Great Lakes Chemical, ASHTA Chemicals forge long-term strategic partnership

INDIANAPOLIS, Jan. 10, 2005 (PRNewswire-FirstCall) -- Great Lakes Chemical Corp., a leading producer of specialty chemicals and consumer products, secured a long-term supply of chlorine under a strategic partnership with ASHTA Chemicals Inc., who will build a new chlor-alkali production facility adjacent to Great Lakes' central plant in El Dorado, Ark.

According to Great Lakes officials, the agreement will provide it with a long-term, steady supply of chlorine for use primarily in the production of bromine at its three El Dorado, Ark. facilities. Bromine is used as a building block for flame retardants and other brominated derivatives produced at the company's South Arkansas plants. The new plant will give Great Lakes immediate, on-site access to chlorine, its most critical raw material, and offer ongoing cost savings particularly in the areas of transportation, distribution, and procurement.

"This partnership is yet another step to ensure that we provide our customers with long-term and highly reliable access to our flame retardants and other brominated derivatives," said Angelo Brisimitzakis, executive vice president of flame retardants and performance products for Great Lakes. "We will continue to seek out opportunities such as this that benefit both our customers and our shareholders."

"The strategic relationship benefits both ASHTA Chemicals and Great Lakes," said R.R. "Barney" Baxter, president and CEO of ASHTA Chemicals. "The building of a neighboring plant enables us to provide Great Lakes with a captive supply of chlorine, a co-product of our potassium hydroxide operations, and allows us to serve our potassium hydroxide products markets nationwide more effectively and efficiently."

ASHTA Chemicals, based in Ashtabula, Ohio, is set to begin construction of the chlor-alkali facility for the production of potassium-based chemicals and chlorine near the end of 2005 with completion scheduled for mid-2007.

About Great Lakes
Based in Indianapolis, Great Lakes Chemical Corp. (www.greatlakes.com) is a global producer of certain specialty chemicals for such applications as water treatment, household cleaners, flame retardants, polymer stabilizers, fire suppressants, and performance products.

ALSO...
For more on this story, see: ASHTA Chemicals Inc. to build chlor-alkali plant in Arkansas

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