"The acquisition of GoldKey supports Hexagon's vision to be the market leader in each strategic business area," said Tracy Garrison, President of Hexagon Polymers Compounding NA. "It is a vital piece in Hexagon's commitment to global expansion and value creation for our business partners."

This acquisition is a further step in the Hexagon growth strategy of being globally present in key geographic markets. The Middlefield facility is located midway between Akron and Cleveland, within a few hours' transport time of key customers in Northeast and Central United States.

"This is a perfect compliment to our existing, highly automotive footprint, brings market balance, scale; broadens our intellectual property and also gives a leading position in higher engineered chemistries," added Garrison.

GoldKey's clean, state-of-the-art mixing plant in Middlefield employs 160 people, features three 255 liter intermesh and one 45 liter intermesh pilot line with an approximate annual capacity of 35,000 tons or 80,000,000 pounds per year. Founded in 1997 upon an excellent culture and committed workforce, GoldKey has developed a brand based on exceptional cleanliness and world class customer service.

GoldKey will be consolidated as of September 1st and will immediately contribute to the group.

It will be aligned in the Hexagon Polymers Business area, as a member of Hexagon Polymers Compounding. Globally, Hexagon Polymers Compounding operates facilities in United States, Mexico, Sweden, Germany, Belgium, Czech Republic and China. 2007 capacity now exceeds 400,000,000 pounds annually.