New TERATHANE® Glycols Business Team Brings Sharper Focus on Innovations for the End-User

September 10, 2004

WICHITA, Kan., October 27, 2004 - INVISTA Specialty Intermediates has strengthened its TERATHANE® business team to continue delivering value to their customer by focusing on the needs of the market it serves. The new team has more than 80 years collective experience in the chemical intermediates business with extensive experience in trade and consumer branding, business development and application development.

TERATHANE® is a polyether glycol that imparts superior performance to elastomers, including higher hydrolysis resistance, resilience and low temperature flexibility. Core markets include castable urethanes, thermoplastic urethanes, polyurethane coatings, millable polyurethanes, and adhesives and sealants. TERATHANE® is a key ingredient in the production of LYCRA® spandex.

"Our first objective in strengthening the TERATHANE® team is to enhance our ability to work with key customers in our traditional markets to develop new or improved products that can help them grow their businesses," said Greg Biederman, vice president, INVISTA Specialty Intermediates. "Second, we want to establish development partners in new markets where there are solid growth opportunities. The extensive experience of the new TERATHANE team puts us on track to accomplish both goals."

TERATHANE®, according to Biederman, has excellent potential in the recreation market for tennis ball hollow cores, as well as rubber bladders for inflatable balls, such as footballs and soccer balls, and bike tires. He believes there are also outstanding growth opportunities for Terathane in high temperature applications for automotive engine parts.

Effective immediately, the TERATHANE® business team, which will be based in Wilmington, Delaware, will include:

  • John Gorcyca, global marketing director, who will have overall responsibility for the global TERATHANE® business. Gorcyca, who holds an MBA from Goldey-Beacom College and a chemical engineering degree from the University of Houston, has been with INVISTA for 26 years. He has extensive experience in ingredient and product branding.
  • Mark Jurychuk, global market development manager, will lead efforts to establish partnerships in traditional and new markets. He has 25 years experience in the chemical industry. Jurychuk is a graduate of the University of Toronto with a degree in Arts and Sciences and was awarded an MBA by the University of Western Ontario.
  • E.L. Pete McInnis, global technical service and application development manager, has worked in the urethane marketplace for 23 years and will lead efforts in downstream development. He has a PhD in organic chemistry from the University of California at Berkeley and an MBA from Boston University.
  • Jenna Ngian, distribution manager for specialty intermediates, has extensive experience in top line growth and 6 Sigma methodology. An engineer who graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington, she also holds an MBA from Oklahoma City University. Ngian has more than 7 years experience in the chemical industry.

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