- Press Release - December 13, 1999 Portland Oregon: KANTO EXPANDS U.S. PRODUCTION CAPABILITIES TO SERVE U.S. CUSTOMERS. AMMONIUM HYDROXIDE AND CUSTOM ACID BLENDING NOW IN PRODUCTION IN U.S. Kanto Corporation, the world's leading supplier of ultra high-purity process chemicals, chemical systems, and related services, announced today expanded U.S. production capabilities. As part of a continuous development plan, Kanto's state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in the Rivergate area of Portland, Oregon was expanded to include both ammonium hydroxide production and custom mixed acid blending on-site. According to Bob Schlichting, Kanto's Plant Manager, "The expansion and new domestic sourcing capabilities will greatly enhance our service for our U.S. customers." Construction of the new ammonium hydroxide plant began in April 1999 and is complete. Kanto will manufacture ultra high-purity ppt-grade ammonium hydroxide by utilizing anhydrous ammonia and ultra pure water. The first batch of test product in early November met Kanto's rigorous EL-UM grade product specification, and production for customers is underway. Kanto initially plans to fill both lorry and iso tanks with ammonium hydroxide for customers across the United States. Kanto is now shipping a full line of qualified products from U.S.-sourced raw materials to complement those supplied from Japan. Kanto also added dedicated mixing tanks for custom blended products. Current plans are potential blends of ppt-grade mixed acids including acetic acid, nitric acid, phosphoric acid, ammonium hydroxide, hydrofluoric acid, and/or ultra pure water. These mixes are used in polysilicon and aluminum etch applications as well as buffered oxide etching. Tanks are dedicated to eliminate cross-contamination and maintain Kanto's ultra high purity product standards. To maintain its incident-free record, all systems at Kanto are dedicated to ensure product reliability. Nori Ampo, President of Kanto, framed the investment in the following terms, "We are committed to the U.S. market. This is one more major building block in our long-term business plan. We will provide the same high level of service to the U.S. market that our customers have come to expect from Kanto." Please contact sales, with any questions, by E-mail: ; Tel: (866) 609-5571 / (503) 283-0405; Fax: (503) 240-0409503.254.4450