Dow Chemical to build new research and development facility Texas Innovation Center in Lake Jackson, Texas, with completion expected by 2016; new center replaces several of company's existing research and development facilities in Freeport, Texas

Elyse Blye

FREEPORT, Texas , March 5, 2014 (press release) – As part of its ongoing commitment to innovation, The Dow Chemical Company (NYSE: DOW) announced today that a new research and development (R&D) facility will be built in Lake Jackson, Texas, near its largest manufacturing site in Freeport, Texas.

The Texas Innovation Center will house state-of-the-art laboratory facilities and technical expertise centers to enable ongoing innovation that supports the commercialization of solutions across the various high-growth end-use markets, such as food packaging, personal care and automotive.

“The Freeport site has long been an important research and development location for Dow, providing breakthroughs that have paved the way for a more sustainable future,” said Andrew N. Liveris, Dow’s chairman and chief executive officer. “The enhanced capabilities at our new location will continue the tradition of R&D expertise in Texas by delivering leading edge technology.”

The new center replaces several of the Company’s existing R&D facilities in Freeport, Texas. Upon completion in 2016, the Texas Innovation Center will be a global research and development hub of modern lab and office facilities for more than 2,000 people from Dow R&D, businesses, functions and manufacturing.

“The Texas Innovation Center will provide our world-class researchers and scientists with best-in-class tools and the collaborative space they need so we can continue to enable our customers with the innovations that the market demands,” said A.N. Sreeram, Dow corporate vice president of R&D. “It is key to maintaining this area as one of Dow’s global innovation hubs for research and development.”

The Texas Innovation Center will be developed for Dow by Core Real Estate, LLC.

“In the next five years our site will see remarkable growth in manufacturing and the Texas Innovation Center will bolster our R&D operations on a long-term path forward as well,” said Earl Shipp, vice president of U.S. Gulf Coast Operations. “This is another example of Dow’s commitment to the Brazosport area, Brazoria County and the U.S. Gulf Coast.”

The Texas Operations site employs more than 12,000 people and has more than 65 manufacturing plants working together to produce 44 percent of Dow’s products sold in the United States and about 21 percent of the Company’s products sold globally. It is also home to one of the largest R&D centers in Dow.

About Dow

Dow (NYSE: DOW) combines the power of science and technology to passionately innovate what is essential to human progress. The Company is driving innovations that extract value from the intersection of chemical, physical and biological sciences to help address many of the world's most challenging problems such as the need for clean water, clean energy generation and conservation, and increasing agricultural productivity. Dow's integrated, market-driven, industry-leading portfolio of specialty chemical, advanced materials, agrosciences and plastics businesses delivers a broad range of technology-based products and solutions to customers in approximately 180 countries and in high growth sectors such as packaging, electronics, water, coatings and agriculture. In 2013, Dow had annual sales of more than $57 billion and employed approximately 53,000 people worldwide. The Company's more than 6,000 products are manufactured at 201 sites in 36 countries across the globe. References to "Dow" or the "Company" mean The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly noted. More information about Dow can be found at www.dow.com.

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