Dow Chemical Company
309668
226129766
2008-07-16T23:12:11Z
Plhofmei
309915
/* Restructuring */
{{neutrality|Neutrality tag added|date=November 2007}}
{{Infobox_Company |
company_name = The Dow Chemical Co. |
company_logo = [[Image:DowChemicalLogo.png|175px|Dow Chemical Company logo]] |
company_type = [[Public company|Public]] ([[NYSE]]: [http://www.nyse.com/about/listed/lcddata.html?ticker=DOW DOW]) |
foundation = 1897|
location = {{flagicon|United States}} [[Midland, Michigan]], [[United States|USA]]|
key_people = [[Andrew N. Liveris]], CEO, President, & Chairman of the Board of Directors|
industry = [[Manufacturing]]|
products = [[Chemical substance|Chemicals]], [[Plastics]], [[Agricultural]] [[Product (business)|Products]], and other [[Specialized]] [[Product (business)|Products]] & [[Service (economics)|Services]] |
revenue = {{profit}}$53.513 Billion [[United States dollar|USD]] (2007)|
net_income = {{profit}}$2.887 Billion [[United States dollar|USD]] (2007)|
num_employees = 46,000 (2007)|
homepage = [http://www.dow.com/ www.dow.com]
}}
'''The Dow Chemical Company''' ({{nyse|DOW}} {{tyo|4850}}) is an [[United States|American]] [[multinational corporation]] headquartered in [[Midland, Michigan]]. As of 2007, it is the second largest chemical manufacturer in the world (after [[BASF]]).<ref>[http://www.hoovers.com/Dow%20Chemical/--ID__10471--/freeuk-co-factsheet.xhtml The Dow Chemical Company information and related industry information from Hoover's United Kingdom (UK)<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
Dow Chemical is a provider of plastics, chemicals, and agricultural products with presence in more than 175 countries and employing 46,000 people worldwide. It spends more than $1 billion annual expenditure in R&D. Its stated mission under the current CEO, [[Andrew N. Liveris]], is:
"To constantly improve what is essential to human progress by mastering science and technology" with the vision: "to be the largest, most profitable, and most respected chemical company in the world".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dow.com/about/aboutdow/vision.htm|title=Dow's vision statement|accessdate=2007-11-28}}</ref>
The company was founded in 1897 by Canadian-born chemist [[Herbert Henry Dow]], who had invented a new method of extracting the [[bromine]] that was trapped underground in [[brine]] at Midland, Michigan.<ref>{{cite website | url=http://www.invent.org/hall_of_fame/45.html | title=Hall of Fame Inventor Profile | publisher=National Inventors Hall of Fame | accessed=June 24, 2006}}</ref> While at first the company sold only [[bleach]] and [[potassium bromide]], Dow today has seven major operating segments, with a wide variety of products offered by each.<ref>{{cite website | url=http://www.dow.com/about/aboutdow/profile/CorpProfile2006.pdf | title=Corporate Profile | publisher=The Dow Chemical Company | accessed=June 24, 2006}}</ref> The company's 2005 sales totaled [[United States dollar|$]]46.3 billion, with a net income of $4.5 billion. Traded on the [[New York Stock Exchange]], as of 2005 Dow has about 105,000 shareholders.<ref>{{cite website | url=http://news.dow.com/dow_news/press/pre_fast.htm | title=Fast Facts | publisher=The Dow Chemical Company | accessed=June 24, 2006}}</ref>
Dow has been called the "Chemical companies' Chemical company"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=il&vol=app/2005/1031657&invol|title=Quote from John Tysse, Dow vice-president of sales and marketing|accessdate=2007-11-28}}</ref> in that most of their product is sold to other manufacturers rather than to end users. At varying points in time Dow has sold directly to customers, primarily in the Human and Animal Health markets as well as Consumer Products.
Dow Chemical is an active member of the [[American Chemistry Council]], and an active partner in different programs and initiatives in both the [[World Bank]] and [[United Nations]].
== Products ==
Dow is the world's largest producer of [[plastic]]s, including [[polystyrene]], [[polyurethane]]s, [[polyethylene]], [[polypropylene]], and synthetic [[rubber]]s. It is also a major producer of the chemicals [[calcium chloride]], [[ethylene oxide]], and various [[acrylate]]s, [[surfactant]]s, and [[cellulose]] resins. It produces many agricultural chemicals, perhaps being most famous for its [[pesticide]] [[Lorsban]].<ref>{{cite website | url=http://www.dow.com/about/aboutdow/profile/CorpProfile2006.pdf | title=Corporate Profile | publisher=The Dow Chemical Company | accessed=June 24, 2006}}</ref> Its most well-known [[consumer products]] include [[Styrofoam|Styrofoam brand insulation]]. Former Dow product lines, [[Saran (plastic)|Saran]] wrap, [[Ziploc]] bags and [[Scrubbing Bubbles]] have been sold to [[S. C. Johnson & Son]].
