliminating all amounts properly attributable to
minority interests, if any, in the stock and surplus of Subsidiaries.

         "Consolidated Funded Debt" means, as of any date of determination, the
total of all Funded Debt of the Company and its Subsidiaries outstanding on such
date, after eliminating all offsetting debits and credits between the Company
and its Subsidiaries and all other items required to be eliminated in the course
of the preparation of consolidated financial statements of the Company and its
Subsidiaries in accordance with GAAP.

         "Consolidated Net Income" means, with reference to any period, the net
income (or loss) of the Company and its Subsidiaries for such period (taken as a
cumulative whole), as determined in accordance with GAAP, after eliminating all
offsetting debits and credits between the Company and its Subsidiaries and all
other items required to be eliminated in the course of

                                      B-68








the preparation of consolidated financial statements of the Company and its
Subsidiaries in accordance with GAAP, provided that there shall be excluded:

                   (a) the income (or loss) of any Person accrued prior to the
         date it becomes a Subsidiary or is merged into or consolidated with the
         Company or a Subsidiary, and the income (or loss) of any Person,
         substantially all of the assets of which have been acquired in any
         manner, realized by such other Person prior to the date of acquisition,

                   (b) the income (or loss) of any Person (other than a
         Subsidiary) in which the Company or any Subsidiary has an ownership
         interest, except to the extent that any such income has been actually
         received by the Company or such Subsidiary in the form of cash
         dividends or similar cash distributions,

                   (c) the undistributed earnings of any Subsidiary to the
         extent that the declaration or payment of dividends or similar
         distributions by such Subsidiary is not at the time permitted by the
         terms of its charter or any agreement, instrument, judgment, decree,
         order, statute, rule or governmental regulation applicable to such
         Subsidiary,

                   (d) any restoration to income of any contingency reserve,
         except to the extent that provision for such reserve was made out of
         income accrued during such period,

                   (e) any aggregate net gain (but not any aggregate net loss)
         during such period arising from the sale, conversion, exchange or other
         disposition of capital assets (such term to include, without
         limitation, (i) all non-current assets and, without duplication, (ii)
         the following, whether or not current: all fixed assets, whether
         tangible or intangible, all inventory sold in conjunction with the
         disposition of fixed assets, and all Securities),

                   (f) any gains resulting from any write-up of any assets (but
         not any loss resulting from any write-down of any assets),

                   (g)any net gain from the collection of the proceeds of life
         insurance policies,

                   (h) any gain arising from the acquisition of any Security, or
         the extinguishment, under GAAP, of any Debt, of the Company or any
         Subsidiary,

                   (i) any net income or gain (but not any net loss) during such
         period from (i) any change in accounting principles in accordance with
         GAAP, (ii) any prior period adjustments resulting from any change in
         accounting principles in accordance with GAAP, (iii) any extraordinary
         items, or (iv) any discontinued operations or the disposition thereof,


                                      B-69





                   (j) any deferred credit representing the excess of equity in
         any Subsidiary at the date of acquisition over the cost of the
         investment in such Subsidiary,

                   (k) in the case of a successor to the Company by
         consolidation or merger or as a transferee of its assets, any earnings
         of the successor corporation prior to such consolidation, merger or
         transfer of assets, and

                   (l) any portion of such net income that cannot be freely
         converted into United States Dollars.

         "Consolidated Net Worth" means, at any time,

                   (a) the sum of (i) the par value (or value stated on the
         books of the corporation) of the capital stock (but excluding,
         Redeemable Preferred Stock, treasury stock and capital stock subscribed
         and unissued) of the Company and its Subsidiaries plus (ii) the amount
         of the paid-in capital and retained earnings of the Company and its
         Subsidiaries, in each case as such amounts would be shown on a
         consolidated balance sheet of the Company and its Subsidiaries as of
         such time prepared in accordance with GAAP, minus

                   (b) to the extent included in clause (a), all amounts
         properly attributable to minority interests, if any, in the stock and
         surplus of Subsidiaries.

         "Control Event" has the meaning set forth in Section 8.2

         "Current Maturities of Funded Debt" means, at any time and with respect
to any item of Funded Debt, the portion of such Funded Debt outstanding at such
time which by the terms of such Funded Debt or the terms of any instrument or
agreement relating thereto is due on demand or within one year from such time
(whether by sinking fund, other required prepayment or final payment at
maturity) and is not directly or indirectly renewable, extendible or refundable
at the option of the obligor under an agreement or firm commitment in effect at
such time to a date one year or more from such time.

         "Consolidated Total Capitalization" means, at any time, the sum of
Consolidated Net Worth and Consolidated Funded Debt.

         "Debt" means, with respect to any Person, without duplication,

                   (a) its liabilities for borrowed money and its redemption
         obligations in respect of Redeemable Preferred Stock;


                                      B-70




                   (b) its liabilities for the deferred purchase price of
         property acquired by such Person (excluding accounts payable arising in
         the ordinary course of business but including, without limitation, all
         liabilities created or arising under any conditional sale or other
         title retention agreement with respect to any such property);

                   (c) its Capital Lease Obligations;

                   (d) all liabilities for borrowed money secured by any Lien
         with respect to any property owned by such Person (whether or not it
         has assumed or otherwise become liable for such liabilities); and

                   (e) any Guaranty of such Person with respect to liabilities
         of a type described in any of clauses (a) through (d) hereof.

