Arch Chemicals Increases Urethane Polyol Production Capacity At Brandenburg, Kentucky.

Business Editors

NORWALK, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 18, 2000

Arch Chemicals, Inc. has increased polyol capacity by 10% at the Brandenburg, KY manufacturing facility to service the requirements of fast growing markets in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia. This has been accomplished through a series of projects including debottlenecking and efficiency upgrades.

"This additional capacity at Brandenburg will allow Arch Chemicals to participate in the forecasted growth of the CASE (coatings, adhesives, sealants, and elastomers) and rigid foam markets. In addition, it will allow us to have ample capacity to support the development of new and complementary products consistent with our growth strategy," said John J. Margherio, vice president and general manager, Performance Urethanes and Organics.

"The recent HQEE (hydroquinone di (beta-hydroxyethyl) ether) acquisition from Eastman Chemical Company, and the newly commercialized Poly-Q(TM) tetrol polyols are among the expanding line of products produced at Brandenburg that will benefit from the additional capacity," he added. "This U.S. production resource is supplemented by a plant near Maracaibo, Venezuela that also manufactures polyols. Together, these facilities service the fast growing global markets."

Arch Chemicals, Inc., headquartered in Norwalk, CT., has three business segments: Microelectronic Chemicals, Performance Chemicals, and Water Chemicals. The Performance Chemicals segment has strong market positions in biocides, specialty polyols, hydrazine propellants and solutions, and sulfuric acid.

Arch Chemicals, spun-off from Olin Corporation in 1999, has an estimated three thousand employees in facilities in North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Africa. In 1999, Arch reported revenues of approximately $900 million.