===Performance plastics===
Performance Plastics make up 25% of Dow's sales<ref>''Chemical and Engineering News'', Vol. 84, Issue 22 (May 29, 2006), pp 10-15</ref>, with many products designed for the [[automotive industry|automotive]] and [[construction industry|construction industries]]. The [[plastic]]s include [[polyolefin]]s such as [[polyethylene]] and [[polypropylene]], as well as the [[polystyrene]] most often seen in [[Styrofoam]] insulating material. A complete range of [[epoxy]] resin intermediates and products are manufactured by Dow, including [[bisphenol A]] and [[epichlorohydrin]]. [[Polyurethane]], polyether polyols and specialty [[acrylate]]s are all derived from [[ethylene oxide]] (EO). The [[Saran (plastic)|Saran]] range of resins and films is based on [[polyvinylidene chloride]] (PVDC).
===Performance chemicals===
The Performance Chemicals (17% of sales) segment produces materials for [[water purification]], [[pharmaceutical]]s, paper [[coating]]s, paints and advanced [[electronics industry|electronics]]. Major product lines include nitroparaffins such as [[nitromethane]], used in the pharmaceutical industry and manufactured by ANGUS Chemical Company <ref>{{cite website | url=http://www.dow.com/angus/ | title=ANGUS Chemical Company | publisher= The Dow Chemical Company | accessed=June 26, 2006}}</ref>, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Dow Chemical Company. Important polymers include Dowlex [[ion exchange resin]]s, [[acryl group|acrylic]] and polystyrene [[latex]], as well as Carbowax [[polyethylene glycol]]s. Specialty chemicals are used as starting materials for production of agrochemicals and pharmaceuticals.
===Agricultural sciences===
Agricultural Sciences ([[Dow AgroSciences]]) provides 7% of sales, and are responsible for a range of [[insecticide]] s (such as [[Lorsban]]), [[herbicides]] and [[fungicide]]s. Genetically modified plant seeds are also an important, growing area. Dow AgroSciences sells seeds commercially under the following brands: Mycogen (grain corn, silage corn, sunflowers, alfalfa, and sorghum, Atlas (soybean) and PhytoGen (cotton).
===Basic plastics===
Basic plastics (26% of sales) end up in everything from [[diaper]] liners to beverage [[bottle]]s and oil tanks. Products are based on the three major polyolefins – polystyrene (such as Styron resins), polyethylene and polypropylene.
===Basic chemicals===
Basic chemicals (12% of sales) are used internally by Dow as raw materials, and are also sold worldwide. Markets include dry cleaning, paints and coatings, snow and ice control and the food industry. Major products include ethylene glycol, [[Sodium hydroxide|caustic soda]], [[chlorine]], [[vinyl chloride]] monomer (VCM, for making [[PVC]]) and [[calcium chloride]]. [[Ethylene oxide]] (EO) and [[propylene oxide]] and the derived alcohols [[ethylene glycol]] and [[propylene glycol]] are major feedstocks for the manufacture of plastics such as polyurethane and [[Polyethylene terephthalate|PET]].
===Hydrocarbons and energy===
The Hydrocarbons and Energy operating segment (13% of sales) oversees energy management at Dow, succeeding in raising energy efficiency by 92% since 1990.<ref>''Chemical and Engineering News'', Vol. 84, Issue 22 (May 29, 2006), pp 10-15</ref> Fuels and oil-based raw materials are also procured. Major feedstocks for Dow are provided by this group, including [[ethylene]], [[propylene]], [[1,3-butadiene]], [[benzene]] and [[styrene]].
== History ==
===Early history===
The company originally sold only [[bleach]] and [[potassium bromide]], achieving a daily bleach output of 72 tons a day in 1902. Early in the company's existence, a group of [[Economy of the United Kingdom|British]] manufacturers attempted to drive Dow out of the bleach business by cutting prices. Dow survived by cutting prices in response and, although losing about $90,000 in income, began to diversify its [[product line]].<ref>{{cite website | url=http://www.geo.msu.edu/geo333/dow.html | title=Dow Chemical | publisher=[[University of Michigan]] Department of Geography | accessed=June 24, 2006}}</ref> In 1905 German bromide producers drastically reduced their price of bromides in the US in an effort to prevent Dow from expanding its sales of bromides in Europe. Dow was able to purchase German-made bromides in the US, ship them back to Europe and still sell them at a lower price than the German producers were charging. <ref>{{cite book |last=Brandt |first=E.N.|authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Growth Company: Dow Chemical's First Century |year=1997 |publisher=Michigan State University Press |location=East Lansing, MI |isbn=0-87013-426-4 }}</ref> Even in its early history, the company set a tradition of rapidly diversifying its [[product line]]. Within twenty years, Dow had become a major producer of [[agricultural]] chemicals, elemental [[chlorine]], [[phenol]] and other [[dye]]stuffs, and [[magnesium]] metal.
