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Rockwood Press Release
Southern Clay Products Increases Prices of
Associative Thickeners and Castor Derivative Additives
GONZALES, TX (July 11, 2008) – Effective August 1, 2008 or as contracts allow, Southern Clay Products, Inc. (SCP) will increase the price of its waterborne rheological additives, castors and wax derivatives 5 percent to 15 percent. The increase includes Optiflo®, Bentolite®, Rheocin® and Advitrol® additives. These increases apply to all regions and are being implemented to help offset continuing increases in raw material and operating costs.
According to Mark Zody, SCP market manager, “The price increases are necessary due to the significant increase in key raw materials such as PEG, glycol ethers, aminoplast, castor oil feed stock and xylene chemistries, as well as manufacturing and logistics costs. We continue to improve production efficiencies, but these actions are required in light of the historically unprecedented changes within the market.”
- Optiflo associative thickeners are designed for use in waterborne paints, coatings, inks, adhesives, and caulks to provide rheological properties, such as mid-shear (Stormer Viscosity) and high shear (ICI viscosity).
- Bentolite natural bentonite clay-based additives provide cost-effective performance when used in less viscous water-based systems to aid suspension and stability control.
- Rheocin and Advitrol castor-based additives are designed for use in solvent-based coatings, caulks and sealants and provide excellent brush results, a good balance between sag and leveling, and effective pigment suspension.
Southern Clay Products, Inc, Gonzales, Texas, is part of Rockwood’s Clay Additives division and a leading supplier of smectite-based functional additives to several markets. The company's complete line of water- and solvent-based rheological additives includes Advitrol®, Bentolite®, Claytone®, Cloisite®, Encore®, Fulacolor®, Fulcat®, Garamite®, Gelwhite®, Laponite®, Mineral Colloid®, Nanofil®, Nanothix®, Necowel®, Optibent®, Optiflo®, Optigel®, Permont®, Pure Thix®, Rheocin® and Tixogel® rheological additives and Y-Type® anti-settling agents. For more information on the full range of products, please visit www.scprod.com.
Rockwood Holdings, Inc. is a leading global specialty chemicals and advanced materials company. Rockwood has a worldwide employee base of more than 9,500 people and annual net sales of approximately $3.1 billion. The company focuses on global niche segments of the specialty chemicals, pigments and additives and advanced materials markets. For more information on Rockwood, please visit www.rocksp.com.
The information set forth in this press release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 concerning the business, operations and financial condition of Rockwood Holdings, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates ("Rockwood"). Words such as, "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "expects," "forecasts," "predicts" and variations of such words or expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Although Rockwood believes the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, there can be no assurance that its expectations will be realized. "Forward-looking statements" consist of all non-historical information, including any statements referring to the prospects and future performance of Rockwood. Actual results could differ materially from those projected in Rockwood's forward-looking statements due to numerous known and unknown risks and uncertainties, including, among other things, the "Risk Factors" described in Rockwood's Form 2007 10-K on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Rockwood does not undertake any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which any such statement is made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
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