Solutia Opens New Customer Service Lab in Suzhou, China

ST. LOUIS, April 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Solutia Inc. (NYSE: SOA) announced today that it has successfully designed and completed a new, state of the art regional testing facility at the company's Saflex® Polyvinyl butyral (PVB) manufacturing center located in Suzhou, China.  The new facility will support the company's laminate testing service program for customers located in the Asia Pacific region serving the Architectural, Automotive and Photovoltaic markets.  The facility marks the third testing lab for the company, joining centers in Indian Orchard, Massachusetts and Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.

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"While Solutia has always taken part in rigorous internal and external testing of our Saflex interlayers to ensure the quality of our products, the opening of a new customer service laboratory located at our plant in Suzhou, China brings this support to the Asia Pacific region," said Mark Slock, global technical service director for Solutia's Saflex division.  "The new laboratory will allow Saflex applications staff to locally test laminated glass products made with Saflex polyvinyl butyral (PVB) interlayers in-house to ensure that they meet critical Architectural, Automotive and Photovoltaic industry norms."

The new investment includes such essential testing equipment as a bake oven, thermal bath, pummel testing equipment and an impact tower.  The customer service lab will also house a sample center, which will provide Saflex sheet samples on request to customers across the region.

"The investment in the development of this new facility has demonstrated to our customers an ongoing commitment to serving their needs," said Rick Calk, vice president of commercial operations for Saflex. "Previously, Saflex had used our lab located in Belgium to conduct laminate testing for Asia Pacific customers, which had become time intensive and resulted in long lead times for the market.  By bringing laminate testing capabilities to our Suzhou plant, this allows Saflex to be more proactive and responsive to our regional customers' needs and requests for additional testing."  

Solutia's Saflex business is the most trusted name in polyvinyl butyral (PVB) interlayer technology for laminated glazing - delivering outstanding performance and durability, backed by reliable and knowledgeable service. As a result, it is found in nearly 40 percent of laminated architectural and automotive glass worldwide.  Saflex interlayers are also used to encapsulate thin film photovoltaic solar cells, providing outstanding processability and durability.

For more information about Saflex, please visit www.saflex.com .

Notes to Editor:  Saflex is a registered trademark of Solutia Inc.  

About Solutia Inc.

Solutia is a market-leading performance materials and specialty chemicals company. The company focuses on providing solutions for a better life through a range of products, including: Saflex® PVB interlayer for encapsulated solar modules; CPFilms® aftermarket window films sold under the LLumar® brand and others; and technical specialties including the Flexsys® family of chemicals for the rubber industry, Skydrol® aviation hydraulic fluid and Therminol® heat transfer fluid. Solutia's businesses are world leaders in each of their market segments. With its headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, the company operates globally with approximately 3,300 employees in more than 50 locations. More information is available at www.Solutia.com .

Forward Looking Statements

This press release may contain forward-looking statements, which can be identified by the use of words such as "believes," "expects," "may," "will," "intends," "plans," "estimates" or "anticipates," or other comparable terminology, or by discussions of strategy, plans or intentions.  These statements are based on management's current expectations and assumptions about the industries in which Solutia operates.  Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results or achievements to be materially different from the future results or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements.  These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those risk and uncertainties described in Solutia's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, including under "Cautionary Statement About Forward Looking Statements" and "Risk Factors", and Solutia's quarterly reports on Form 10-Q.  These reports can be accessed through the "Investors" section of Solutia's website at www.solutia.com .  Solutia disclaims any intent or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements in response to new information, unforeseen events, changed circumstances or any other occurrence.

SOURCE Solutia Inc.