In the 1930s, Dow began production of plastic resins, which would grow to become one of the corporation's major businesses. Its first plastic products were [[ethylcellulose]], made in 1935, and [[polystyrene]], made in 1937.
===Diversification and expansion===
In 1940-1, Dow built its first plant to produce [[magnesium]] extracted from [[seawater]] rather than underground brine. This marked the first time man had 'mined the ocean for metal'.<ref>[http://www.dow.com/facilities/namerica/texops/about/history.htm]</ref>
Growth of this business made Dow a strategically important business during [[World War II]], as magnesium became important in fabricating lightweight parts for [[aircraft]]. Also during the war, Dow and [[Corning Glass Works|Corning]] began their joint venture, [[Dow Corning]], to produce [[silicone]]s for military and later civilian use. In 1942 Dow began its foreign expansion with the formation of Dow Chemical of Canada in [[Sarnia, Ontario]] to produce [[styrene]] for use in [[styrene-butadiene]] [[synthetic rubber]].
In 1940, Dow began plant construction in Freeport, Texas. This is now the home to Dow's largest site - and one of the largest integrated chemical manufacturing sites in the world. One of the first plants to come on stream was the first facility to extract magnesium from seawater. The site grew quickly - with power, chlorine, caustic soda and ethylene also soon in production. <ref>[http://www.dow.com/facilities/namerica/texops/about/history.htm]</ref> Based on 2002-2003 data, the Freeport plants (known as Texas Operations internally) produced 27 billion pounds of product - or 21% of Dow's global production.<ref>[http://www.dow.com/facilities/namerica/texops/about/facts.htm]</ref>
In the post-war era, Dow began expanding outside North America, founding its first overseas subsidiary in [[Economy of Japan|Japan]] in 1952, with several other nations following rapidly thereafter. Based largely on its growing plastics business, it opened a consumer products division beginning with Saran wrap in 1953. Based on its growing chemicals and plastics businesses, Dow's sales exceeded $1 billion in 1964, $2 billion in 1971, and $10 billion in 1980.
===Vietnam war: Napalm and Agent Orange===
During the [[Vietnam War]], Dow became the sole supplier of [[napalm]] to the [[United States military]]. Napalm, an [[incendiary]] liquid used as a weapon in Vietnam, led to human casualties that were widely displayed in the news media. Protests of Dow took place at many colleges but Dow's board of directors voted to continue production of napalm (after attempting to persuade the [[U.S. Department of Defense]] to accept responsibility for napalm and exculpate Dow's management).
[[Agent Orange]], a chemical [[defoliant]] containing [[dioxin]], was also manufactured by Dow in [[New Plymouth]], [[New Zealand]] and in America for use by the U.S. military during the Vietnam War; the dioxin from the defoliant made its way into the [[food chain]] and was linked to a major increase in [[birth defects]] among Vietnamese people. In 2005, a lawsuit was filed by Vietnamese victims of Agent Orange against Dow and [[Monsanto]], which also supplied Agent Orange to the military. The companies argued that no link between Agent Orange and the alleged health problems had been proven, and furthermore that the companies are not responsible for the manner in which their products are used by the military.<ref>{{cite website | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4305287.stm | title= Agent Orange lawsuit opens in US | date=2005-03-01 | publisher=[[British Broadcasting Corporation|BBC]] | accessed=June 27, 2006}}</ref> The lawsuit was thrown out.<ref>{{cite website | url=http://www.todayonline.com/articles/122591.asp | title = US won't compensate Vietnam's Agent Orange victims: official | date=2006-06-06 | publisher=Todayonline.com | accessed=June 27, 2006}}</ref> In 2006, a court in [[South Korea]] did order Dow and Monsanto to compensate [[military of South Korea|South Korean veterans]] of the Vietnam War and their families for Agent Orange-related injuries.<ref>{{cite website | url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11037756/from/RSS/ | title=Court rules against U.S. firms on Agent Orange | date=2006-01-26 | publisher=[[MSNBC]] | accessed=June 27, 2006}}</ref>
245-T and DDT was also used on New Zealand farmland from the 1950s to the 1980s, currently the New Zealand government provides free medical checkups to individuals who believe they are affected, however affected individuals feel this is vastly insufficient.