Debt of any Person shall include all obligations of such Person of the character
described in clauses (a) through (e) to the extent such Person remains legally
liable in respect thereof notwithstanding that any such obligation is deemed to
be extinguished under GAAP.

         "Debt Prepayment Application" means, with respect to any Transfer of
property, the application by the Company or its Subsidiaries of cash in an
amount equal to the Net Proceeds Amount with respect to such Transfer to pay
Senior Funded Debt of the Company (other than Senior Funded Debt owing to the
Company, any of its Subsidiaries or any Affiliate and Funded Debt in respect of
any revolving credit or similar credit facility providing the Company or any of
its Subsidiaries with the right to obtain loans or other extensions of credit
from time to time, except to the extent that in connection with such payment of
Senior Funded Debt the availability of credit under such credit facility is
permanently reduced by an amount not less than the amount of such proceeds
applied to the payment of such Senior Funded Debt), provided that in the course
of making such application the Company shall prepay each outstanding Note in
accordance with Section 8.3 in a principal amount which, when added to the
Make-Whole Amount applicable thereto, equals the Ratable Portion for such Note.
As used in this definition, "Ratable Portion" for any Note means an amount equal
to the product of (x) the Net Proceeds Amount being so applied to the payment of
Senior Funded Debt multiplied by (y) a fraction the numerator of which is the
outstanding principal amount of such Note and the denominator of which is the
aggregate principal amount of Senior Funded Debt of the Company and its
Subsidiaries.

         "Default" means an event or condition the occurrence or existence of
which would, with the lapse of time or the giving of notice or both, become an
Event of Default.


                                      B-71





         "Default Rate" means that rate of interest that is the greater of (i)
8.76% per annum or (ii) 2% over the rate of interest publicly announced by
Harris Trust and Savings Bank in Chicago, Illinois, as its "base" or "prime"
rate.

                  "Disposition Value" means, at any time, with respect to any
property

                   (a) in the case of property that does not constitute
         Subsidiary Stock, the book value thereof, valued at the time of such
         disposition in accordance with GAAP, and

                   (b) in the case of property that constitutes Subsidiary
         Stock, an amount equal to that percentage of book value of the assets
         of the Subsidiary that issued such stock as is equal to the percentage
         that the book value of such Subsidiary Stock represents of the book
         value of all of the outstanding capital stock of such Subsidiary
         (assuming, in making such calculations, that all Securities convertible
         into such capital stock are so converted and giving full effect to all
         transactions that would occur or be required in connection with such
         conversion) determined at the time of the disposition thereof, in
         accordance with GAAP.

         "Environmental Laws" means any and all Federal, state, local, and
foreign statutes, laws, regulations, ordinances, rules, judgments, orders,
decrees, permits, concessions, grants, franchises, licenses, agreements or
governmental restrictions relating to pollution and the protection of the
environment or the release of any materials into the environment, including but
not limited to those related to hazardous substances or wastes, air emissions
and discharges to waste or public systems.

         "ERISA" means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as
amended from time to time, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder
from time to time in effect.

         "ERISA Affiliate" means any trade or business (whether or not
incorporated) that is treated as a single employer together with the Company
under section 414 of the Code.

         "Event of Default" is defined in Section 11.

         "Exchange Act" means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

         "Fair Market Value" means, at any time and with respect to any
property, the sale value of such property that would be realized in an
arm's-length sale at such time between an informed and willing buyer and an
informed and willing seller (neither being under a compulsion to buy or sell).


                                      B-72




         "Funded Debt" means, with respect to any Person, all Debt of such
Person which by its terms or by the terms of any instrument or agreement
relating thereto matures, or which is otherwise payable or unpaid, one year or
more from, or is directly or indirectly renewable or extendible at the option of
the obligor in respect thereof to a date one year or more (including, without
limitation, an option of such obligor under a revolving credit or similar
agreement obligating the lender or lenders to extend credit over a period of one
year or more) from, the date of the creation thereof, provided that Funded Debt
shall include, as at any date of determination, Current Maturities of Funded
Debt. In the case of the Company "Funded Debt" shall exclude (i) indebtedness
under any revolving credit agreement as to which there has been no principal
balance outstanding during a period of 30 consecutive days within the period of
12 consecutive months ending with the date of determination of Funded Debt, and
(ii) that portion of the proceeds of the issuance of Funded Debt of the Company
consisting of industrial development revenue bonds which is held by the trustee
for such bonds pending withdrawal and application by the Company.

         "GAAP" means generally accepted accounting principles as in effect from
time to time in the United States of America.

         "Governmental Authority" means

                   (a) the government of

                       (i)  the United States of America or any State or other
                  political subdivision thereof, or

                       (ii) any jurisdiction in which the Company or any
                  Subsidiary conducts all or any part of its business, or which
                  asserts jurisdiction over any properties of the Company or any
                  Subsidiary, or

                   (b) any entity exercising executive, legislative, judicial,
         regulatory or administrative functions of, or pertaining to, any such
         government.

