CARY, N.C. - UCAR Emulsion Systems (UES), a global business unit of The Dow Chemical Company, announced the succesful startup of its next-generation latex facility at St. Charles Operations (Hahnville, La.). The new facility represents a significant investment in UES by Dow and the Union Carbide Corp., and is the primary portion of the companies' multiyear, $100MM staged investment plan in North American operations announced in early 2004.

The St. Charles Operations latex facility will replace existing latex manufacturing sites in Tucker, Ga., and Garland, Texas, which are scheduled for closure by Union Carbide later this year.