====Breast implants====
A major manufacturer of silicone [[breast implants]], Dow Corning was successfully sued in 1977 for damages arising from a woman whose implants ruptured; it was the first such successful suit, and Dow Corning paid $170,000 in a settlement. During the 1980s, [[Ralph Nader]]'s [[Public Citizen]] Health Research Group publicised its belief that the implants were cancer-causing; in December 1990, an episode of ''Face to Face with [[Connie Chung]]'' addressed the then-alleged dangers of silicone implants. More lawsuits, as well as [[Food and Drug Administration]] reviews, [[United States Congress|Congressional]] hearings, and scientific studies took place in the ensuing years; as of December 1991, 137 individual lawsuits were filed against Dow Corning, a figure that would rise to 3,558 in December 1992, and 19,092 by December 1994. Amidst the flurry of lawsuits in May 1995, Dow Corning filed for [[Chapter 11]] bankruptcy protection; several judgments against Dow Corning and Dow Chemical were handed down in lawsuits.
Several panels of independent experts, including the [[Institute of Medicine]], have since found that silicone breast implants do not appear to cause any systemic diseases or cancers. <ref name = nyt> [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=health&res=9B03E6D9103BF932A15755C0A96F958260&n=Top%2fReference%2fTimes%20Topics%2fOrganizations%2fI%2fInstitute%20of%20Medicine "Panel Confirms No Major Illness Tied to Implants"] (June 21, 1999), ''The New York Times'' </ref> <ref name = frontline> [http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/implants/cron.html Chronology of silicone breast implants]. ''Frontline''</ref>
Per the 2005 10-K for The Dow Chemical Company filing "On October 6, 2005, all such cases then pending in the District Court against the Company were dismissed. Should cases involving Dow Corning’s breast implant and other silicone medical products be filed against the Company in the future, they will be accorded similar treatment." The Dow Chemical Company - 10-K Filing - 2005
===DBCP===
Until the late 1970s, Dow produced [[DBCP]] (1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane), a soil fumigant and [[nematicide]] sold under the names the Nemagon and Fumazone. Workers at Dow's DBCP production were made sterile by exposure to the compound. These male reproductive effects were consistent with animal experiments showing that DBCP sterilized rabbits. The workers successfully sued the company, and most domestic uses of DBCP were banned in 1977. Amid growing concerns over the chemical's effects on male workers, Dow ceased production and reclaimed DBCP that had been shipped to its users. Despite warning from the company about its health effects, [[Dole Food Company]], who was using the chemical on its [[banana]] plantations in [[Latin America]], threatened to sue Dow if it stopped DBCP shipments, so Dow shipped half a million gallons of DBCP to Dole, much it reclaimed from other users. Plantation workers who became sterile or were stricken with other maladies subsequently sued both Dow and Dole in Latin American courts, alleging that their ailments were caused by DBCP exposure. While the courts agreed with the workers and awarded them over $600 million in damages, they have been unable to collect payments from the companies. A group of workers then sued in the United States, and, on [[November 5]], [[2007]], a Los Angeles jury awarded them 3.2 million dollars. Dole and Dow vowed to appeal the decision.<ref>[http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/la-me-dole6nov06,1,2105565.story?coll=la-headlines-pe-california "Dole must pay farmworkers $3.2 million"], John Spano, ''Los Angeles Times,'' [[November 6]], [[2007]].</ref>
===1990's – transition from geographic alignment to global business units===
In the early 1990s, Dow embarked on a major structural reorganization. The former reporting hierarchy was geographic based, with the regional president reporting directly to the overall company President and CEO. The new organization groups together the same businesses from different sites, irrespective of which region they belong (i.e. the vice president for Polystyrene is now in charge of these plants all over the word), almost reducing the regional president to a figurehead.
=====Chlorpyrifos=====
[[Chlorpyrifos]], marketed by Dow as Dursban, is well known as a home and garden [[insecticide]], and until 2000 it was one of the most widely used household [[pesticide]] in the US. The pesticide is also a nerve toxin and suspected [[endocrine disruptor]] and has been associated with [[carcinogenicity]], reproductive and developmental [[toxicity]], and [[acute toxicity]]. One study claims that Dow has contributed to 80% of the Chlorpyrifos burden of the US.
In 1995, Dow was fined $732,000 for not sending the EPA reports it had received on 249 Dursban poisoning incidents. In June 2000, Dow withdrew registration of chlorpyrifos for use in homes and other places where children could be exposed, and severely restricted its use on crops. The company, however, continues to market Dursban in industrializing countries, including India, where Dow's sales literature claimed Dursban has "an established record of safety regarding humans and pets."
In 2003, Dow agreed to pay $2 million - the largest penalty ever in a pesticide case - to the state of New York, in response to a lawsuit filed by the Attorney General to end Dow's illegal advertising of Dursban as "safe".
