Midland, MI - November 29, 2005

Jim Fitterling has been named business vice president, Polyethylene. Fitterling will report to Mike Gambrell, executive vice president, Basic Plastics and Chemicals Portfolio.

Fitterling, currently CEO of The Optimal Group of Companies until year-end 2005, will transition to this new role over the next several months and relocate to Midland, Michigan. He will temporarily retain his role as regional general manager, Southeast Asia/Australia.

Reporting to Fitterling are Chris Gann, business vice president for High Density Polyethylene/Low Density Polyethylene, and Roger Schwartz, business vice president for Solution Polyetheylene. In addition, the four regional commercial directors for Basic Plastics also will report to Fitterling: Pedro Suarez, Marcus Wildi, Isidro Quiroga, and Peter Sykes.

Fitterling joined Dow in 1984. After serving in a variety of Sales, Marketing and Supply Chain positions in Liquid Separations, he was named commercial director for Liquid Separations, Dow Pacific in 1994. He was appointed global business director for Liquid Separations and president and CEO of FilmTec Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company in 1998. In 2000, he was named general manager for Dow Thailand and managing director for SCC-Dow Group of joint venture companies. In 2002, he was named CEO of The OPTIMAL Group, affiliates of Petroliam Nasional Berhad (PETRONAS), Malaysia's state-owned oil corporation and The Dow Chemical Company. He added responsibility for the Southeast Asia and Australia region in February 2004.

Fitterling also is vice president of the Malaysian International Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MICCI). He is the Dow representative to U.S. ASEAN Business Council.

About Dow
Dow is a leader in science and technology, providing innovative chemical, plastic and agricultural products and services to many essential consumer markets. With annual sales of $40 billion, Dow serves customers in 175 countries and a wide range of markets that are vital to human progress: food, transportation, health and medicine, personal and home care, and building and construction, among others. Committed to the principles of sustainable development, Dow and its 43,000 employees seek to balance economic, environmental and social responsibilities. References to "Dow" or the "Company" mean The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly noted.

For Editorial Information:

Elizabeth McDonnell
Gibbs & Soell, New York
1-212-697-2600 x247

Kellie Nolan
Gibbs & Soell, Zurich
+41 (1) 205 5565