DSM DYNEEMA BRANDING PROGRAM HELPS USERS RECOGNIZE THE QUALITY OF THEIR GLOVES

Urmond, The Netherlands, 24 October 2005 – DSM Dyneema announced a new branding program to help ensure the quality of industrial gloves made with Dyneema®, the world's strongest fiber. The program recruits top glove makers known for their consistently high quality production, then independently tests the abrasion and cut resistance of their gloves with Dyneema®. A label tells end-users that the gloves on their hands conform to the program's standards. The program is expected to be in place by year end.

"We set the stage for high quality through our initial, strict selectiveness about which glove manufacturers we ask to join," said Marcel Willems, business manager, cut resistance for DSM Dyneema. "Our ongoing cut and abrasion testing will support our objective to make quality visible and let end users know that gloves with the Dyneema® label will meet their expectations."

"Customers have been interested in the safety and security benefits of Dyneema® fiber for years," said Karl Hoelscher, general manager and co-owner, Wilhelm Fitzner Arbeitsschutz (Preussisch-Oldendorf, Germany). "We're enthusiastic about DSM Dyneema's new program because it tells customers first, that the gloves actually contain Dyneema® fiber, and second, that they have passed an independent quality assurance audit. In other words, they can trust the glove's effectiveness in protecting the hand."

The manager of the business unit gloves for the world’s leading company in personal protective equipment said, "DSM Dyneema's program is a good idea, because it is a natural extension of the rapidly-growing end-user acceptance of Dyneema® fiber. We look forward to using the program's marketing materials and working collaboratively with DSM Dyneema. Selective access of prime manufacturers helps to focus the effort, and we feel the program will allow us to develop new gloves with new levels of cut resistance."

Ongoing sampling will also include gloves from those not participating in the program, though the company does not expect to publish results. In part, such broadened testing will help DSM Dyneema identify future candidates for the program.

In addition, as part of the program, DSM Dyneema is allocating resources dedicated to communicating with both glove makers and end users. In this way, DSM Dyneema can keep tabs on market trends and work proactively with program participants to offer Dyneema® fiber-based protective glove solutions for new or changing applications.

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