====Union Carbide merger====
At the beginning of August 1999, Dow agreed to purchase [[Union Carbide Corporation]] for $9.3 billion in stock. At the time the combined company was the second largest chemical company, behind [[DuPont]]. This led to protests from some stockholders, who feared that Dow would become responsible for Union Carbide's role in the [[Bhopal disaster]]. In 1984, a Union Carbide plant in [[Bhopal, India]] had leaked toxic gas.<ref name=deutsch>{{cite web|last=Deutsch|first=Claudia H.|date=[[August 5]], [[1999]]|title=Dow Chemical Says it Plan to Buy Union Carbide|newspaper=The New York Times|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9801E1D71730F936A3575BC0A96F958260&sec=&spon=|accessdate=2008-04-17}}</ref> According to [[Amnesty International]], over 20,000 people died as a result of the Bhopal disaster, with an additional 100,000 "living with chronic illnesses".<ref name=nyt11302004>{{cite web|last=Rai|first=Saritha|title=Bhopal Victims Not Fully Paid, Rights Group Says|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/30/business/worldbusiness/30bhopal.html|newspaper=The New York Times|date=[[November 30]], [[2004]]|accessdate=2007-04-18}}</ref>
Union Carbide maintained that the company met its legal responsibility by reaching a settlement with the Indian government in 1989 which required the Indian state government of [[Madhya Pradesh]] to clean up the disaster site. As part of the settlement, Union Carbide gave the Indian government $470 million. By 1998, the Indian government had disbursed $230 million to victims of the disaster and earmarked the rest for cleanup and additional aid to residents. The survivors of the disaster sued, and in 2004 the Indian government began disbursing the remainder of the money. Survivors have also filed a criminal case against Dow in the hopes that the company's Indian assests can be seized. According to Union Carbide, the explosion was caused by sabotage. In 2004, Amnesty International released a report indicating areas they consider Union Carbide failings, and accused the company of withholding information critical to medical treatment.<ref name=nyt11302004/>
[[William S. Stavropoulos|Bill Stavropoulos]] served as President and Chief Executive Officer from 1995-2000 and again from 2002-2004. He relinquished his board seat on April 1, 2006, having been a director since 1990 and chairman since 2000. During his first tenure, he led the purchase of [[Union Carbide]] which had proven controversial, as it was initially blamed for poor results under his successor as CEO Mike Parker. Parker was dismissed and Stavropoulos returned from retirement to lead a turnaround of Dow.<ref>[http://news.dow.com/corporate/2005/20051213a.htm]</ref>
Today, Dow is the world's largest producer of plastics; with its 2001 acquisition of [[Union Carbide]], it has become a major player in the [[petrochemical]] industry as well.
====Rohm & Haas Company purchase====
On July 10, 2008, Dow agreed to purchase [[Rohm and Haas]] Company for $18.8 billion, which equates to $78 for each share. The buyout will be financed with equity investments of $3 billion by [[Berkshire Hathaway Inc.]] and $1 billion by the [[Kuwait Investment Authority]]. The purpose of the deal is to move Dow Chemical further into specialty chemicals, which offer higher profit margins than the commodities market and are more difficult to enter for the competition. The deal is expected to be finalized in early 2009 and will form one of the nation's largest specialty chemicals firms. <ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-fri-dow-chemical-rohm-haas-jul11,0,3989958.story | title="Dow Chemical agrees to buy Rohm & Haas" | publisher=Chicago Tribune | date=2008-07-11 | accessdate=2008-07-11}}</ref><ref>Dow Chemical to Buy Rohm and Haas, Wall Street Journal, July 11, 2008, p.B1</ref>
=== Restructuring ===
On [[August 31]], [[2006]] Dow announced that it had plans to close facilities at three locations:<ref>{{cite website | url=http://news.dow.com/dow_news/corporate/2006/20060831g.htm | title=Dow Announces Plant Closures To Strengthen Competitive Position | publisher=The Dow Chemical Company | date=2006-08-31 | accessed=September 13, 2006}}</ref>
*It will shut down all of its production in [[Sarnia, Ontario|Sarnia]], [[Ontario]] by the end of 2008. Sarnia had been Dow's first manufacturing site in Canada. In 1942, the Canadian government invited Dow to build a plant there to produce styrene (an essential raw material used to make synthetic rubber for [[World War II]]). Dow then built a polystyrene plant in 1947. Up to the early 1990s, the Chemical Valley site contained numerous plants, while Dow Canada's headquarters were located at the [[Highway 40 (Ontario)|Modeland Centre]], and a new River Centre complex was opened which housed Research and Development. Since then, several plants on the site have been dismantled and Dow Canada headquarters were moved to [[Calgary]], [[Alberta]], while the Dow Fitness Centre was donated to YMCA of Sarnia-Lambton, and the Modeland Centre was sold to Lambton County and the City of Sarnia. In 2000, Sarnia Site was the location of a pilot plant for ethylene-styrene interpolymer (ESI) but ending up production never progressed and the project was ended. In 2002, the old steam plant was demolished and land on the site was sold to [[TransAlta]] which built a new natural gas power plant. As of 2003, the remaining plants on the site produce Polystyrene, Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE), Epoxy Resins, Polyols (Propylene Oxide Derivatives), and Latexes.<ref>[http://www.dow.com/publicreport/2003/local/sarnia/letter.htm]</ref>
*One plant (Dow terminology for a production unit) at its site in [[Porto Marghera (Venice)]], [[Italy]], which had been shut down for planned maintenance earlier that month, will not be restarted.
