Midland, MI - October 13, 2005
The Epoxy Products and Intermediates (EP&I) business of The Dow Chemical Company ("Dow") announced today that it is reducing allocation levels of glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) from 80 to 50 percent of customers' average monthly volume. The order control measure is effective immediately.
Production at Dow's GMA facility in Freeport, Texas, was suspended as part of a precautionary site-wide shutdown ahead of Hurricane Rita. The unit sustained no structural damage as a result of the hurricane. However, operational issues since the unit's restart have forced Dow to take it down for repair.
"Any decision to shutdown a production facility is difficult, especially during a period of high demand from our valued customers," said Brent Polak, Dow product manager for GMA. "By late next week, barring unforeseen circumstances, we will be returning the plant to full production." The 50 percent allocation will likely remain in effect until the end of 2005. "It will take time for us to catch up on lost production and build our inventories to meet the strong demand," explained Polak.
Dow is the leading worldwide producer of GMA, a high purity, dual functionality monomer - bringing together the chemical resistance of an epoxy with the weatherability of an acrylic. GMA is used in a wide variety of high performance coatings applications. For more information about GMA and other specialty acrylic monomers from Dow, visit www.dowacrylicmonomers.com.
About The Dow Chemical Company
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:
David Cameron
The Dow Chemical Company
(989) 636-3369
Josiah McClellan
Gibbs & Soell, Inc.
(212) 697-2600
