NAPERVILLE, Ill., Sept. 27, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- Nalco Company (NYSE:NLC) today announced a price increase for specialty chemicals sold to paper industry customers, effective November 1. The price increase will be:
-- 10 percent increase for deinking agents, tall oil acidulation
aids, coating dispersants, Alkenyl Succinic Anhydride (ASA) and
water-soluble polymers
-- 20 percent increase for oil-based defoamers
-- 5 percent for all other products
The price increase is driven by continued significant increases in the cost of raw materials, energy and freight during the past two years that have not been offset by price increases. Nalco's Paper Services Account Managers will contact individual customers regarding this increase.
Nalco is the leading provider of integrated water treatment and process improvement services, chemicals and equipment programs for industrial and institutional applications. The company currently serves more than 70,000 customer locations representing a broad range of end markets. It has established a global presence with more than 10,000 employees operating in 130 countries supported by a comprehensive network of manufacturing facilities, sales offices and research centers. In 2005, Nalco achieved sales of more than $3.3 billion. For more information visit www.nalco.com.
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This news release includes forward-looking statements, reflecting current analysis and expectations, based on what are believed to be reasonable assumptions. Forward-looking statements may involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the actual results to differ materially from those projected, stated or implied, depending on many factors, including, without limitation: ability to generate cash, ability to raise capital, ability to refinance, the result of the pursuit of strategic alternatives, ability to execute work process redesign and reduce costs, ability to execute price increases, business climate, business performance, economic and competitive uncertainties, higher manufacturing costs, reduced level of customer orders, changes in strategies, risks in developing new products and technologies, environmental and safety regulations and clean-up costs, foreign exchange rates, the impact of changes in the regulation or value of pension fund assets and liabilities, changes in generally accepted accounting principles, adverse legal and regulatory developments, including increases in the number or financial exposures of claims, lawsuits, settlements or judgments, or the inability to eliminate or reduce such financial exposures by collecting indemnity payments from insurers, the impact of increased accruals and reserves for such exposures, weather-related factors, adverse changes in economic and political climates around the world, including terrorism and international hostilities, and other risk factors identified by the Company. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that the Company will meet future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. This paragraph is included to provide safe harbor for forward-looking statements, which are not generally required to be publicly revised as circumstances change, and which the Company does not intend to update.