Dow to acquire Rohm and Haas for $19bn

Midland, Michigan - Dow Chemical is to pay $18.8 billion to acquire Rohm and Haas to become what is says will be the world¹s leading speciality chemicals and advanced materials company. Diverisified chemicals group Dow has sales of around $54 billion, while Rohm and Haas is a $8.9-billion-turnover supplier of chemicals and polymers to industries including construction, electronics, household goods, personal care, packaging and paper, transportation, pharmaceutical, water, food, and industrial process.

Andrew Liveris, Dow chairman and CEO, said: The addition of Rohm and Haas will enable Dow "to accelerate the growth of our Performance business portfolio and affording us a strong position in the global specialty chemicals and advanced materials sectors. Rohm and Haas brings us access to new and exciting technologies and offers an extended reach into emerging geographies, all of which are highly complementary to Dow¹s existing platforms and value growth priorities."

According to Dow, Philadelphia-based Rohm and Haas gives it a strong position in a number of industry segments that are poised for significant growth, including the electronic materials and coatings segments. Rohm and Haas, it added, also has a strong presence in a number of other attractive areas such as water solutions, adhesives, personal care, biocides, and building and packaging materials.

Dow also anticipates significant revenue synergies, through applying the two company's technologies and broadening its product portfolio in key industry segments with strong global growth rates. For example, Dow said combining its mechanical dispersions technology and high throughput research capability, with Rohm and Haas' position in acrylic latexes, will create new opportunities in the coatings market.