Crompton Corporation Announces Reporting Segment Modifications.

Business Editors

GREENWICH, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 12, 2002

Crompton Corporation (NYSE: CK) announced today certain modifications within its financial reporting segments to reflect the management and operating structure in its current portfolio of businesses. The modifications are as follows:

First, a reclassification of Petroleum Additives from the "Other" category to the Polymer Additives segment. This change reflects the similarity of product and product enhancing characteristics of these additives, as well as the similar manufacturing processes.

Second, a reclassification of divestiture candidate Industrial Specialties from the Crop Protection segment to the "Other" category, where it joins Crompton's other main divestment property, Refined Products. It is expected that the "Other" category will ultimately be eliminated from the company's reporting when the units are sold.

Third, a reclassification of Glycerine and Fatty Acids from the "Other" category into Plastic Additives (included in the Polymer Additives segment). The external sales of glycerine and fatty acids are a by-product of in-house production for use in the plastic additives business.

Fourth, a reclassification of the trilene product line from Petroleum Additives (included in the Polymer Additives segment) to EPDM (included in the Polymers segment). The former classification was predicated on the product's use in lubricant applications, while the new designation is consistent with the chemistry of trilene, which is actually a liquid form of EPDM.

Historical financial information conforming to these changes is attached for the years 2000 and 2001 to facilitate comparison and analysis.

Crompton Corporation is a $2.7 billion global producer and marketer of specialty chemicals and polymer products and equipment.

Certain statements made in this release are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, general economic conditions, energy and raw material prices and availability, production capacity, changes in interest rates and foreign currency exchange rates, changes in technology, market demand and customer requirements, expected restructuring activities and cost reductions, the enactment of more stringent environmental laws and regulations, and other risks and uncertainties detailed in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These statements are based on currently available information and the Company's actual results may differ significantly from the results discussed. Forward-looking information is intended to reflect opinions as of the date this release was issued and such information will not necessarily be updated by the Company.

                         CROMPTON CORPORATION
                      SALES AND OPERATING PROFIT
                     BY REVISED REPORTING SEGMENTS
                                 2001
            ----------------------------------------------
                        (Thousands of Dollars)


                       First    Second     Third   Fourth
                     Quarter   Quarter   Quarter   Quarter       Year
                     -------   -------   -------   -------     -------
NET SALES
Polymer Products
 Polymer Additives $ 308,939 $ 287,538 $ 270,911 $ 258,522 $ 1,125,910
 Polymers             82,262    78,436    68,923    62,471     292,092
 Polymer Processing
  Equipment           58,746    58,116    40,966    44,825     202,653
 Eliminations         (3,924)   (2,750)   (4,113)   (3,018)    (13,805)
                     -------   -------   -------   -------     -------
                     446,023   421,340   376,687   362,800   1,606,850
                     -------   -------   -------   -------   ---------
Specialty Products
 OrganoSilicones     111,890   108,587   107,800   103,978     432,255
 Crop Protection      60,074    75,562    64,922    45,004     245,562
 Other               119,949   118,543   102,512    93,127     434,131
                     -------   -------   -------   -------     -------
                     291,913   302,692   275,234   242,109   1,111,948
                     -------   -------   -------   -------   ---------
TOTAL NET SALES    $ 737,936 $ 724,032 $ 651,921 $ 604,909 $ 2,718,798
                     -------   -------   -------   -------   ---------

OPERATING PROFIT
 Polymer Products
  Polymer Additives$  18,701 $  15,672 $  14,445 $   6,905 $    55,723
  Polymers            14,289    10,976    10,944     6,034      42,243
  Polymer Processing
   Equipment           1,057    (4,282)   (6,719)   (5,703)    (15,647)
                     -------   -------   -------   -------     -------
                      34,047    22,366    18,670     7,236      82,319
                     -------   -------   -------   -------     -------
Specialty Products
 OrganoSilicones      11,370    13,760    13,736     7,269      46,135
 Crop Protection      25,891    28,974    15,167     9,154      79,186
 Other                 3,693     4,555       746     1,785      10,779
                     -------   -------   -------   -------     -------
                      40,954    47,289    29,649    18,208     136,100
                     -------   -------   -------   -------     -------
Corporate including
 amortization        (19,792)  (19,332)  (19,178)  (19,318)    (77,620)
                     -------   -------   -------   -------     -------
TOTAL OPERATING
 PROFIT BEFORE
  SPECIAL ITEMS(a) $  55,209 $  50,323 $  29,141 $   6,126 $   140,799
                     =======   =======   =======   =======     =======

    (a) Operating Profit is before facility closures, severance and
      related costs of $114,033 and impairment of long-lived assets of
      $80,366.


                         CROMPTON CORPORATION
                      SALES AND OPERATING PROFIT
                     BY REVISED REPORTING SEGMENTS
                                 2000
            ----------------------------------------------
                        (Thousands of Dollars)


                       First    Second     Third   Fourth
                     Quarter   Quarter    Quarter  Quarter       Year
                     -------   -------    -------  -------     -------
NET SALES
 Polymer Products
  Polymer Additives$ 321,117 $ 314,457 $ 296,296 $ 301,786 $ 1,233,656
  Polymers            82,135    86,706    83,318    86,418     338,577
  Polymer Processing
   Equipment          69,081    80,049    82,464    78,896     310,490
  Eliminations        (3,544)   (3,885)   (2,766)   (3,980)    (14,175)
                     -------   -------   -------   -------     -------
                     468,789   477,327   459,312   463,120   1,868,548
                     -------   -------   -------   -------   ---------
Specialty Products
 OrganoSilicones     127,035   121,655   119,044   116,690     484,424
 Crop Protection      59,541    78,305    54,096    46,605     238,547
 Other               113,653   125,599   106,004   101,655     446,911
                     -------   -------   -------   -------     -------
                     300,229   325,559   279,144   264,950   1,169,882
                     -------   -------   -------   -------   ---------

TOTAL NET SALES    $ 769,018 $ 802,886 $ 738,456 $ 728,070 $ 3,038,430
                     -------   -------   -------   -------   ---------

OPERATING PROFIT
 Polymer Products
  Polymer Additives$  27,855 $  30,302 $  24,974 $  25,092  $  108,223
  Polymers            18,657    18,541    17,201    13,621      68,020
  Polymer Processing
    Equipment          4,252     7,936     7,902     4,550      24,640
                     -------   -------   -------   -------     -------
                      50,764    56,779    50,077    43,263     200,883
                     -------   -------   -------   -------     -------
Specialty Products
 OrganoSilicones      21,768    25,538    19,358    17,475      84,139
 Crop Protection      19,941    28,126    12,920    11,760      72,747
 Other                 6,214     9,149     2,042     1,063      18,468
                     -------   -------   -------   -------     -------
                      47,923    62,813    34,320    30,298     175,354
                     -------   -------   -------   -------     -------
Corporate including
 amortization        (20,490)  (21,827)  (19,185)  (23,252)    (84,754)
                     -------   -------   -------   -------     -------
TOTAL OPERATING
 PROFIT BEFORE
  SPECIAL ITEMS(b) $  78,197  $ 97,765 $  65,212 $  50,309 $   291,483
                     =======   =======   =======   =======     =======

      (b) Operating profit is before facility closure costs of $23,148.