The Dow Chemical Company announced plans to build several new, specialty material production units aligned to its high value Performance Plastics franchise on the U.S. Gulf Coast. The move further connects the Company’s U.S. manufacturing operations with cost-advantaged feedstocks available from increasing supplies of shale gas in North America, while also creating thousands of new, high-paying jobs across the country’s manufacturing sector. “These new facilities will include a wide range of technologies that will produce differentiated, high performance materials for the fastest growing segments in Dow’s existing markets, while providing access to new markets and applications,” said Jim Fitterling, Dow Executive Vice President. “These investments are also aimed at businesses that have consistently delivered a higher return on capital, which is clearly aligned with our long-term strategy. This, coupled with an enhanced market and value chain focus in our high value Performance Plastics franchise, will deliver faster growth with lower earnings volatility.”
The new facilities are in the Front End Engineering and Design (FEED) phase that will be completed in 2014. These facilities will manufacture competitively advantaged materials for several of the Company’s fastest growing market segments, including Packaging; Hygiene and Medical; Electrical and Telecommunications; Transportation, Sports and Leisure and Consumer Durables. The new capacity will be targeted at projected growth in North and South America in addition to select export opportunities over the coming decade. Dow is currently exploring specific location options on the U.S. Gulf Coast, with final investment locations to be determined at a later date.
21-Mar-13 
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