Ashland Chemicals, US

Dow Chemical is a leader in science and technology, providing innovative chemical, plastic and agricultural products and services to consumer markets. Dow serves customers in 175 countries and a wide range of markets, including food, transportation, health and medicine, personal and home care, building and construction. The company is known for plastics and its trademark Styrofoam products. Dow AgroSciences provides farmers globally with crop protection products. Innovations such as biotechnology reduce environmental risks associated with crop protection products. Dow s Ion Exchange resins are used to purify water around the world for drinking water, power plants, wastewater treatment and pharmaceuticals. Its epoxy technology makes it possible to create lighter, larger and more durable windmill blades offering higher energy yields. The company s Saran resins provide food protection, extending the food available to the world. In developing countries where refrigeration is scarce, meat products are extruded into a sausage covered with Saran film that can be shipped and stored without refrigeration for up to six months. Polyurethane material from Dow offers automobile part manufacturers better cushioning for seats and reduction in noise, vibration and harshness in interior parts. Dow Chemical has headquarters in Midland, Mich.