In recognition of its success in exporting the textiles it produces, New Ipswich, N.H.-based
Warwick Mills has received an Export Achievement certificate from the US Department of Commerce. US
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce Matt Priest presented the certificate during a visit to the
company this week.

Warwick Mills was established in 1870 as a manufacturer of cotton-based textiles. More
recently, the company has shifted its focus to materials engineering and protective fabrics using
its core technical textiles, adhesives and performance coatings technologies. Its TurtleSkin®
branded products are used in a range of applications from body armor and ballistic, puncture and
snake bite protection to inflatable structures and chemical-biological protective structures, among
other applications. TurtleSkin protective gloves are worn by some 15,000 US Marines in Iraq; and
the company exports its products to countries such as Brazil, Germany, Mexico and South Korea.

July 15, 2008

Switzerland-based global specialty chemicals provider Clariant has acquired liquid and solid
masterbatch suppliers Rite Systems Inc. and Ricon Colors Inc., sister companies based in West
Chicago, Ill., with operations in North Carolina, California and Austria. The terms of the
acquisition were not disclosed.

 “Rite Systems/Ricon Colors is an excellent partner to expand our product and service
offering in North America, especially for our customers in the packaging and consumer goods market
segments,” said Dominik von Bertrab, head, Clariant Masterbatches. “Further, Rite’s outstanding
reputation in liquid color will allow us to leverage this new competence into other regions where
Clariant enjoys strong market positions such as Europe, Asia and Latin America.”

July 15, 2008

Germany-based Cognis Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG — a global supplier of specialty chemicals and
nutritional ingredients — has agreed to sell its Pulcra Chemicals GmbH subsidiary to Germany-based
Fashion Chemicals GmbH & Co. KG. The sale is part of Cognis’ strategy to emphasize its wellness
and sustainability trends-driven core businesses.

Cognis spun off Pulcra Chemicals — formerly its Process Chemicals Strategic business unit —
as an independent company in July 2007 in a move to improve competitiveness as well as product and
service quality. Pulcra manufactures process chemicals for the textile and leather industries; and
has production facilities and service centers in Brazil, China, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy,
Mexico, Spain, Turkey and the United States. The company realized sales totaling 246 million euros
in 2007.

Fashion Chemicals is an investor funded primarily by Turkey-based DSD Deri San. DS Tic. A.S.,
a company with stakeholders in the leather goods industry. The transaction is expected to be
completed in October 2008.

July 15, 2008

BASF Corp., the Florham Park, N.J.-based North American affiliate of Germany-based BASF SE, is
celebrating the 50th anniversary of its Freeport, Texas, manufacturing site.

The Freeport facility, one of the company’s principal production sites in North America, was
established in 1958 after BASF formed a joint venture with Midland, Mich.-based The Dow Chemical
Co. to manufacture basic chemicals and fiber precursors in Freeport. BASF took on sole ownership of
the facility in 1978.

BASF’s Freeport operation is based on the company’s Verbund concept to integrate processes
and materials across site operations, decreasing waste and yielding economic and environmental
benefits in line with sustainable development principles. The site employs 644 employees and 542
contractors in the production of chemicals used in a wide variety of product applications,
including nylon, coatings, superabsorbents, plastics, adhesives and others.

July 15, 2008

The Netherlands-based TenCate Advanced Textiles — a manufacturer of protective fabrics for workwear
and professional wear — and Thailand-based Union Textile Industries Public Co. Ltd — a vertical
textile manufacturer from spinning and weaving through finishing — have formed a joint venture
under which they will produce work- and safetywear fabrics in Thailand. The fabrics will be
produced under the name TenCate-Union Protective Fabrics Asia Ltd. TenCate will hold the majority
interest in the venture.

TenCate will contribute the funding and expertise, as well as the licensing for its brand
names, including TenCate Tecasafe®, TenCate Tecashield® and TenCate Millenia®. Union Textile will
provide its existing finishing production facilities and related production and sales team, along
with an entry into the local Asian market. This venture is the first pursuit of a non-Asian company
in the protective fabrics market in Asia, according to TenCate.

The approximately 11,000-square-meter production facilities are located south of Bangkok in
Thailand’s Samutprakan district, and will begin operations August 16, 2008, with approximately 200
employees.

