October 23, 2006

Borealis and Ashland Distribution celebrate 10 years of partnership in Europe

Borealis and Ashland Distribution are celebrating the success of their 10 year partnership in dealing with distribution customers of Borealis-produced polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE) in Europe. This first pan-European polyolefin distribution partnership has allowed Borealis to increase its responsiveness towards smaller and mid-size customers by ensuring quick delivery from a single local source. Over the last decade, the distribution agreement has been expanded to include new products such as Borealis' Borstar polypropylene and polyethylene solutions.

Currently, Ashland distributes more than 500 Borealis products to over 3,000 customers throughout Europe. These solutions mainly serve the advanced packaging market but also include the automotive and infrastructure sectors. The partnership's continued success over the last 10 years has been the result of notable improvements including the centralisation and automation of transactional processes and the improved alignment of marketing activities. "As a result of this partnership, Borealis' distribution customers profit from fast response times through Ashland's local sales organization and technical support as well as Borealis' focus on innovation and development of added value solutions which ultimately benefit all our customers," comments David Rolph, Borealis Executive Vice President Polyolefins. "We have experienced a successful period with Borealis over the last decade of which our increasing customer base, served by Borealis solutions, is the ultimate proof. We are looking forward to continuing this successful relationship in the future," according to Steve Fazakas, Vice President International Distribution of Ashland.

Borealis has more than 40 years experience in providing advanced polyolefin solutions for infrastructure, packaging and transport industries. With foresight throughout the value chain and a focus on customer needs, Borealis continues to provide innovative, value creating PP and PE solutions. Ashland Distribution works closely with the top suppliers in the industry, providing a broad range of the world's leading thermoplastics. This business specializes in providing everything from pallets to full truckload quantities to customers in a wide range of industries. Additionally, Ashland Distribution offers a full complement of application development and technical support services.

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Borealis and Borouge are leading providers of innovative, value creating plastics solutions. With more than 40 years of experience in polyolefins and using our unique Borstar® technology, we focus on the infrastructure, automotive and advanced packaging markets across Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Our production facilities, innovation centres and service centres work with customers in more than 170 countries to provide the materials that make an essential contribution to society and sustainable development. We are committed to the principles of Responsible Care® and to leading the way in 'Shaping the Future with Plastics'™.

For more information on Borealis and Borouge, a joint venture between Borealis and the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, visit www.borealisgroup.com and www.borouge.com.

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