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Munich (Germany) / Midland, Mich. (USA)–Dow Corning
Corporation (Midland, Michigan, USA) and Wacker Chemie AG (Munich, Germany)
announce that their manufacturing joint venture company Dow Corning
(Zhangjiagang) Co, Ltd. received official approval from the Chinese government
to jointly build a world-class siloxanes manufacturing facility in China.
The new complex will be located in the Jiangsu Yangtze River Chemical
Industrial Park, Zhangjiagang City, Jiangsu Province. Land preparation and
early construction tasks are under way. It will benefit the growth of the
silicone industry in China by providing a stable and quality supply of silicone
basic materials, “building blocks” for many different products that are used by
various industries. Dow Corning and WACKER also established another joint
venture company to build and operate a fumed silica plant on this integrated
manufacturing site.
The chemical park in Zhangjiagang provides distinct advantages, especially
superb port facilities, and access to quality local talent. The companies very
much appreciate the cooperation and support of Chinese government at local,
provincial and central levels to help identify and approve construction of the
new plant at this strategic location.
Under the joint venture agreement, Dow Corning will be responsible for the
construction and development of the joint siloxanes production facility, and
WACKER for the joint fumed silica plant . The silica plant is already under
construction. Siloxane is a key starting material for the production of
silicones. Major silicone application industries include: construction,
chemicals, cosmetics, textiles, automotive, paper and electronics. Fumed silica
is used as an active filler in silicone elastomers, as a viscosity-adjusting
agent in coatings, printing inks, adhesives, unsaturated polyester resins and
plastisols or as a flow aid, for example in the cosmetics, pharmaceutical and
food-processing industries.
Dow Corning and WACKER each view the Asia region and China as a high
priority geography with the potential for immense growth over the next several
years. Investing in a state-of-the-art integrated siloxane and fumed silica
manufacturing facility will help each of the companies to better serve their
own downstream customers in this important region.
Dow Corning and WACKER will continue independently to serve their respective
customers. Both companies will develop and operate separately their
manufacturing facilities for finished products.
About WACKER
WACKER (www.wacker.com) is a globally
operating chemical company headquartered in Munich, Germany. With a wide range
of state-of-the-art specialty products, WACKER is a leader in numerous
industrial sectors. Its products support countless high-growth end-user sectors
such as photovoltaics, electronics, pharmaceuticals and household/personal care
products. The WACKER Group posted sales of around EUR 2.76 billion in 2005, of
which some 80 percent were generated outside Germany. WACKER employs around
14,400 people at 22 production sites in Europe, the Americas and Asia, and
about 100 sales offices worldwide. Wacker Chemie AG is listed at the Frankfurt
(Germany) Stock Exchange (ISIN: DE000WCH8881).
About Dow Corning
Dow Corning (www.dowcorning.com)
provides performance-enhancing solutions to serve the diverse needs of more
than 25,000 customers worldwide. A global leader in silicon-based technology
and innovation, offering more than 7,000 products and services, Dow Corning is
equally owned by The Dow Chemical Company and Corning, Incorporated. More than
half of Dow Corning’s annual sales are outside the United States. It recorded
$3.88 billion in global sales in 2005.
Contact:
Dow
Corning:
WACKER:
Mary Lou Benecke
(U.S.) Christof
Bachmair, (Europe)
Phone: (989)
496-8689 Phone:
+498962791830
Karen Heenan-Davies
(Europe)
Jessica He (China)
Phone: + 44 144 6 723
498
Phone: +86 21
6100 3588
Liliana Ng (Asia)
Phone + 852 2835 0387
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