Corning Incorporated Concludes Sale of Precision Lens Subsidiary to 3M; Dow Corning Corporation Reorganization Plan Clears Legal Hurdle.

Business & Technology Editors

CORNING, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 13, 2002

Corning Incorporated (NYSE:GLW) today announced that it had completed the sale of Corning Precision Lens, Incorporated., a wholly owned subsidiary of Corning Incorporated, to 3M for $850 million in cash.

Concluding a transaction that was originally announced on November 12, 2002, Corning divested its precision lens business to raise cash to strengthen its balance sheet and to support of one of the company's strategic initiatives for 2002 - protecting its financial health.

Dow Corning Ruling

Corning also announced that the Plan of Reorganization of Dow Corning Corporation cleared a major hurdle on December 11, 2002, when U.S. District Court Judge Denise Page Hood entered supplemental findings in favor of the release and injunction provisions under the Plan. These findings respond to an open issue remanded to Judge Hood by the U.S. Court of Appeals in January 2002. Corning owns 50% of the common stock of Dow Corning. Although further legal appeals are possible, Corning said that it is evaluating the District Court's findings as it considers whether and when to recognize equity earnings from Dow Corning.

Established in 1851, Corning Incorporated (www.corning.com) creates leading-edge technologies that offer growth opportunities in markets that fuel the world's economy. Corning manufactures optical fiber, cable and photonic products for the telecommunications industry; and high-performance display glass and components for television, information technology and other communications-related industries. The company also uses advanced materials to manufacture products for scientific, semiconductor and environmental markets.