Vertellus Constructs New State-Of-The-Art Manufacturing Facility

Indianapolis - Vertellus Specialties Inc., a newly formed specialty chemicals company focused on the manufacture of high-growth, high-value products to the agriculture, nutrition, pharmaceutical, personal care and industrial markets, announced that it has begun the expansion of its existing Greensboro, NC facility. This location operates within Vertellus Performance Materials Inc., formed through the combination of Reilly Industries' Morflex, Inc. and Rutherford Chemicals LLC CasChem operating units. This expansion will encompass the opening of a new, state-of-the-art, specialty derivatives manufacturing facility and formulation technology center, further enhancing Vertellus Performance Materials' position as the world leader in castor formulation technology.

The new facility will be equipped with cGMP capabilities and produce specialty castor and shea butter derivatives, formulations and polymer systems. These products will help to meet the growing demand for naturally derived sealants, coatings, inks, lubrication and adhesives used in the personal care, biomedical, industrial and telecommunications markets. The new facility will work in cooperation with the company's Bayonne, New Jersey site, significantly increasing Vertellus' production capacity. Both facilities have achieved ISO 9001:2000 registration, and have been certified by SGS Systems and Certification Services to the ISO 9001:2000 standard, a globally recognized standard for quality management systems under the regulations of the International Standards Organization (ISO).

"This new investment affords us the opportunity to better serve our customers by providing increased manufacturing capacity and flexibility while utilizing the latest formulation and applications technology," said Laurence S. Slovin, President, Vertellus Performance Materials Inc. "Opening this new manufacturing facility demonstrates our commitment to providing the latest generation of natural products to our customers."

Vertellus Specialties Inc. was formed in July 2006 by combining two specialty chemical companies, Rutherford Chemicals and Reilly Industries, both portfolio companies of Arsenal Capital Partners, a New York-based private equity firm focused on investments in the specialty chemicals industry. Vertellus is organized into three main divisions: Agriculture and Nutrition Specialties, Health and Specialty Products and Performance Materials.

SOURCE: Vertellus Specialties Inc.