         "Guaranty" means, with respect to any Person, any obligation (except
the endorsement in the ordinary course of business of negotiable instruments for
deposit or collection) of such Person guaranteeing or in effect guaranteeing
(whether by reason of being a general partner of a partnership or otherwise) any
indebtedness, dividend or other obligation of any other Person in any manner,
whether directly or indirectly, including (without limitation) obligations
incurred through an agreement, contingent or otherwise, by such Person:


                                      B-73





                   (a) to purchase such indebtedness or obligation or any
         property constituting security therefor;

                   (b) to advance or supply funds (i) for the purchase or
         payment of such indebtedness or obligation, or (ii) to maintain any
         working capital or other balance sheet condition or any income
         statement condition of any other Person or otherwise to advance or make
         available funds for the purchase or payment of such indebtedness or
         obligation;

                   (c) to lease properties or to purchase properties or services
         primarily for the purpose of assuring the owner of such indebtedness or
         obligation of the ability of any other Person to make payment of the
         indebtedness or obligation; or

                   (d) otherwise to assure the owner of such indebtedness or
         obligation against loss in respect thereof.

         In any computation of the indebtedness or other liabilities of the
obligor under any Guaranty, the indebtedness or other obligations that are the
subject of such Guaranty shall be assumed to be direct obligations of such
obligor.

         "Hazardous Material" means any and all pollutants, toxic or hazardous
wastes or any other substances that might pose a hazard to health or safety, the
removal of which may be required or the generation, manufacture, refining,
production, processing, treatment, storage, handling, transportation, transfer,
use, disposal, release, discharge, spillage, seepage, or filtration of which is
or shall be restricted, prohibited or penalized by any applicable law
(including, without limitation, asbestos, urea formaldehyde foam insulation and
polychlorinated biphenyls).

         The term "holder" means, with respect to any Note, the Person in whose
name such Note is registered in the register maintained by the Company pursuant
to Section 13.1.

         "Indebtedness" with respect to any Person means, at any time, without
duplication,

                   (a) its liabilities for borrowed money and its redemption
         obligations in respect of mandatorily redeemable Preferred Stock;

                   (b) its liabilities for the deferred purchase price of
         property acquired by such Person (excluding accounts payable arising in
         the ordinary course of business but including all liabilities created
         or arising under any conditional sale or other title retention
         agreement with respect to any such property);


                                      B-74





                   (c) all liabilities appearing on its balance sheet in
         accordance with GAAP in respect of Capital Leases;

                   (d) all liabilities for borrowed money secured by any Lien
         with respect to any property owned by such Person (whether or not it
         has assumed or otherwise become liable for such liabilities);

                   (e) all its liabilities in respect of letters of credit or
         instruments serving a similar function issued or accepted for its
         account by banks and other financial institutions (whether or not
         representing obligations for borrowed money);

                   (f) Swaps of such Person; and

                   (g) any Guaranty of such Person with respect to liabilities
         of a type described in any of clauses (a) through (f) hereof.

Indebtedness of any Person shall include all obligations of such Person of the
character described in clauses (a) through (g) to the extent such Person remains
legally liable in respect thereof notwithstanding that any such obligation is
deemed to be extinguished under GAAP.

         "Institutional Investor" means (a) any original purchaser of a Note,
(b) any holder of a Note holding more than 5% of the aggregate principal amount
of the Notes then outstanding, and (c) any bank, trust company, savings and loan
association or other financial institution, any pension plan, any investment
company, any insurance company, any broker or dealer, or any other similar
financial institution or entity, regardless of legal form.

         "Lien" means, with respect to any Person, any mortgage, lien, pledge,
charge, security interest or other encumbrance, or any interest or title of any
vendor, lessor, lender or other secured party to or of such Person under any
conditional sale or other title retention agreement or Capital Lease, upon or
with respect to any property or asset of such Person (including in the case of
stock, stockholder agreements, voting trust agreements and all similar
arrangements).

         "Make-Whole Amount" is defined in Section 8.7.

         "Material" means material in relation to the business, operations,
affairs, financial condition, assets, properties, or prospects of the Company
and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole.

         "Material Adverse Effect" means a material adverse effect on (a) the
business, operations, affairs, financial condition, assets or properties of the
Company and its Subsidiaries


                                      B-75





taken as a whole, or (b) the ability of the Company to perform its obligations
under this Agreement and the Notes, or (c) the validity or enforceability of
this Agreement or the Notes.

         "Memorandum" is defined in Section 5.3.

         "Multiemployer Plan" means any Plan that is a "multiemployer plan" (as
such term is defined in section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA).

         "Net Proceeds Amount" means, with respect to any Transfer of any
Property by any Person, an amount equal to the difference of

                   (a) the aggregate amount of the consideration (valued at the
         Fair Market Value of such consideration at the time of the consummation
         of such Transfer) received by such Person in respect of such Transfer,
         minus

                   (b) all ordinary and reasonable out-of-pocket costs and
         expenses actually incurred by such Person in connection with such
         Transfer.

         "Notes" is defined in Section 1.

         "Officer's Certificate" means a certificate of a Senior Financial
Officer or of any other officer of the Company whose responsibilities extend to
the subject matter of such certificate.

         "Other Agreements" is defined in Section 2.

         "Other Purchasers" is defined in Section 2.

         "PBGC" means the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation referred to and
defined in ERISA or any successor thereto.

