Mitsubishi Rayon and Lucite International Announce Manufacturing Collaboration

17 Jun 2005 Southampton, UK

Under the terms of the agreement, a total of 260kte of new capacity is planned to come on stream over the next four years, with a new plant in Singapore being built by Lucite and completed by the end of 2007 and a plant in the US being constructed by MRC and due for completion by the end of 2009. Each party will supply the other with products from the new facilities, enabling improved service and supply to be provided to their customers on a global basis.

Global demand for acrylic products manufactured from MMA is growing rapidly fuelled by economic growth and the development of new technologies and products. In response to this demand, both Lucite and MRC have already independently announced the construction of new manufacturing capacity in China, with Lucite currently commissioning a 100kte plant in Shanghai and MRC constructing a new 90kte facility in China due for completion next year.

Ian Lambert, Chief Executive of Lucite, added: “The new capacity planned by our two groups creates an opportunity to share investment and production, enabling us to deliver cost efficiencies to our customers and allowing us to become even more responsive to their requirements. We believe there will be significant benefits for both companies’ customers as these plants come on stream.”

Enquiries:

Mitsubishi Rayon Group koho@mrc.co.jp

Lucite International Ian Lambert, Chief Executive 00 44 2380 248150

Financial Dynamics David Yates 00 44 207 831 3113

Notes to Editors

About Lucite International

Lucite International, owner of the world renowned Lucite® and Perspex™ brands and a leader in the innovation, design and manufacture of acrylic based products, is a global manufacturer and marketer of Methacrylates – the main building block of acrylic, which it either sells direct as monomer or transforms into acrylic-based products made under three further product groupings: specialties, resins and polymer and sheet and composite materials. Customers convert these into a diverse range of consumer, architectural, high-tech and medical products. Lucite is the world’s leading supplier of Methyl Methacrylate, with around 25% of the world market by volume and the capacity to produce 1.9 billion Ibs (850 ktes) per annum of acrylic products. The Company has an annual turnover of over $1.2 billion and employs a workforce of 2000 people serving customers in more than 100 countries worldwide.

About Mitsubishi Rayon Group

The Mitsubishi Rayon Group is the largest manufacturer of methacrylate products in Asia, and provides integrated production system from monomer and polymer to processed products (moulding materials, sheets, paint resins, etc.) in Thailand, China and Japan. The construction of a new MMA plant in North America is among the major projects in the fifth medium-term management plan covering the period FY 2005-2007, announced in April 2005.

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