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February 21, 2006

Start Up Company Helps Deliver Cleaner Products
Custom Catalytic Solutions selected LaPorte’s Bayport North industrial park to build its new 35,000 square-foot facility. The start-up company provides custom catalysts, specialized technology and outstanding customer service to help refineries and chemical plants generate cleaner fuel, cleaner products and less waste.

Custom Catalytic Solutions provides traditional commercial catalysts as well as develops custom catalysts that help manufacturers remove contaminants from their products and reduces waste streams. Removing the contaminants provides cost and environmental benefits.

“A refinery or chemical plant uses our catalysts to remove contaminants early in the manufacturing process,” said Carole D. Riekert, president and CEO.  “This eliminates additional processing to remove contaminants, saving on processing costs and reducing pollution.”

“As an example, using custom catalysts in a hydrotreater can help a refinery produce cleaner gasoline and at less cost because the refinery removes contaminants earlier in the process.  This can lead to cleaner air for our community and higher margins for our customers,” Riekert explained.

Company Combines Production, Service and Research Expertise (page 2)
Custom Catalytic Solutions will follow a tried and true business model for success -- manufacturing excellence and outstanding service.  “We will be customer driven,” said Gary R. Gildert, executive vice president. “It is our service and technical expertise of working with customers that will allow us to make a difference.  We will work directly with our customers to provide customized solutions to their contaminant removal needs.” 

“We also will provide traditional commercial catalysts to our customers locally. To that end, we will break with tradition and provide both the catalyst and technical service much more quickly than our competition,” Gildert said. 

Riekert and Gildert are successful veterans of the catalyst manufacturing and development business. Gildert calls Riekert the production expert.  She has managed production of catalysts for years, having produced over 35,000,000 pounds per year.  Riekert refers to Gildert as the applications expert.  He has his name on some 25 patents in the industry. Additionally, Gildert has extensive experience in catalyst sales.
Besides manufacturing and sales/technical service, Custom Catalytic will staff a state-of-the-art Research and Development facility to provide analysis of customer streams as well as develop the next generation of catalysts for the industry. William V. Knowles and Michael O. Nutt will be heading up New Product Development and R&D, respectively. The two are completing their PhDs at Rice University’s Department of Chemical Engineering in catalysis with emphasis on the field of nano-structured materials.

Custom Catalytic Solutions will be able to produce up to 350 tons per year from its new facilities, expected to be completed by the end of the summer.  The capital investment will be more than $5 million. 

Business Plan Includes Community Involvement (page 3)
Custom Catalytic Solutions purchased 10 acres in LaPorte to build its 28,500 square foot manufacturing facility and 7,200 square foot lab and office space.  Over the next few years the company will create 25 new high-paying technical, manufacturing and support jobs for the area. The 10 acres provides additional space to grow should the company experience the success its leaders are expecting.
The formal groundbreaking is scheduled for February 22 and will be attended by Phil Wilson, Deputy Chief of Staff for Governor Perry, signifying the emphasis of creating jobs and building commerce in Texas. Wilson will welcome this new company and salute its commitment to research and development of emerging technology for the petrochemical and refining economic cluster in Texas. Hosting the groundbreaking is LaPorte Mayor Alton Porter along with city council members, Harris County Commissioner Sylvia R. Garcia, and LaPorte Chamber of Commerce dignitaries.

“We welcome Custom Catalytic Solutions to our city,” said Mayor Porter.  “Early on they have demonstrated that they are a socially responsible company and will not only create jobs and an industrial tax base, but will become an active member of our local community.” As a welcome to the city, Custom Catalytic Solutions will plant 10 trees on its new site as part of the Economic Alliance’s quality of life effort that will see more than 4,100 trees planted in the region during 2006.

Harris County Commissioner Sylvia R. Garcia welcomed Custom Catalytic Solutions to Harris County Precinct 2. “I look forward to working with their management and employees as they start-up and grow their business in our community,” Garcia said.

Regional Effort Lands Jobs, Creates Economic Impact (page 4)
“We look forward to continued growth of Custom Catalytic Solutions as they provide specialized catalysts that help our refining and petrochemical industry reduce waste, operate more efficiently, and produce cleaner products,” said Jan Lawler, president and CEO, the Economic Alliance.

Lawler was pleased to help recruit the start-up company, its 25 high-paying jobs and its estimated $21 million annual economic impact to the Economic Alliance Houston Port Region. “Custom Catalytic Solutions studied other locations, but because of the hard work of the City of LaPorte, Harris County and our economic development partner, the Greater Houston Partnership, we were able to demonstrate the advantages of locating in the heart of the refining and petrochemical region,” Lawler said.

The Greater Houston Partnership worked as a supporting partner with the Economic Alliance, Harris County and CenterPoint Energy to recruit Custom Catalytic. “Securing this start-up business demonstrates the strength of our regional efforts to bring new economic development to our 10-county region,” said Jeff Moseley, president and CEO of the Greater Houston Partnership. “Custom Catalytic Solutions is poised for success with its strong portfolio of knowledge and experience in catalyst manufacturing, along with creative expertise in research and development of customized catalytic solutions.”

“The Partnership’s strategic plan calls for creating 600,000 jobs throughout our region over the next 10 years,” Moseley added. “Supporting and collaborating with our economic partners on projects like this will help us reach that goal.”