Rockwood Press Release

Rockwood Pigments NA, Inc. Acquires Southern Color Company, Inc.

BELTSVILLE, MD (February 5, 2003) — Rockwood Pigments NA, Inc., a worldwide leading supplier of inorganic color pigments, announced today it has entered into an agreement to acquire the business and assets of Southern Color Company, Inc., a Southeastern U.S.-based supplier of pigments, packaged mortar products and masonry coloring services to the construction industry. The acquisition is scheduled to close on March 1st, 2003. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

Southern Color Company, Inc. originated in Cartersville, Georgia (approx. 35 miles north of Atlanta) by Ken Bishop in 1981 and expanded to Ocala, Florida in 2001. Southern Color offers blending and packaging services for major cement producers, color and specialty products for the brick and ready-mix markets and decorative concrete surface treatments including stains, sealers and overlay products. Key members of the senior management team will remain with the business.

“The Southern Color acquisition is an excellent bolt-on acquisition for Rockwood Pigments, and will provide us with strategically located manufacturing capabilities to better serve the Southeastern United States, as well as expand the market sectors we serve in the construction market” said Carlton Johnson, President, Rockwood Pigments NA, Inc. “Southern Color has a strong brand recognition in the Southeast and the acquisition will expand our product portfolio which we will market nationwide through our existing sales channel.”

Rockwood Pigments provides many unique products and services to the concrete industry including its patented Granufin granular technology used in the manufacture of concrete pavers and blocks and its advanced PC based Chameleon system for ready-mix applications. The company is also a major supplier of custom blended iron oxide powder pigments for multiple construction applications.

Rockwood Pigments is the second largest supplier of iron oxide pigments in the world and is headquartered in Beltsville, MD. The Pigments Division has US operating sites in St. Louis, MO; Beltsville, MD; and Los Angeles, CA. International operations are located in Turin, Italy; Walluf, Germany; Matlock, UK with locations also in China and Singapore. The Pigments Division is part of Rockwood Specialties Inc., Princeton, New Jersey, U.S.A.

Rockwood, headquartered in Princeton, New Jersey, USA, is a leading global specialty chemical company with sales of more than $800 million. The company focuses on niche segments of the specialty chemical market, including additives, specialty compounds, electronic chemicals, materials and services. Rockwood Specialties maintains operations in North America, Europe and Asia with a workforce of over 2,500 employees.