Corning Dedicates Clean Air Products Plant in China; Shanghai Catalytic Converter Substrate Plant to Help Meet Worldwide Demand

    SHANGHAI, CHINA--March 29, 2001--Corning Incorporated , a world-leading supplier of catalytic converter substrates, today celebrated the opening of its new, US$77 million environmental technologies production facility in Shanghai, China. The new plant will help meet global demand for products that clean emissions from motor vehicles.
    The ceremony took place at the new facility in Pudong, Shanghai where construction started two years ago. The wholly owned Corning operation produces ceramic catalytic converter substrates for use in automobiles and trucks. Shipments of these clean-air products began in early 2001.
    "It is hard to imagine a technology that has done more to clean the air than the catalytic converter," said Roger G. Ackerman, Corning's chairman. "The employees at this new plant will have reason to be proud of the products they will make, because the substrates manufactured here in Shanghai will contribute to cleaner air around the world."
    The new manufacturing operation joins Corning's global network serving vehicle and catalytic converter manufacturers worldwide. Corning currently manufactures catalytic converter substrates in Erwin, New York (USA); Blacksburg, Virginia (USA); and Kaiserslautern, Germany. In June 2000, the company also opened a substrate manufacturing facility in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Corning operates catalytic converter substrate sales and customer service offices in Tokyo, Japan; Seoul, South Korea; New Delhi, India; Sydney, Australia; Singapore; Taipei, Taiwan; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Wiesbaden, Germany; Troy Michigan; and Corning, New York.
    Cellular ceramic substrates are used at the core of catalytic converters. When coated with a catalyst, the unit converts noxious exhaust gases to harmless exhaust gases and water vapor. Corning invented the cellular ceramic substrate more than 25 years ago, and today is a leading supplier of the devices to vehicle manufacturers worldwide.
    Established in 1851, Corning Incorporated (www.corning.com) creates leading-edge technologies for the fastest-growing markets of the world's economy. Corning manufactures optical fiber, cable and photonic products for the telecommunications industry; and high-performance displays and components for television and other communications-related industries. The company also uses advanced materials to manufacture products for scientific, semiconductor and environmental markets. Corning's revenues in 2000 were $7.1 billion.