Dow Performance Fluids Geared For Growth In Asia

Midland, MI - June 04, 2008

Explosive growth across the Asian continent is fueling demand for Dow products across many different industries in Asia.  In response, Dow Performance Fluids -- manufacturers and marketers of DOWTHERM™, SYLTHERM™, and DOWFROST™ heat transfer fluids, UCON™ Fluids & Lubricants, and UCAR™ aircraft de-icing fluids -- is making significant investments in Asia.  Dow Performance Fluids is hiring people, expanding manufacturing capabilities, accelerating new product research and development activities, and forming alliances with new channel partners to ensure its value-adding products are available to meet high customer demand.

While Dow has supplied many of these products in Asia for more than 40 years, the new investments underscore Dow’s commitment to keep pace with growing demand and deliver the high performance products Asian industry requires. 

New Asian Resources For Dow Performance Fluids

The addition of new sales and marketing people in China and other countries, plus additional technical service and development staff throughout the region will allow Dow to deliver product and chemistry know-how and support to customers faster than before.

Dow Performance Fluids customers will also benefit from Dow’s investment in added product development, supply chain and customer service infrastructure in India and China.  Dow has also recently added product capability at their OPTIMAL joint venture plant in Malaysia.  Several additional UCON™ fluids and lubricants are now available from OPTIMAL for customers in Asia Pacific.  Dow’s investments in Asia will translate into better service and stronger relationships for Dow and its customers.

More Global Investment

In addition to its Asian investments, Dow Performance Fluids is also investing in other regions, resulting in greater global supply capabilities across Dow.  Included in these are the following:

  • A multi-million U.S. dollar investment in production expansion at Dow’s UCON™ Fluids and Lubricants plant in Tarragona, Spain, resulting in several thousand metric tons of additional annual production.

  • A multi-million U.S. dollar expansion at Dow’s UCON™ Fluids and Lubricants facility in Freeport, Texas, U.S.A. for its production of rotary screw air compressor lubricants.

  • A multi-million U.S. dollar investment in a state-of-the art automation control system and related project work leading to a 30% increase in manufacturing capacity at the Dow Performance Fluids UCON™ Fluids and Lubricants plant located in West Virginia, U.S.A.

Dow R&D Yielding New Products & Applications

Among global chemical companies, Dow is a traditional leader in research and development.  Dow Performance Fluids continues this tradition with recent breakthroughs and new product introductions that include new lines of:

  • UCON™ ULTRAQUENCH™ metal treating quenchants;

  • UCON ADVANTA™ Hydrolube Concentrates employing new, proprietary water glycol hydraulic fluid technology;

  • UCON™ TRIDENT anhydrous hydraulic fluids.

  • Environmentally-friendly bio-lubricants that will be introduced in September.

Other successes in new applications include Dow Performance Fluids DOWTHERM™ heat transfer fluids applied to solar energy production in Europe and the United States. Other Dow lubricants for electrical generating wind turbines are also part of an emerging, environmentally friendly portfolio of uses. With a pipeline of new products and new applications for existing products, the future of Dow Performance Fluids in Asia Pacific and globally is very bright.

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For Editorial Information:

Harold Nicoll, APR
The Dow Chemical Company
(989) 636-5162