Dow Corning names Ashland Distribution Co. as a North American key distributor

Most of these products were previously available only by direct purchase from Dow Corning's Health Care Industries business.Based in Dublin, Ohio, Ashland Distribution Company's Fine Ingredients Division is a leading North American distributor of specialty and nutraceutical ingredients, additives and processing aids to the food and beverage, nutritional, pharmaceutical, and personal care and cosmetics industries."Because Ashland Distribution currently sells many active pharmaceuticals, we at Dow Corning felt confident that Ashland would pass our very stringent audits and procedural requirements necessary to sell silicone materials into healthcare markets," says Chris Combs, Dow Corning's global key distribution manager.

Dow Corning(R) brand medical fluids, Dimethicone-NF, and Simethicone products will now be available to the pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturing markets through Ashland's distribution network. In February, Ashland Distribution Company will distribute the recently introduced Dow Corning(R) Silky Touch product line of topical excipients. These excipients were developed to provide improved aesthetics, improved bioavailability of drugs and actives, and ease of processing in formulations.

"In North America alone, Ashland Distribution's Fine Ingredients Division has more than 40 warehousing facilities, a fleet of 400 delivery trucks and more than 50 sales professionals," Mr. Combs says. "With these resources, the Ashland and Dow Corning team forms a strong alliance to meet our customers' needs quickly and effectively."

This arrangement supports more than 25 years of close partnership between Dow Corning and Ashland Distribution Company. "Both organizations constantly strive to expand their long-standing partnership by looking for ways to better deliver value and service to various market segments that use these very important products," said Jerry Snyder, vice president, Ashland Distribution Company's Fine Ingredients Division.

Medical fluids and active pharmaceutical ingredients produced at Dow Corning Healthcare Materials sites are manufactured in a dedicated, FDA-registered (CFN 1816403) and inspected facility, in compliance with cGMPs for Drug Products (21 CFR 210-211).

Dow Corning, which develops, manufactures and markets diverse silicon-based technologies, currently offers more than 7,000 products to customers around the world. Dow Corning is a global leader in silicon-based materials with shares equally owned by The Dow Chemical Company and Corning Incorporated.