Common press release by:
Ashland Distribution Company, ATOFINA, BASF, Bayer, BP Amoco, Brenntag, CHEMCENTRAL, Ciba Specialty Chemicals, Dow, DuPont, Celanese, Mitsui Chemicals, Mitsubishi Chemicals, Rhodia, Rohm and Haas, Shell Chemical Company, Sumitomo Chemical and Van Waters & Rogers
This new chemicals B2B electronic marketplace, targeting an estimated $400 billion market, is intended to facilitate global customer relationships and lower fulfillment costs by moving existing business processes onto the Web.
The marketplace model is expected to streamline existing supply chain activities by providing a one-stop-shopping platform and greater transparency in planning processes.
The online chemical marketplace is targeted to be established during the summer of 2000 as an independent entity with its own management team and board of directors and is expected to have operational business services in place by the end of the year.

Please read our background information :(PDF, 7Kb)

This news release contains forward-looking statements based on management's current expectations, estimates and projections. All statements that address expectations or projections about the future, including statements about the company's strategy for growth, product development, market position, expected expenditures and financial results are forward-looking statements. Some of the forward-looking statements may be identified by words like "expects," "anticipates," "plans," "intends," "projects," "indicates," and similar expressions. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Many factors, including those discussed more fully elsewhere in this release and in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, particularly its latest annual report on Form 10-K, as well as others, could cause results to differ materially from those stated. These factors include, but are not limited to changes in the laws, regulations, policies and economic conditions, including inflation, interest and foreign currency exchange rates, of countries in which the company does business; competitive pressures; successful integration of structural changes, including restructuring plans, acquisitions, divestitures and alliances; cost of raw materials, research and development of new products, including regulatory approval and market acceptance; and seasonality of sales of agricultural products.

http://elemica.com

Contacts:

For general information, contact:

Marsha Westfal
Ph: (973) 426-2848

For company-specific information, contact:

Ashland Distribution Company
Tom Fannon
Ph: (614) 790-3318
Tfannon@ashland.com

CHEMCENTRAL
David Courtney
Ph: (708) 594-7000
Dwcourtney@chemcentral.com

Brenntag
North America
Steve Clark
Ph: (610) 926-6100
Sclark@brenntag.com
Chemicals E-Marketplace-Page 3

Brenntag
Europe
Edward Heiderich
Ph: 011-49-208-7828-7071
edward.heiderich@brenntag.ed

Celanese
North America
Andrea Stine
Ph: (908) 522-7784
A.Stine@celanese.com

Celanese
Europe
Phillip Elliott
Ph: 011-49-69-305-33480
P.Elliott@celanese.com

Ciba Specialty Chemicals
Rodolfo Ciucci
Ph: +41-61-63-66580
rodolfo.ciucci@cibasc.com

Shell Chemical Company
Kitty Borah
Ph: (713) 241-4544