         "Person" means an individual, partnership, corporation, limited
liability company, association, trust, unincorporated organization, or a
government or agency or political subdivision thereof.

         "Plan" means an "employee benefit plan" (as defined in section 3(3) of
ERISA) that is or, within the preceding five years, has been established or
maintained, or to which contributions are or, within the preceding five years,
have been made or required to be made, by the Company or any ERISA Affiliate or
with respect to which the Company or any ERISA Affiliate may have any liability.


                                      B-76





         "Preferred Stock" means, in respect of any corporation, shares of the
capital stock of such corporation that are entitled to preference or priority
over any other shares of the capital stock of such corporation in respect of
payment of dividends or distribution of assets upon liquidation.

         "Priority Debt" means, without duplication, the sum of (i) all Debt of
the Company secured by any Lien with respect to any property owned by the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries other than Liens permitted by paragraphs (a)
through (j), both inclusive, of Section 10.3, and (ii) all Debt of Subsidiaries
(except Debt held by the Company or a Wholly-Owned Subsidiary).

         "property" or "properties" means, unless otherwise specifically
limited, real or personal property of any kind, tangible or intangible, choate
or inchoate.

         "Property Reinvestment Application" means, with respect to any Transfer
of property of a same or similar nature, the application of an amount equal to
the Net Proceeds Amount with respect to such Transfer to the acquisition by the
Company or any Subsidiary of operating assets of the Company or any Subsidiary
to be used in the ordinary course of business of such Person.

         "Proposed Prepayment Date" is defined in Section 8.2

         "QPAM Exemption" means Prohibited Transaction Class Exemption 84-14
issued by the United States Department of Labor.

         "Redeemable" means, with respect to the capital stock of any Person,
each share of such Person's capital stock that is:

                   (a) redeemable, payable or required to be purchased or
         otherwise retired or extinguished, or convertible into Debt of such
         Person (i) at a fixed or determinable date, whether by operation of
         sinking fund or otherwise, (ii) at the option of any Person other than
         such Person, or (iii) upon the occurrence of a condition not solely
         within the control of such Person; or

                   (b) convertible into other Redeemable capital stock.

         "Required Holders" means, at any time, the holders of at least 66-2/3%
in principal amount of the Notes at the time outstanding (exclusive of Notes
then owned by the Company, any of its Subsidiaries, or any of its Affiliates).


                                      B-77





         "Responsible Officer" means any Senior Financial Officer and any other
officer of the Company with responsibility for the administration of the
relevant portion of this agreement.

         "Securities Act" means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended from time
to time.

         "Senior Financial Officer" means the chief financial officer, principal
accounting officer, treasurer or comptroller of the Company.

         "Senior Funded Debt" means (a) any Funded Debt of the Company (other
than Subordinated Debt) and (b) any Funded Debt of any Subsidiary.

         "Subordinated Debt" means any Debt that is in any manner subordinated
in right of payment or security in any respect to Debt evidenced by the Notes.

         "Subsidiary" means, as to any Person, any corporation, association or
other business entity in which such Person or one or more of its Subsidiaries or
such Person and one or more of its Subsidiaries owns sufficient equity or voting
interests to enable it or them (as a group) ordinarily, in the absence of
contingencies, to elect a majority of the directors (or Persons performing
similar functions) of such entity, and any partnership or joint venture if more
than a 50% interest in the profits or capital thereof is owned by such Person or
one or more of its Subsidiaries or such Person and one or more of its
Subsidiaries (unless such partnership can and does ordinarily take major
business actions without the prior approval of such Person or one or more of its
Subsidiaries). Unless the context otherwise clearly requires, any reference to a
"Subsidiary" is a reference to a Subsidiary of the Company.

         "Subsidiary Stock" means, with respect to any Person, the stock (or any
options or warrants to purchase stock or other Securities exchangeable for or
convertible into stock) of any Subsidiary of such Person.

         "Successor Corporation" has the meaning set forth in Section 10.4.

         "Swaps" means, with respect to any Person, payment obligations with
respect to interest rate swaps, currency swaps and similar obligations
obligating such Person to make payments, whether periodically or upon the
happening of a contingency. For the purposes of this Agreement, the amount of
the obligation under any Swap shall be the amount determined in respect thereof
as of the end of the then most recently ended fiscal quarter of such Person,
based on the assumption that such Swap had terminated at the end of such fiscal
quarter, and in making such determination, if any agreement relating to such
Swap provides for the netting of amounts payable by and to such Person
thereunder or if any such agreement provides for the simultaneous


                                      B-78





payment of amounts by and to such Person, then in each such case, the amount of
such obligation shall be the net amount so determined.

         "Transfer" means, with respect to any Person, any transaction in which
such Person sells, conveys, transfers or leases (as lessor) any of its property,
including, without limitation, Subsidiary Stock. For purposes of determining the
application of the Net Proceeds Amount in respect of any Transfer, the Company
may designate any Transfer as one or more separate Transfers each yielding a
separate Net Proceeds Amount. In any such case, the Disposition Value of any
property subject to each such separate Transfer shall be determined by ratably
allocating the aggregate Disposition Value of all property subject to all such
separate Transfers to each such separate Transfer on a proportionate basis.

