MSC LAMINATES & COMPOSITES SIGNS AGREEMENT WITH TEKNO S.A. TO PRODUCE QUIET STEEL IN BRAZIL

MSC Laminates & Composites Inc. (Material Sciences Corporation), a Material Sciences Corporation company, has entered a joint venture agreement with Tekno S.A. to produce Quiet Steel and brake damper products in Brazil.

According to terms, MSC Laminates and Composites will retrofit an existing Tekno facility in Brazil with its proprietary lamination technology for manufacturing constrained layer composites, to be sold into the expanding Brazilian automotive and other markets. Production start-up is slated for February, 2001.

Ron Millar, Group VP and General Manager of MSC Laminates and Composites, commented, "This joint venture is the first step in our global strategy to create regional manufacturing and technical support centers to satisfy our customer base outside North America. As our customers grow and become global suppliers, we'll be there for them to provide continuity of product and technical assistance, thereby creating a seamless worldwide supply of engineered material solutions. We're excited to partner with Tekno. They're the leading coil coater in Brazil and a seasonal company in the market, making the transfer of our technology much easier to accomplish. We foresee great growth in our Quiet Steel business for powertrain and body applications, as well as significant penetration 'into the Brazilian brake damper market currently being served by offshore competition. Building in-country manufacturing, we believe, is critical to the Brazilians as well as the growth and expansion of our own product applications."

MC Laminates and Composites is a leading supplier of engineered material solutions for N-VH (Noise, Vibration and Harshness of Ride), weight reduction, structural, aesthetic and thermal applications in the auto, appliance, building product, computer hardware and other markets.