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

Texas Gov. Rick Perry has announced plans for the state to invest $1.65 million through the Texas
Enterprise Fund to assist Brazil-based Santana Textiles in building a denim manufacturing plant in
Edinburg.

Santana Textiles, which has operated since 1945, is South America’s largest denim fabric
manufacturer and the fifth-largest such producer in the world, with four manufacturing plants in
Brazil and one in Argentina. The company will invest $170 million in its Texas venture, which will
employ 800 workers.

“The City of Edinburg is very excited to work with the governor’s office in securing the
Texas Enterprise Funds to allow Santana Textiles to come [to the city],” said Edinburg Mayor Joe
Ochoa. “The city and the governor’s office worked very hard in convincing this company to locate
here. Santana Textiles will bring a lot of jobs and economic development to the City of Edinburg.”

The Texas Enterprise Fund was created by legislation in 2003 to help secure the growth of
Texas businesses and to create employment for Texas workers. It has since become one of the state’s
most competitive recruitment tools to boost business, according to Gov. Perry’s press office. 

July 8, 2008

The organizers of ITMA Asia + CITME 2008 are declaring they will take action against copying and
counterfeiting at the forthcoming exhibition, which will take place in Shanghai July 27-31.
Offenders risk expulsion as the show organizers announce stringent new measures to enforce
intellectual property rights (IPR).

ITMA Asia + CITME 2008 is expected to attract some 100,000 visitors to this first combined
show, owned jointly by the European Committee of Textile Machinery Manufacturers (CEMATEX) and a
Chinese consortium made up of Sub-Council of Textile Industry, China Council for the Promotion of
International Trade; China Textile Machinery Association; and China International Exhibition Centre
Group Corp.

Protect IPR

The organizers of ITMA ASIA + CITME 2008 are taking comprehensive measures to protect IPR
and safeguard against counterfeit or copied technology. This issue is quite hot among the European
textile machinery manufacturers, especially because the majority of exhibitors are Chinese
suppliers.

The show organizers are determined to enforce stringent regulations to ensure that only
genuine and original machines and components are presented at the event. Before the event, all
exhibitors had to sign a commitment to respect IPR by promising not to show any products which
infringe upon other companies’ rights, and to cooperate with the appropriate agencies on this
issue.

At the show, the organizers will have a dedicated IPR Office, located in Hall W4, Room W4E2,
staffed by a team of qualified officials from the Shanghai Intellectual Property Administration.
This office will handle any complaints or disputes related to patents, trademarks and copyrights.
During the event, organizers also will be issuing to all exhibitors reminders of the need to unite
in protecting intellectual property and to work with the show administrators in monitoring this
protection.

Sanctions Are Planned

All the partners are resolved that firm action will be taken if IPR breaches are found —
with sanctions ranging from the removal of any offending machinery, components or supporting
materials from display, to the suspension or expulsion of the exhibiting company. The IPR Office
will carry out detailed and impartial investigations or obtain relevant evidence in cases in which
a company is suspected of an infringement of any such rights.

Anne Zheng, spokesperson for the show organizers, said exhibition organizers have a duty to
take all appropriate steps to enforce IPR, for the protection not only for exhibitors, but also for
show visitors, who are entitled to expect a legitimate and lawful presentation of the technology,
products and services that are being offered.

No Problem?

In an official press release, the organizers said: “They do not expect this to be a major
problem at the show, but they are nevertheless taking these responsibilities extremely seriously.
They believe that the measures in place for the show will be effective as a safeguard should any
such complaints arise. [These measures] are also very important to ensure the healthy development
of the exhibition itself.”

Counterfeiting A Global Fact Of Life In Textile Machinery?

While the organizers are aware that counterfeiting is a fact of life in the textile
machinery industry globally, the CITME and ITMA events, have strong track records on IPR issues. In
China, CITME has employed specialist professionals since the late 1990s to handle IPR-related
complaints, and first established an onsite IPR Office in 2004. ITMA also has had a legal
secretariat in place at all its shows since 2003.

ITMA and CITME officials are convinced that the show in 2008 “will uphold this tradition,
and the zero tolerance IPR measures being implemented will help to guarantee that we will succeed
in our objective of stamping out patent infringements.” Let’s see.

July 8, 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

Germany-based Karl Mayer Textilmaschinenfabrik GmbH — a manufacturer of warp preparation,
warp-knitting and raschel machines — and England-based Texkimp Ltd. — a manufacturer of unwinding
creels — have formed a partnership under which they will produce and market unwinding creels, and
offer complete beaming and unwinding solutions to the polypropylene industry.

Karl Mayer will be the exclusive seller of the creels and beaming machines, including the
product line of unwinding creels produced by Sucker-Müller, which Karl Mayer recently acquired from
Germany-based Moenus Textilmaschinenfabrik GmbH.

July 8, 2008

Effective immediately, Milliken & Company, Spartanburg, has implemented price increases of up
to 15 percent for all of its products and services. The company cited unparalleled increasing costs
of raw materials, energy, freight and other costs in announcing the price increase.

“We are well aware of the many pressures our customers face even under normal circumstances,
and we take this decision reluctantly, but in recognition of the new global economic reality in
which we are all living,” said Milliken President and CEO Joe Salley.

July 8, 2008