*Two plants at its major site in [[Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta|Fort Saskatchewan]], [[Alberta]] were to be shut down by the end of October 2006.
Areas along Michigan's [[Tittabawassee River]], which runs within yards of Dow's main plant in [[Midland, MI|Midland]], were found to contain elevated levels of the cancer-causing chemical [[dioxin]] in November 2006. The dioxin was located in sediments two to ten feet below the surface of the river, and, according to the ''[[New York Times]]'', "there is no indication that residents or workers in the area are directly exposed to the sites".<ref name=barringer2>{{cite web|last=Barringer|first=Felicity|title=E.P.A. and Dow in Talks on Dioxin Cleanup at Main Factory|newspaper=The New York Times|date=[[July 4]], [[2007]]|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/04/us/04dioxin.html|accessdate=2008-04-17}}</ref> However, people who often eat fish from the river had slightly elevated levels of dioxin in their blood.<ref name=barringer2/> In July 2007, Dow reached an agreement with the [[Environmental Protection Agency]] to remove {{convert|50000|yd3|m3}} of sediment from three areas of the riverbed and levees of the river that had been found to be contaminated.<ref name=barringer>{{cite web|last=Barringer|first=Felicity|title=Michigan: Dioxin Deal|newspaper=The New York Times|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/18/us/18brfs-dioxin.html|date=[[July 18]], [[2007]]|accessdate=2008-04-17}}</ref>
In December 2007, Dow announced a series of moves to revamp the company. A [[December 4]] announcement revealed that Dow planned to exit the automotive sealers business in 2008 or 2009.<ref name=nytdec52007>{{Cite web|title=Dow Chemical Job Cuts|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/05/business/05dow.html|newspaper=The New York Times|date=[[December 5]], [[2007]]|accessdate=2008-04-17}}</ref> Within several weeks, Dow also announced the formation of a joint venture, later named [[K-Dow]], with the Petrochemical Industries Company, a subsidiary of [[Kuwait Petroleum Corporation]]. In exchange for $9.5 billion, Dow sold a 50% interest in five of its global businesses: polyethylene, polypropylene and polycarbonate plastics, and ethylenamines and ethanolamines.<ref name=nytdec142007>{{cite web|title=Dow Chemical Gets Kuwaiti Partner|newspaper=The New York Times|date=[[December 14]], [[2007]]|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/14/business/worldbusiness/14chemical.html|accessdate=2008-04-17}}</ref>
==Environmental Record==
Based on year 2000 data,<ref>[http://www.peri.umass.edu/Technical-Notes.264.0.html Political Economy Research Institute Toxic 100 Corporate Toxics Information Project Technical Notes retrieved 12 Nov 2007</ref> researchers at the Political Economy Research Institute determined that Dow Chemical was ranked eleventh among corporations in a measure of toxicity of airborne pollutants emitted in the United States, releasing more than 14 million pounds of toxins into American air in that year. (The statistics given are not correlated to the volume of production.) <ref>[http://www.peri.umass.edu/Toxic-100-Table.265.0.html Political Economy Research Institute]</ref> According to [[United States Environmental Protection Agency]] (EPA) documents Dow has some responsibility for 96 of the United States' worst [[Superfund]] [[toxic waste]] dumps, in tenth place by number of sites. One of these, a mining site, is listed as the sole responsibility of Dow: all the rest are shared with numerous other companies. Fifteen sites have been listed by the EPA as finalized (cleaned up) and 69 are listed as "construction complete", meaning that all required plans and equipment for cleanup are in place.<ref>[http://www.publicintegrity.org/superfund/Company.aspx?act=10312 Center for Public Integrity]</ref>
In 2007, Dow was awarded an American Chemical Council (ACC) award of 'Exceptional Merit' in recognition of its longstanding energy efficiency and conservation efforts. Between 1995 and 2005, Dow reduced energy intensity (BTU per pound produced) by 22%. This is equivalent to saving enough electricity to power eight million US homes for a year. <ref>http://www.csrwire.com/News/8515.html]</ref> The same year, Dow subsidiary Dow Agrosciences won a United Nations Montreal Protocol Innovators Award for its efforts in helping replace methyl bromide - a compound identified as contributing to the depletion of the ozone layer. In addition, Dow Agrosciences won an EPA "Best of the Best" Stratospheric Ozone Protection Award. [http://www.seedtoday.com/articles/Dow_Agrosciences_Wins_UN_Award_for_Methyl_Bromide_Alternative-48678.html]. The [[United States Environmental Protection Agency]] (EPA) named Dow as a 2008 [[Energy Star]] Partner of the Year for excellence in energy management and reductions in [[greenhouse gas]] emissions.<ref>{{cite news | title = EPA Names The Dow Chemical Company 2008 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year | publisher = MSN Money | date = 2008-03-14PM ET | url = http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/ticker/article.aspx?Feed=PR&Date=20080314&ID=8341331&Symbol=DOW | accessdate =2008-03-18 }}</ref>
In 2008, Dow was reported<ref>{{cite website | url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/jun/29/food.agriculture | title=Homegrown veg ruined by toxic fertiliser | author=Davies, Caroline | date=2008-06-29 | publisher=The Observer | accessed=July 2, 2008}}</ref> as being the major supplier of pesticides based on aminopyralid which had contaminated manure and caused widespread loss of vegetable crops in allotments and gardens across the UK.