         "Voting Stock" shall mean Securities of any class or classes, the
holders of which are ordinarily, in the absence of contingencies, entitled to
elect a majority of the corporate directors (or Persons performing similar
functions).

         "Wholly-Owned Subsidiary" means any Subsidiary of the Company all of
the equity interests (except directors' qualifying shares) and voting interests
and Debt of which are owned by any one or more of the Company and the Company's
other Wholly-Owned Subsidiaries at such time.


                                      B-79







                         SUBSIDIARIES, AFFILIATES, ETC.


I.
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                        JURISDICTION
                                             OF                  % HELD
    NAME OF SUBSIDIARY                 INCORPORATION           BY COMPANY
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------
3096726 Canada Inc.                   Canada (federal)             100
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rayonese Textile, Inc.                Canada (federal)             100(1)
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------
Culp International, Inc.              Virgin Islands               100
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------


II.      AFFILIATES OTHER THAN SUBSIDIARIES:

         Robert G. Culp, III

         Robert G. Culp, Jr. Family Trust

         Wingel & Company (as trustee of the Robert G. Culp, III Family Trust)

         Other members of the Culp Family (as defined in the Agreement)



- ----------
(1) Held by 3096726 Canada, Inc.



                                  SCHEDULE 5.4
                          (to Note Purchase Agreement)








III.     COMPANY'S DIRECTORS AND SENIOR OFFICERS:



         ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         Robert G. Culp, III:             Director (Chairman) and Chief Executive Officer
         ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         Howard L. Dunn, Jr.:             Director, President and Chief Operating Officer
         ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         Franklin N. Saxon:               Director, Senior Vice President, Chief Financial
                                          Officer, Treasurer and Secretary
         ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         Kenneth M. Ludwig:               Senior Vice President (Human Resources)
         ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         Harry R. Culp:                   Director
         ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         Earl N. Honeycutt                Director
         ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         Patrick H. Norton:               Director
         ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         Earl N. Phillips, Jr.:           Director
         ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         Bland W. Worley:                 Director
         ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         Baxter P. Freeze:                Director
         ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------


IV.      AGREEMENTS RESTRICTING PAYMENT BY

         Subsidiaries of Dividends or Distribution of Profits to the Company:

                                          None.

                                      -81-






                              FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
                            DELIVERED TO PURCHASERS
                         (PER THE OFFERING MEMORANDUM)

Unaudited balance sheets as of November 2, 1997, October 27, 1996 and April 27,
1997.

Unaudited statements of income for the three and six months ended November 2,
1997 and October 27, 1996.

Unaudited Statements of cash flows for the six months ended November 2, 1997 and
October 27, 1996.

Unaudited statements of shareholders equity as of November 2, 1997.

Audited consolidated balance sheets as of April 27, 1997, April 28, 1996, April
30, 1995, May 1, 1994, May 2, 1993 and May 3, 1992.

Audited consolidated statements of income for the years ended April 27, 1997,
April 28, 1996, April 30, 1995, May 1, 1994, May 2, 1993, May 3, 1992 and April
28, 1991.

Audited consolidated statements of shareholders equity for the years ended April
27, 1997, April 28, 1996, April 30, 1995, May 1, 1994, May 2, 1993, May 3, 1992
and April 28, 1991.

Audited consolidated statement of cash flows for the years ended April 27, 1997,
April 28, 1996, April 30, 1995, May 1, 1994, May 2, 1993, May 3, 1992 and April
28, 1991.


                                  SCHEDULE 5.5
                          (to Note Purchase Agreement)






                                USES OF PROCEEDS

To repay certain existing indebtedness of the Company and for other general
corporate purposes.








                                 SCHEDULE 5.14
                          (to Note Purchase Agreement)







                                  INDEBTEDNESS


             (OUTSTANDING AMOUNTS INDICATED ARE AS OF MARCH 8, 1998
        ALL ITEMS UNSECURED EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE INDICATED BY ASTERISK.)

I.       IRB'S

- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Luzerne County, PA*                                    $3,500,000
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alamance County, NC (1986)*                            $  100,000
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chesterfield County, SC (1988)*                        $2,252,000
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chesterfield County, SC (1996)*                        $6,000,000
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Anderson County, SC*                                   $6,580,000
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Guilford County, NC*                                   $3,825,000
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Robeson County, NC*                                    $8,500,000
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alamance County, NC (1993)*                            $2,755,000
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Canadian Government Loan                               $  936,000
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------

II.      BANK DEBT

- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Syndicated Credit Facility                           $109,524,000
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
$6 Million Revolving Credit Line Wachovia Bank, NA      1,394,000
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
$15 Million Revolving Credit Line Wachovia/First Unio   6,500,000
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------

III.     SELLER FINANCING

- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Seller Note Payable (Dave Phillips      $5,100,000
Non-Compete)
Seller Note Payable (Artee
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Industries, Inc. Purchase)              $1,600,000
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------



                                 SCHEDULE 5.15
                          (to Note Purchase Agreement)





