Sika Automotive Appoints Dr. Frank Hoefflin Director of Research and Development

MADISON HEIGHTS, Mich., Oct. 15, 2003 -- Sika Automotive has announced the appointment of Dr. Frank Hoefflin as Director of Research and Development for the R & D Group of Sika Automotive. Dr. Cheong Kow, Vice President of R & D at Sika, made the announcement. In this role Dr. Hoefflin will be responsible for all research and development activities related to the automotive business.

Dr. Hoefflin comes to Sika with over seven years experience in technology management, most recently at Exatec (GE/Bayer JV), where he held the position of Global Technology Manager. His research experiences include impact- modified epoxies; polymer blends for lawn mower hoods and other industrial applications including coatings and 3D printing for polycarbonate used in automotive glazing. He has a Doctorate degree in Polymer Chemistry/Material Science from University of Freiburg, Germany.

"The appointment of Dr. Hoefflin to this position will help further Sika's goal to continue our leadership position in creating and developing innovative sealing, bonding and acoustic products for the auto industry," said Dr. Kow. "This appointment underscores our commitment to creating and developing high performance, cost-effective solutions."

Sika Automotive, based in Madison Heights, MI, a division of Sika Corporation, is an industry leader in the development and production of high performance acoustic, bonding, reinforcing and sealing systems. Sika Automotive provides automobile manufacturers with proven material, application engineering and validation expertise to improve interior sound quality and structural performance in vehicles worldwide. Sika Automotive optimizes cost effective, complete solutions in its dedicated, state of the art, Acoustic Test Facility, located in Madison Heights, MI. Visit the Sika Automotive website www.sikaautomotive.com .

Sika Corporation is a leading supplier of specialty chemical products and industrial materials serving construction and industrial markets including transportation, marine, and automotive. Sika Corporation is a subsidiary of Sika AG, Baar, Switzerland. Sika has annual sales of approximately US$1.5 billion (CHF 2.1 billion), over 8,500 employees and operations in 64 countries. Visit the Sika website at www.sika.com .