ASME ANNOUNCES PRESIDENT FOR 2008-2009

Thomas M. Barlow, formerly of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, has been named president-elect of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), New York, NY. Barlow will become the 127th president of ASME when he begins his one-year term in June 2008.

A longtime member of ASME, Barlow has participated on numerous technical, regional and Society-wide committees and boards, and has demonstrated a strong record of support and leadership in student outreach, membership development, technology, and engineering diversity. He is a fellow of ASME and former member of the ASME Board of Governors, serving from 2003 to 2006.

Barlow enjoyed a 40-year career at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, serving in a number of management and leadership positions before retiring in 2000.

For more information, visit www.asme.org .

DORF KETAL APPOINTS LOVEN NEW PRESIDENT IN HOUSTON

Dorf Ketal Chemicals has named William Loven as president, Lubes and Additives, United States division. Loven will head the Mumbai, India-based company’s integration of recent acquisitions and will oversee renewed expansion strategies.

“Bill brings decades of experience and relationships in the specialty chemical industry to Dorf Ketal,” said Subodh Menon, president and CEO, Dorf Ketal. “We brought him onboard to lead efforts in North America and continue integrating our recent acquisitions. He possesses a solid track record in driving growth and defining strategic acquisitions.”

Loven joins Dorf Ketal from Switzerland-based Sika North America, a leading specialty chemicals supplier. During his six years with the company, Loven served as president and CEO, North America, and senior vice president, overseeing multiple divisions exceeding $350 million in annual revenues. Prior to Sika, Loven served as general manager at Illinois Tool Works, Inc., a Fortune 500 company. While there, Loven headed up the company’s Plexus adhesives business unit.

DOW AUTOMOTIVE RECEIVES SAFETY INNOVATION OF THE YEAR AWARD

Dow Automotive IMPAXX^TM energy absorbing foam has been named the “Safety Innovation of the Year” by an international panel of motorsport experts. Tony Robinson, CEO of show organizer UKIP Media & Events, made the announcement at the annual Professional MotorSport World Expo awards gala dinner.

IMPAXX foam is highly engineered thermoplastic foam designed to absorb energy upon impact, compressing, buckling and ultimately exhibiting controlled fracture during the energy-absorbing process. Jurors selected IMPAXX foam based on its successful application and performance qualities exhibited in all of NASCAR’s new Car of Tomorrow (COT) racecars.

Energy management technologies are important considerations for designers and engineers so impact energy can be directed through and around the vehicle. The energy-absorbing characteristics of the IMPAXX foam have helped NASCAR drivers experience much lower G-force and cross-car Gs. Additionally, close to two million passenger cars worldwide are equipped with IMPAXX, which, in addition to its safety characteristics, reduces packing space by up to 40%and allows for greater freedom in the design process.

In accepting the award, Grant Fisher, Dow Automotive vice president of European sales, congratulated the Dow Automotive technical team who worked side-by-side with NASCAR research and development teams for more than 18 months. “NASCAR is one of Dow Automotive’s high-speed laboratories,” Fisher said. “The feedback from racing helps us continually improve the mass production performance attributes of IMPAXX foam.”

For more information, visit www.dowautomotive.com.

DOW CHEMICAL CO. TO EXPAND CORREGGIO MANUFACTURING AND R&D FACILITY

The Dow Chemical Company has announced plans to expand its facilities at Correggio, Italy, in a move that will position the site as Dow’s global research and development center for polyurethane systems formulation and application technology.

The company also plans to increase production capacity of the Dow Building Solutions plant that manufactures STYROFOAM^TM brand insulation products by 30%, and to optimize the site’s formulated polyurethane systems manufacturing plant, targeting improvements in productivity and logistics. The expansion of the Correggio facility, which is subject to appropriate government and regulatory approvals, is a $20 million investment that is scheduled for completion in 2009.

The expansion supports Dow’s strategy to drive growth in its Performance portfolio, aligning its research and development (R&D) effort with customer needs and strengthening its position in key markets around the globe.

For more information, visit www.dow.com.