IV.      LETTERS OF CREDIT



- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                   ORIGINATION DATE        MATURITY DATE
               BENEFICIARY                      SERIAL #                                                             AMOUNT
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wachovia
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hartford Fire Insurance Co.                       49635                07/14/94              05/01/98             $  400,000
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
First Citizens Bank & Trust as Trustee
for IRBs:
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chesterfield County, SC (1996)                    68485                04/01/96              03/01/01             $6,300,000
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alamance County, NC (1993)                        68486                04/01/96              03/01/01             $2,890,863
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Anderson County, SC                               68487                04/01/96              03/01/01             $6,904,493
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chesterfield County, SC (1988)                    68488                04/01/96              03/01/01             $2,363.057
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Guilford County, NC                               68489                04/01/96              03/01/01             $3,978,000
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Luzerne County, PA                                80881                12/04/96              03/01/01             $3,675,000
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Robeson County, NC                                87474                07/17/97              03/01/01             $8,925,000
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Textilmaschinen Fabrik Agent Batson Yarns         93930                12/16/97              05/31/98             $  311,819
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Guilford County, North Carolina                   74539                09/11/96              09/06/98            $    13,500
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
First Union
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
S.C. Workers' Compensation Commission            S028117               11/01/90              11/01/98             $  400,000
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



                                      -85-





V.       HEDGE CONTRACTS



- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                    INTEREST RATE SWAPS
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
              BANK                          REFERENCE #                    MATURITY DATE                          AMOUNT
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

First Union National Bank                    8394/8861                        04/19/00                         $15,000,000
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
First Union National Bank                    9606/1028                        06/03/02                          $5,000,000
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
First Union National Bank                   11036/12132                       07/01/02                          $5,000,000
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


VI.      FOREIGN CURRENCY FORWARD CONTRACTS



- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                              REFERENCE #        MATURITY DATE
                   BANK                                                                   AMOUNT               CURRENCY
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wachovia Bank, NA                                78150              03/31/98            $1,500,000                CND
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wachovia Bank, NA                                78151              04/30/98            $1,500,000                CND
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


VII.     FOREIGN CURRENCY OPTION CONTRACTS



- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                              REFERENCE #        MATURITY DATE
                   BANK                                                                   AMOUNT               CURRENCY
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

First Union National Bank                       13758-9             3/12/98             $10,074,000               BEF
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
First Union National Bank                       15240-1             5/27/98             $ 8,562,900               BEF
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
First Union National Bank                       15240-1             6/15/98             $ 8,562,900               BEF
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



                                      -86-




                            [FORM OF SERIES A NOTE]


                                   CULP, INC.


                 6.76% SERIES A SENIOR NOTE DUE March 15, 2008

No. A-_____                                                             [Date]
$____________                                                   PPN 230215 A*6

         FOR VALUE RECEIVED, the undersigned, CULP, INC. (herein called the
"Company"), a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of
North Carolina, hereby promises to pay to [________________], or registered
assigns, the principal sum of [________________] DOLLARS on March 15, 2008, with
interest (computed on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months) (a)
on the unpaid balance thereof at the rate of 6.76% per annum from the date
hereof, payable semiannually, on the 15th day of March and September in each
year, commencing with the March or September next succeeding the date hereof,
until the principal hereof shall have become due and payable, and (b) to the
extent permitted by law on any overdue payment (including any overdue
prepayment) of principal, any overdue payment of interest and any overdue
payment of any Make-Whole Amount (as defined in the Note Purchase Agreements
referred to below), payable semiannually as aforesaid (or, at the option of the
registered holder hereof, on demand), at a rate per annum from time to time
equal to the greater of (i) 8.76% or (ii) 2% over the rate of interest publicly
announced by Citibank, N.A. from time to time in New York, New York, as its
"base" or "prime" rate.

         Payments of principal of, interest on and any Make-Whole Amount with
respect to this Note are to be made in lawful money of the United States of
America at the principal place of Citibank, N.A., in the Borough of Manhattan,
City and State of New York.

         This Note is one of the Notes of two Series of Senior Notes (herein
called the "Notes") issued pursuant to separate Note Purchase Agreements, dated
as of March 4, 1998 (as from time to time amended, the "Note Purchase
Agreements"), between the Company and the respective Purchasers named therein
and is entitled to the benefits thereof. Each holder of this Note will be
deemed, by its acceptance hereof, (i) to have agreed to the confidentiality
provisions set forth in Section 20 of the Note Purchase Agreements and (ii) to
have made the representation set forth in Section 6.2 of the Note Purchase
Agreements.

         This Note is a registered Note and, as provided in the Note Purchase
Agreements, upon surrender of this Note for registration of transfer, duly
endorsed, or accompanied by a written instrument of transfer duly executed, by
the registered holder hereof or such holder's attorney duly authorized in
writing, a new Note for a like principal amount will be issued to, and



                                   EXHIBIT 1A
                          (to Note Purchase Agreement)





registered in the name of, the transferee. Prior to due presentment for
registration of transfer, the Company may treat the person in whose name this
Note is registered as the owner hereof for the purpose of receiving payment and
for all other purposes, and the Company will not be affected by any notice to
the contrary.

         This Note is subject to optional prepayment, in whole or from time to
time in part, at the times and on the terms specified in the Note Purchase
Agreements, but not otherwise.

         If an Event of Default, as defined in the Note Purchase Agreements,
occurs and is continuing, the principal of this Note may be declared or
otherwise become due and payable in the manner, at the price (including any
applicable Make-Whole Amount) and with the effect provided in the Note Purchase
Agreements.

