WestPoint Stevens announced recently its plans to open an outlet store in downtown Greenville that will feature the company's entire line of famous-brand products.

The store, scheduled to open July 29, will be located in the old Planters Mercantile Building at 200 West Commerce Street, and employees have been busy for weeks putting the finishing touches on renovations to the building and stocking the new shelves with merchandise.

"We will have a wide selection of WestPoint Stevens' famous-brand, best selling sheets, towels, blankets and accessories for the bedroom and bath in both discontinued patterns and irregulars," said store manager Pam Ayers. "Of course, Vellux blankets will certainly be included."

Ayers said the outlet will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday through Saturday, and will feature discounted prices on irregular and discontinued merchandise among all the lines the company sells.

"We have got great discounted prices and an excellent selection of products," Ayers said. "We hope the many people in this area who have shown an interest in the outlet will come in to see what we have to offer."

WestPoint Stevens became a part of the Greenville industrial community in April of 1999 with the announcement that the company would establish a plant in Greenville for manufacturing the company's best-selling Vellux blankets. Now in limited operation, WestPoint officials say the project to outfit the Greenville plant is progressing on schedule and full manufacturing operations is slated to begin in early fall.

WestPoint Stevens is the nation's leading home fashions consumer products marketing company with a wide range of bed linens, towels, comforters and accessories marketed under the well-know brand names of Grand Patrician, Patrician, Martex, Utica, Stevens, Lady Pepperell, Luxor and Vellux. WestPoint also manufactures products under license for designers such as Ralph Lauren Home, Sanderson, Designers Guild, Esprit, Joe Boxer and Serta Perfect Sleeper.

WestPoint Stevens is also a manufacturer of the Martha Stewart bed and bath lines. The Company can be found on the World Wide Web at www.westpointstevens.com.