July 15, 2008

The Dow Chemical Co., Midland, Mich., and Philadelphia-based Rohm and Haas Co., a supplier of
solutions for the specialty materials industry, have reached an agreement under which Dow will
acquire Rohm and Haas for $18.8 billion.

The transaction follows a recent joint venture with Kuwait-based Petrochemicals Industries
Co. As a result of the two transactions, 69 percent of Dow’s total sales revenues will come from
sales of performance products and advanced materials.

 “The acquisition of Rohm and Haas is a defining step in our transformational strategy
to shape the ‘Dow of Tomorrow’ — a high value, diversified chemicals and materials company,
creating the largest specialty chemicals company in the United States with a leading global
position in performance products and advanced materials,” said Andrew N. Liveris, Dow chairman and
CEO. “Rohm and Haas brings us access to new and exciting technologies and offers an extended reach
into emerging geographies, all of which are highly complementary to Dow’s existing platforms and
value growth priorities.

Rohm and Haas’ current Philadelphia headquarters will become the headquarters of Dow’s newly
established advanced materials business unit, which will retain Rohm and Haas’ corporate name and
will include Rohm and Haas’ existing portfolio and complementary Dow businesses. In addition, Dow
will add two Rohm and Haas directors to its Board of Directors.

“Rohm and Haas is a first class company with a strong product portfolio, proven research and
development capabilities and a highly talented workforce,” Liveris said. “This acquisition affords
us a tremendous opportunity to ensure the new Dow draws from the strengths of each of the two
companies, capturing the best practices and best people from each organization as we pursue our
vision of becoming the largest, most profitable and most respected chemical company in the world.”

Both Dow’s and Rohm and Haas’ Boards of Directors have approved the transaction, which the
companies hope to complete by early 2009.

July 15, 2008

Point Blank Body Armor — a subsidiary of Pompano Beach, Fla.-based Point Blank Solutions Inc.
(PBSI), a producer of technologically advanced body armor solutions for the US military, government
and law enforcement agencies, in addition to certain global markets — has received an $86.2 million
contract to manufacture the Improved Outer Tactical Vest (IOTV) for the US Army.

“We are proud Point Blank continues to be the chosen supplier of the US Army and look forward
to meeting the requirements of the soldiers who protect our nation,” said Larry Ellis, president
and CEO, Point Blank Solutions.

Point Blank Body Armor has begun production of the allotted 150,000 IOTVs, and will produce
25,000 per month for six months through December 2008.

July 15, 2008

Effective August 1, or as contracts allow, Florence, Ky.-based Ticona — the engineering polymers
business of Dallas-based Celanese Corp. — will implement price increases for its Vectra® liquid
crystal polymer products in the Americas by $1.15 to $1.60 per pound; in Asia by $2.50 to $3.50 per
kilogram (kg); and in Europe by 1.75 to 2.40 euros per kg.  The company cited unprecedented
increases in raw material costs in announcing the increases.

July 15, 2008

The Netherlands-based ADVANSA — a polyester fiber and filament manufacturer with production
operations in Germany and Turkey and a research and development facility in Turkey — will debut its
products in the US market at Outdoor Retailer Summer Market in Salt Lake City next month. The
company, which caters to the apparel, home and technical textiles sectors, will be offering
thermoregulation products for performance sports apparel and footwear at the show.

“The US market is a new frontier for ADVANSA,” said Gerard Illeras, the company’s active
sports wear market manager. “As our scientists develop meaningful and innovative new polyester
technologies, we will respond to the many requests we’ve received to launch them globally — not
only in our current European, Middle Eastern and African markets, but also in the United States as
well as Asia.”

ADVANSA will maintain sales offices in New York City and Dallas, and a marketing office in
Charlotte. The company — originally a joint venture between Wilmington, Del.-based DuPont and
Turkey-based Haci Omer Sabanci Holdings AS, and operating under the name DuPontSA — assumed its
current form when DuPont transferred its interest to Sabanci in 2004 and was renamed ADVANSA in
March 2005. The company offers partially oriented and textured polyester staple fiber and filament
yarn under its own brands, which it will introduce in the United States, as well as under licensed
brands including Coolmax®, Dacron®, Thermolite® and other DuPont brands to which it has exclusive
rights in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. It also produces polyester intermediates and polymer
solutions.



July 8, 2008