         This Note shall be construed and enforced in accordance with, and the
rights of the parties shall be governed by, the law of the State of New York
excluding choice-of-law principles of the law of such State that would require
the application of the laws of a jurisdiction other than such State.

                                                    CULP, INC.



                                                    By
                                                        Name:
                                                        Title:


                                    E-1A-88






                            [FORM OF SERIES B NOTE]


                                   CULP, INC.


                 6.76% SERIES B SENIOR NOTE DUE March 15, 2010

No. B-_____                                                               [Date]
$____________                                                     PPN 230215 A@4

         FOR VALUE RECEIVED, the undersigned, CULP, INC. (herein called the
"Company"), a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of
North Carolina, hereby promises to pay to [________________], or registered
assigns, the principal sum of [________________] DOLLARS on March 15, 2010, with
interest (computed on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months) (a)
on the unpaid balance thereof at the rate of 6.76% per annum from the date
hereof, payable semiannually, on the 15th day of March and September in each
year, commencing with the March or September next succeeding the date hereof,
until the principal hereof shall have become due and payable, and (b) to the
extent permitted by law on any overdue payment (including any overdue
prepayment) of principal, any overdue payment of interest and any overdue
payment of any Make-Whole Amount (as defined in the Note Purchase Agreements
referred to below), payable semiannually as aforesaid (or, at the option of the
registered holder hereof, on demand), at a rate per annum from time to time
equal to the greater of (i) 8.76% or (ii) 2% over the rate of interest publicly
announced by Citibank, N.A. from time to time in New York, New York, as its
"base" or "prime" rate.

         Payments of principal of, interest on and any Make-Whole Amount with
respect to this Note are to be made in lawful money of the United States of
America at the principal place of business of Citibank, N.A. in the Borough of
Manhattan, City and State of New York.

         This Note is one of the Notes of two Series of Senior Notes (herein
called the "Notes") issued pursuant to separate Note Purchase Agreements, dated
as of March 4, 1998 (as from time to time amended, the "Note Purchase
Agreements"), between the Company and the respective Purchasers named therein
and is entitled to the benefits thereof. Each holder of this Note will be
deemed, by its acceptance hereof, (i) to have agreed to the confidentiality
provisions set forth in Section 20 of the Note Purchase Agreements and (ii) to
have made the representation set forth in Section 6.2 of the Note Purchase
Agreements.

         This Note is a registered Note and, as provided in the Note Purchase
Agreements, upon surrender of this Note for registration of transfer, duly
endorsed, or accompanied by a written instrument of transfer duly executed, by
the registered holder hereof or such holder's attorney


                                   EXHIBIT 1B
                          (to Note Purchase Agreement)




duly authorized in writing, a new Note for a like principal amount will be
issued to, and registered in the name of, the transferee. Prior to due
presentment for registration of transfer, the Company may treat the person in
whose name this Note is registered as the owner hereof for the purpose of
receiving payment and for all other purposes, and the Company will not be
affected by any notice to the contrary.

         The Company will make required prepayments of principal on the dates
and in the amounts specified in the Note Purchase Agreements. This Note is also
subject to optional prepayment, in whole or from time to time in part, at the
times and on the terms specified in the Note Purchase Agreements, but not
otherwise.

         If an Event of Default, as defined in the Note Purchase Agreements,
occurs and is continuing, the principal of this Note may be declared or
otherwise become due and payable in the manner, at the price (including any
applicable Make-Whole Amount) and with the effect provided in the Note Purchase
Agreements.

         This Note shall be construed and enforced in accordance with, and the
rights of the parties shall be governed by, the law of the State of New York
excluding choice-of-law principles of the law of such State that would require
the application of the laws of a jurisdiction other than such State.

                                                    CULP, INC.



                                                    By
                                                        Name:
                                                        Title:



                                    E-1B-90




                       FORM OF OPINION OF SPECIAL COUNSEL
                      FOR THE COMPANY AND SPECIAL CANADIAN
                            COUNSEL FOR THE COMPANY

         The closing opinions of Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson, P.A., special
counsel for the Company, and Ogilvy Renault, special Canadian Counsel for the
Company which are called for by Section 4.4(a) of the Note Purchase Agreements,
shall be dated the date of Closing and addressed to the Purchasers, shall be
satisfactory in scope and form to the Purchasers and shall be to the effect
that:

                    1. The Company is a corporation duly incorporated, validly
         existing and in good standing under the laws of the State of North
         Carolina, has the corporate power and the corporate authority to
         execute and perform the Note Purchase Agreements and to issue the Notes
         and has the full corporate power and the corporate authority to conduct
         the activities in which it is now engaged and is duly licensed or
         qualified and is in good standing as a foreign corporation in each
         jurisdiction in which the character of the properties owned or leased
         by it or the nature of the business transacted by it makes such
         licensing or qualification necessary.

                    2. Each Subsidiary is a corporation duly incorporated,
         validly existing and in good standing under the laws of its
         jurisdiction of incorporation and is duly licensed or qualified and is
         in good standing in each jurisdiction in which the character of the
         properties owned or leased by it or the nature of the business
         transacted by it makes such licensing or qualification necessary and
         all of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of each such
         Subsidiary have been duly issued, are fully paid and nonassessable and
         are owned by the Company, by one or more Subsidiaries, or by the
         Company and one or more Subsidiaries.