==Dow Corning==
{{main|Dow Corning}}
Equally owned by Dow and [[Corning, Inc.]] (formerly Corning Glass Works), Dow Corning was founded in 1943 by the two companies as a joint venture. The company's focus is [[silicon]]-based products and technology.<ref>{{cite website | url=http://www.dowcorning.com/content/about/default.asp | title=About Dow Corning | publisher=Dow Corning | accessed=June 25, 2006}}</ref> Dow Corning in turn owns 63% of the [[Hemlock, Michigan]]-based [[Hemlock Semiconductor Corporation]], which manufactures [[polycrystalline silicon]] for [[semiconductor]] chips.<ref>{{cite website | url=http://www.ourmidland.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=16832187&BRD=2289&PAG=461&dept_id=472542&rfi=6 | title=Governor visits HSC; expansion plans on schedule | author=Wade, Cheryl | date=2006-06-24 | publisher=Midland Daily News | accessed=June 25, 2006}}</ref>
Dow Corning manufactured silicone [[breast implants]], which were the cause of controversy and legal liability in the 1980s and 1990s (''see [[Dow Chemical Company#Breast implants|below]]''.)
==Board of directors==
Current members of the [[board of directors]] of The Dow Chemical Company are [[Arnold Allemang]] (who is also a senior adviser to the company); chemistry professor [[Jacqueline Barton]]; former [[Boeing]] manager [[James A. Bell]]; [[Whirlpool Corporation]] chairman and CEO [[Jeff Fettig]]; former [[U.S. Secretary of Commerce]] [[Barbara Franklin]]; Dow chairman and CEO [[Andrew N. Liveris]]; Dow CFO [[Geoffery E. Merszei]]; Illinois Tool Works Inc. vice chairman [[James Ringler]]; [[Duke Energy Corporation]] president [[Ruth Shaw]]; and Claris Capital chairman [[Paul Stern]] (who is Dow's presiding director and a member of the [[Council on Foreign Relations]].)<ref>{{cite website | url=http://www.dow.com/corpgov/leader/stern.htm | title=Board of Directors | publisher=The Dow Chemical Company | accessed=June 23, 2006}}</ref>
=== 2007 dismissals ===
On [[April 12]], [[2007]], Dow dismissed two senior executives for "unauthorized discussions with third parties about the potential sale of the company." The two figures are executive vice president Romeo Kreinberg, and director and former [[Chief Financial Officer|CFO]] J. Pedro Reinhard. Dow claims they were secretly in contact with [[JPMorgan Chase]]; at the same time, a story surfaced in Britain's [[Sunday Express]] regarding a possible [[leveraged buyout]] of Dow. The two executives have since filed lawsuits claiming they were fired for being a threat to CEO Liveris, and that the allegations were concocted as a pretext.<ref>{{Citation | title ="Former Dow executives fight back" | newspaper =[[Chemical and Engineering News]] | pages =12 | year =2007 | date =May 14 | url =http://pubs.acs.org/cen/news/85/i20/8520notw6.html }}</ref>
=== Major Sponsorships===
In September 2004, the company obtained the naming rights to the Saginaw County Event Center in [[Saginaw, Michigan]]; the center is now called the [[Dow Event Center]]. The [[Saginaw Spirit]] (of the [[Ontario Hockey League]]) plays at the Center, which also hosts events such as [[professional wrestling]] and live theater.<ref>{{cite website | url=http://www.dow.com/facilities/namerica/michigan/outreach/eventcenter.htm | title=The Dow Event Center | publisher=The Dow Chemical Company | accessed=June 27, 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite website | url = http://www.doweventcenter.com/ | title=Welcome to the Dow Event Center | publisher=Dow Event Center | accessed=June 27, 2006}}</ref>
In October 2006 the company bought the naming rights to the stadium used by the [[Great Lakes Loons]], a [[Midwest League|Single-A]] [[minor league baseball]] team located in its hometown of Midland, Michigan. The stadium, which opened in April 2007, is called [[Dow Diamond]]. The Dow Foundation played a key role in bringing the Loons to the city.
