More about Dow in Russia – Dow first established a representation office in Moscow in 1974. Since then, Dow has grown to employ over 90 people. Dow offers a variety of plastics and specialty chemicals sold to a wide range of downstream industries, including automotive, oil and gas, building, packaging, furniture, wire and cable, large appliances, water treatment and agricultural products. In addition to the Moscow headquarters, the Company has established a sales office in Kiev, Ukraine. After more than a decade of successfully developing the thermal insulation market, Dow announced last November 2005 that it is investing in the construction of a Russian plant for the production of STYROFOAM™ extruded polystyrene insulation boards (XPS), thermal insulation products designed to increase the energy efficiency of homes and commercial buildings. The plant, located in the village of Kryukovo, 57 km from the Moscow ring road, will enable Dow's Building Solutions business to produce STYROFOAM products for supply to central Russia as well as to customers in Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine. The decision makes Dow the first international XPS producer to invest in a Russian production facility - a natural step for the Company following ten years of successful customer and market development in the region. The STYROFOAM facility is an initial investment in the significant Russian economy.
Dow is highly committed to Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) as key growth areas and continually strives to improve customer relations, stakeholder outreach and service offerings. The Company is evaluating further investment opportunities, in partnership with key domestic energy producers. Dow’s sales in Russia and the CIS in 2005 were more than 340 million US Dollars. More information on Dow or Dow in Russia can be found at www.dow.com or www.dow.ru.
More about Dow’s Polyurethane Systems business – Dow’s Polyurethane Systems business started in 1985. It consists of a global network of 18 systems houses with manufacturing units and 8 Service Centers, supported by three research and development (R&D) centers that enable a localized, value-added, service-intensive model. Approximately 775 employees currently operate these facilities strategically located throughout the world, effectively leveraging technical selling, R&D and operations capabilities globally to obtain efficiencies and low cost. Dow’s Polyurethane Systems business serves over 2,300 customers and supplies over 3,500 tailored formulations. An annual growth rate of more than 15% and an increase in revenue from $300 million in 1999 to over $1 billion in 2005 has been achieved initially through geographic expansion and more recently via acquisitions, mainly in North America and Europe.
Izolan – Located in Vladimir (Russia), Izolan was established in 1991 by recognized Russian specialists in the Polyurethanes Science and Chemistry Applications. Izolan main activity is the production and sales of Polyurethane Systems for rigid and flexible foams serving construction, refrigeration, pipe insulation and automotive industries. Izolan employs about 100 employees and has more than 400 customers in Russia and CIS. With its specific technical and R&D capabilities, Izolan produces and sells Polyurethane Systems for rigid and flexible foams to customers in Russia and the CIS. In 2005, Izolan Systems sales in Russia reached more than 20,000 MT, making Izolan the market leader in the Polyurethane Systems in Russia and the CIS. More information about Izolan can be found at www.izolan.ru.
Polyurethane Systems products – Polyurethane Systems products are used in a wide range of applications including footwear (shoe soles), automotive (seating, padding, liners, integral skin foam), appliances (insulation), building (rigid construction panels, water heaters, pipe insulation, spray insulation), consumer (Insulating Foam Sealant) and furniture (cushions and flexible molded foams). The main strength of the Polyurethane Systems business is its ability to provide tailor-made solutions that serve a diverse customer base. In fact, unlike more commoditized businesses, Polyurethane Systems captures greater value by delivering formulation expertise in combination with a low cost-to-serve business structure.
®™* Trademark of The Dow Chemical Company ("Dow") or an affiliated company of Dow
For Editorial Information:
Paolo Casciato
The Dow Chemical Company
(+39) 335-1041740
Annalisa Gianantonio
The Dow Chemical Company
(+39) 02 4822 4431