                    3. Each Note Purchase Agreement has been duly authorized by
         all necessary corporate action on the part of the Company, has been
         duly executed and delivered by the Company and constitutes the legal,
         valid and binding contract of the Company enforceable in accordance
         with its terms, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization,
         moratorium, fraudulent conveyance and similar laws affecting creditors'
         rights generally, and general principles of equity (regardless of
         whether the application of such principles is considered in a
         proceeding in equity or at law).

                    4. The Notes have been duly authorized by all necessary
         corporate action on the part of the Company, have been duly executed
         and delivered by the Company and constitute the legal, valid and
         binding obligations of the Company enforceable in accordance with their
         terms, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization,




                                 EXHIBIT 4.4(a)
                          (to Note Purchase Agreement)





         moratorium, fraudulent conveyance and similar laws affecting creditors'
         rights generally, and general principles of equity (regardless of
         whether the application of such principles is considered in a
         proceeding in equity or at law).

                    5. No approval, consent or withholding of objection on the
         part of, or filing, registration or qualification with, any
         governmental body, Federal or state, is necessary in connection with
         the execution and delivery by the Company of the Note Purchase
         Agreements or the Notes.

                    6. The issuance and sale of the Notes and the execution,
         delivery and performance by the Company of the Note Purchase Agreements
         do not conflict with or result in any breach of any of the provisions
         of or constitute a default under or result in the creation or
         imposition of any Lien upon any of the property of the Company pursuant
         to the provisions of the Articles of Incorporation or By-laws of the
         Company or any agreement or other instrument known to such counsel
         after due inquiry to which the Company is a party or by which the
         Company may be bound.

                    7. The issuance, sale and delivery of the Notes under the
         circumstances contemplated by the Note Purchase Agreements do not,
         under existing law, require the registration of the Notes under the
         Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the qualification of an
         indenture under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended.

                    8. The issuance of the Notes and the use of the proceeds of
         the sale of the Notes in accordance with the provisions of and as
         contemplated by the Note Purchase Agreements do not violate the
         provisions of Regulations G, T, U or X of the Board of Governors of the
         Federal Reserve System.

                    9. There is no litigation pending or, to the best knowledge
         of such counsel, threatened against or affecting the Company or any
         Subsidiary, which in such counsel's opinion could reasonably be
         expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

         The opinions of Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson, P.A. and Ogilvy Renault
shall cover such other matters relating to the sale of the Notes as the
Purchasers may reasonably request. With respect to matters of fact on which such
opinions are based, such counsel shall be entitled to rely on appropriate
certificates of public officials and officers of the Company and its
Subsidiaries.


                                  E-4.4(a)-92




                       FORM OF OPINION OF SPECIAL COUNSEL
                               FOR THE PURCHASERS

         The closing opinion of Chapman and Cutler, special counsel for the
Purchasers, called for by Section 4.4(b) of the Note Purchase Agreements, shall
be dated the date of the Closing and addressed to the Purchasers, shall be
satisfactory in form and substance to the Purchasers and shall be to the effect
that:

                    1. The Company is a corporation, validly existing and in
         good standing under the laws of the State of North Carolina and has the
         corporate power and the corporate authority to execute and deliver the
         Note Purchase Agreements and to issue the Notes.

                    2. Each Note Purchase Agreement has been duly authorized by
         all necessary corporate action on the part of the Company, has been
         duly executed and delivered by the Company and constitutes the legal,
         valid and binding contract of the Company enforceable in accordance
         with its terms, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent
         conveyance and similar laws affecting creditors' rights generally, and
         general principles of equity (regardless of whether the application of
         such principles is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law).

                    3. The Notes have been duly authorized by all necessary
         corporate action on the part of the Company, have been duly executed
         and delivered by the Company and constitute the legal, valid and
         binding obligations of the Company enforceable in accordance with their
         terms, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance and
         similar laws affecting creditors' rights generally, and general
         principles of equity (regardless of whether the application of such
         principles is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law).

                    4. The issuance, sale and delivery of the Notes under the
         circumstances contemplated by the Note Purchase Agreements do not,
         under existing law, require the registration of the Notes under the
         Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the qualification of an
         indenture under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended.

         The opinion of Chapman and Cutler shall also state that the opinion of
Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson, P.A., special counsel for the Company, is
satisfactory in scope and form to Chapman and Cutler and that, in their opinion,
the Purchasers are justified in relying thereon.

         In rendering the opinion set forth in paragraph 1 above, Chapman and
Cutler may rely, as to matters referred to in paragraph 1, solely upon an
examination of the Articles of Incorporation certified by, and a certificate of
good standing of the Company from, the Secretary of State of the



                                 EXHIBIT 4.4(b)
                          (to Note Purchase Agreement)




State of North Carolina, the By-laws of the Company and the General Business
Corporation Act of the State of North Carolina. The opinion of Chapman and
Cutler is limited to the laws of the State of New York, the General Business
Corporation Act of the State of North Carolina and the Federal laws of the
United States.

         With respect to matters of fact upon which such opinion is based,
Chapman and Cutler may rely on appropriate certificates of public officials and
officers of the Company and upon representations of the Company and the
Purchasers delivered in connection with the issuance and sale of the Notes.



                                  E-4.4(b)-94