DEC’s Borger, Texas Plant Reports 7 Years Without Lost Time Accident 

Increased Worker, Management Commitment Critical To Achieving Safety Milestone 

BORGER, Texas, July 20, 2007 – The last time Degussa Engineered Carbons’ plant reported a Lost Time Accident (LTA), a gallon of gasoline cost about $1.39, George W. Bush was running for president, and “How The Grinch Stole Christmas” was one of the top movies of the year.  

Today, gasoline tops $3 a gallon, President Bush is into his sixth year as President and the third “Spiderman” movie is a box office blockbuster. And on July 23, DEC’s Borger plant will set a new safety milestone by operating for more than 2,600 days without a Lost Time Accident – a work related personal injury resulting in at least one day off from the job.            

“This is an extraordinary achievement,” said Jack Clem, President and General Manager of DEC. “At all our sites, safety is our No.1 priority. Going seven years without a Lost Time Accident is an impressive achievement that was an extraordinary team effort.”  

Each and every DEC employee in Borger works hard to maintain safety at the site, emphasized Steve Hubertus, Borger plant manager.  

“DEC works diligently to create a safe workplace,” said Hubertus. “It’s part of our corporate culture. We constantly stress that safety is everyone’s business. We are very proud of our workforce and achieving this significant safety milestone.”  

DEC’s Borger facility manufactures carbon black, a key ingredient in products ranging from tires to cosmetics.  

Last year, DEC’s Borger facility became the first DEC plant and one of the few carbon black plants in North America to successfully demonstrate compliance to the International Organization of Standardization (ISO) 14001:2004 Environmental Standard, which is based on constant improvement to the environment and regulatory compliance.   

“The important thing for DEC is not breaking records but making sure our employees go home safely,” said Hubertus.  

DEC – headquartered in Parsippany, New Jersey and co-owned by Degussa GmbH of Essen, Germany, and Engineered Carbons Incorporated of Montvale, New Jersey ­– produces and markets furnace grade carbon blacks for the rubber and pigment industries in North America and thermal blacks worldwide.  

Degussa: Creating Essentials™
Degussa Corporation is part of Degussa GmbH – a wholly owned subsidiary of the RAG Group. Degussa GmbH is the global market leader in specialty chemicals. Its business is creating essentials: innovative products and system solutions that make indispensable contributions to its customers’ success. In fiscal 2006 around 36,000 employees worldwide generated sales of 10.9 billion euros and operating profits (EBIT) of more than 870 million euros.