OMN OMNOVA Solutions Inc

OMNOVA Solutions Recognizes Employee Innovations With 2004 Technology Awards FAIRLAWN, Ohio, July 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- OMNOVA Solutions (NYSE:OMN) today announced the recipients of its 2004 Technology Awards. This annual award program recognizes exemplary technology-based contributions by associates in OMNOVA's research and development, sales and marketing, technical service, operations, product management, and LEAN SixSigma organizations. Technology innovations support activities in a number of OMNOVA's end use markets, including carpet, paper, nonwovens, commercial roofing, furniture and automotive upholstery. Recipients hail from across OMNOVA Solutions, including its Building Products business segment facilities in Maumee, Ohio and Muscle Shoals, Alabama; Performance Chemicals business segment facilities in Akron, Ohio, Mogadore, Ohio, Green Bay, Wisconsin and Dalton, Georgia; and Decorative Products business segment facilities in Fairlawn, Ohio, Columbus, Mississippi and Auburn, Pennsylvania, as well as the Company's joint venture facility in Rayong, Thailand. "Innovative new products and exceptional service are cornerstones of our growth strategy, providing OMNOVA with a strong and sustainable competitive advantage," said Kevin McMullen, OMNOVA Solutions' Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "This group of Technology Award recipients demonstrates how OMNOVA teams in the lab, the plant and the field are working together to provide technology leadership to our served markets, adding value to both our customers and OMNOVA." Categories, titles of technical innovations and recipients are as follows: Category: Marketing-Technology Innovation TITLE: Technical Service Competitive Advantage - Carpet Latex MARKET: Carpet Chemicals WHO: Mike Stephenson - Dalton, Georgia Mills Lemons - Dalton, Georgia WHAT: Excellent technical service is a major differentiator for OMNOVA's chemicals business. This team proved it before the sale and won a significant new carpet latex customer for the Company. The team demonstrated how the soon-to-be customer could optimize its processes to better utilize OMNOVA carpet- backing products and to improve productivity. OMNOVA created a device which generates a temperature and humidity profile for carpet drying ovens. It allowed the customer to maintain consistent drying conditions, thereby increasing line speed. This is an excellent example of how the technical service team can be an integral part of the sales and marketing effort. Category: Competitive Advantage Through Intellectual Property TITLE: Diaper Acquisition Layer Latex MARKET: Nonwovens Chemicals WHO: David Diehl - Akron, Ohio Technology Center Carla McBain, Ph. D. - Akron, Ohio Technology Center WHAT: When a major customer and disposable diaper manufacturer wanted enhanced acquisition sub-layer technology for a global product line, this team responded to the call. The acquisition sub- layer of a diaper is between the skin-contact layer and the absorbent materials. The acquisition layer is designed to wick liquid away from the skin to the absorbent where it is retained. OMNOVA's Performance Chemicals business supplies the customer with a latex product that acts as a binder for the fibers in the nonwoven sub-layer. This binding contributes better resiliency to the nonwoven and provides proper surface tension to the sheet to wick away the liquid. At the request of the customer, this team developed a product that helped to enhance liquid retention, maintain softness and improve recovery from extended storage and extreme heat. The team created two versions of the latex, one for foaming applications and another for when foaming is undesirable. This third generation latex product has helped to maintain OMNOVA's position as the sole supplier of latex for this application. Category: Core Competence Building TITLE: GenCryl(R) Platinum Pt(TM) Series High Performance Paper Latex MARKET: Paper Chemicals WHO: Tom Smyth - Mogadore, Ohio Fred Burgett - Mogadore, Ohio Pam Arndorfer - Green Bay, Wisconsin Bill Verhasselt - Green Bay, Wisconsin Jacki Laurich, Ph.D. - Mogadore, Ohio (RohmNova joint venture) John Westerman, Ph.D. - Akron, Ohio Technology Center WHAT: This team developed and commercialized OMNOVA's new GenCryl(R) Platinum Pt(TM) series high performance latexes for paper coatings. Controlled conversion polymerization played a key role in the development of this novel family of products. This controlled emulsion polymerization method and manufacturing process affect the final polymer architecture with an end result of improved coated paper strength, which is a competitive advantage. This unique platform has helped RohmNova, a product technical, sales and service joint venture between OMNOVA Solutions and Rohm and Haas, to offer greater value to current customers and gain new ones. Category: Continuous Innovation TITLE: Pulverized Rigid and Semi-Rigid PVC MARKET: Laminates WHO: Ani Khandekar - Fairlawn, Ohio Steve Reed - Auburn, Pennsylvania WHAT: This team recognized the environmental and cost advantages of determining a scrap recycling method compatible with existing manufacturing processes at OMNOVA's Auburn, Pennsylvania facility. Previous attempts to recycle rigid and semi-rigid PVC scrap back into the production process had been unsuccessful. This team identified a scrap pulverization method and optimized it to ensure products incorporating recycled content would meet customer specifications. TITLE: T-3 PVC Roofing Membrane Formulations MARKET: Commercial Roofing WHO: Mike Hubbard - Maumee, Ohio Neal Frank - Muscle Shoals, Alabama Tim McQuillen - Maumee, Ohio Jim Burkett - Maumee, Ohio Ray Weinert, Ph.D. - Akron, Ohio Technology Center WHAT: This team was responsible for the development and commercialization of a new PVC roofing formulation for OMNOVA's GenFlex Roofing Systems business. The formulation produces a more durable membrane, offering enhanced performance over an extended period. Rigorous third party testing validated the new formulation. A key feature of this innovation, dubbed T-3, is its improved ability to withstand outdoor environmental exposure. Category: New Product Development/Commercialization TITLE: Terry Loop Knit Coated Fabrics Construction MARKET: Upholstery WHO: Anthony Nix - Thailand Chavalit Jiratrakanvong - Thailand Dave Fishel - Columbus, Mississippi WHAT: When an automotive aftermarket customer requested an upholstery product that was softer, easier to sew and more cost competitive, OMNOVA and its joint venture facility in Rayong, Thailand worked together to create a vinyl fabric with a novel look and feel. The unique construction features a textile backing composed of large closed loops, which provide a feel similar to a terry cloth bath towel. The Terry Loop construction has equivalent physical properties to competitive products in terms of aesthetics, weight, flame resistance and tear strength, but offers an improved look and softer feel. This OMNOVA innovation has been specified in automotive upholstery aftermarket, marine upholstery aftermarket and OEM automotive upholstery applications. OMNOVA Solutions Inc. is a technology-based company with 2004 sales of $746 million and a current workforce of 1,850 employees worldwide. OMNOVA is an innovator of emulsion polymers, specialty chemicals, and decorative and functional surfaces for a variety of commercial, industrial and residential end uses. DATASOURCE: OMNOVA Solutions Inc. CONTACT: Sandi Noah, Communications, +1-330-869-4292, or Michael Hicks, Investor Relations, +1-330-869-4411, both of OMNOVA Solutions Inc. Web site: http://www.omnova.com/ Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/143306.html

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