The company also sponsors a global running relay to highlight the need for better drinking water in locations around the globe. The run will roughly follow the 41st North parallel and cover nearly {{convert|12000|mi|km}}. The run is organized by the Blue Planet Run Foundation.
==Outlook==
Dow CEO [[Andrew N. Liveris]] called 2005 the company's "best year ever" with operating profits of $5.4 billion, a jump of 56.5% compared with the previous year. <ref>"Top 50 Chemical Producers", ''Chemical and Engineering News'', Vol. 84, Issue 20 (May 15, 2006), pp 10-15</ref> Net income rose more than 60% to $4.5 billion, on sales of $46.3 billion. 2006 looks as if it could be even better, with first-quarter net earnings of $1.2 billion. <ref name="liveris">''"Liveris Tells It Like It Is", Chemical and Engineering News'', Vol. 84, Issue 22 (May 29, 2006), pp 10-15</ref> All this is occurring in the context of adverse operating conditions, caused by high energy and raw material costs, and the effects of two damaging hurricanes.
Liveris supports the vertically integrated approach used at Dow, which produces everything from basic chemical feedstocks to high value products such as pesticides and reverse osmosis membranes. These value-adding product chains, along with Dow's wide product range, help the company to weather the storms of the global economy. Despite this, high energy and feedstock costs may begin to take their toll, particularly if global demand begins to fall just as supply is rising.
Like many chemical companies, Dow is facing pressures of regulation in the US and [[Economy of the European Union|Europe]], particularly as the [[European Union|EU]] introduces its new [[Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals|REACH]] policy. Litigation costs in the US taken over by Dow as a result of its 2001 takeover of [[Union Carbide]] also remain a concern.
For these reasons the company is looking to the Middle East and Asia for new projects. In [[Kuwait]] , Dow is constructing (with [[Petrochemical Industries Company|PIC of Kuwait]]) a new world-scale [[petroleum cracking|ethane cracker]] for production of [[ethylene]], along with an [[ethylene oxide]]/[[ethylene glycol]] plant and (for 2008) a facility for production of [[aromatic hydrocarbon]]s. In [[Oman]], the company is working with the Oman government to build a new world-scale [[polyethylene]] plant. In China, the company is collaborating with [[Shenhua Group]] (the country's largest [[coal mining]] company) to improve [[catalyst]] efficiency to allow viable conversion of [[coal]] to [[alkene|olefin]]s. Dow is also seeking to expand its [[Research and development|R&D]] presence in Asia, adding 600 jobs in [[Shanghai]] by the end of 2007, and the company may open up a large R&D center in India.
The joint ventures planned for Asia are typical of Dow's "asset-light" approach, which works by offering a combination of intellectual property and money in exchange for a share in a world-scale production facility. At the same time, the company is considering selling a share of some of its existing assets in order to free up cash.
In June 2006 Liveris announced Dow's [[safety]] and [[environmentalism|environmental]] goals for 2015: <ref name="liveris"/>
* 75% reduction in environmental, health and safety indicators from 2005. The company aims to have no fatalities, and a reduction in injuries, spillages and leaks.
* 25% increase in [[energy efficiency]].
* 2.5% annual reduction in [[greenhouse gas]] emissions intensity.
Liveris expects these goals to be reached predominantly with [[fossil fuel]]s, through [[energy conservation]] and reduction of [[energy intensity]], as he does not expect [[alternative energy]] to play a major role for at least 10–20 years.
==Notes==
{{reflist|2}}
==Further reading==
*Ray H. Boundy, J. Lawrence Amos. (1990). ''A History of the Dow Chemical Physics Lab: The Freedom to be Creative''. M. Dekker. ISBN 0824780973.
*E. Ned Brandt. (2003). ''Growth Company: Dow Chemical's First Century''. Michigan State University Press. ISBN 0-87013-426-4
* Jack Doyle. (2004). ''Trespass Against Us: Dow Chemical and the Toxic Century.'' Common Courage Press. ISBN 1-56751-268-2
* Don Whitehead and Max Dendermonde. (1968). ''The Dow Story: The History of the Dow Chemical Company''. McGraw-Hill. ISBN 9080009997.
==External links==
*[http://www.dow.com The Dow Chemical Company]
{{Dow Chemical}}
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