SABIC Innovative Plastics and Habitat for Humanity Help Hurricane Katrina Victims Weather Future Storms with the Protection of Lexan* Panels

BERGEN OP ZOOM, The Netherlands – May 6, 2010 – After five long years, many Gulf Coast residents are still struggling to get back on their feet following the pounding devastation of Hurricane Katrina and are concerned about what mother nature may dish out this hurricane season. To help, SABIC Innovative Plastics – working with Habitat for Humanity and the Hancock Housing Resource Center – is donating a thousand protective panels made from Lexan* Clear Storm Panel polycarbonate (PC) sheet to 120 low-income families in Bay St. Louis, located in Hancock County, Mississippi (USA). The reusable Lexan sheet panels offer significantly better impact strength than plywood or other protective materials; provide crystal clear transparency; will help the 120 families obtain certificates of occupancy so they can finally return to their homes; and will provide greatly improved hurricane protection for the future. This project is the latest in SABIC Innovative Plastics’ long history of community involvement and volunteerism in cities, towns and villages around the world.

“Our organization is working hard to provide resources and technical assistance to Hancock County residents to improve housing damaged by Hurricane Katrina,” said Rick Shepler, construction coordinator, Hancock Housing Resource Center. “We recently found out that Bay St. Louis is now requiring storm panels or impact windows before issuing a certificate of occupancy. The generous donation of Lexan Clear Storm Panels from
SABIC Innovative Plastics couldn’t have come at a better time.”

Hancock Housing Resource Center is organizing distribution and installation of the panels, which are being stored by Habitat for Humanity and will be used in some Habitat houses, as well as in homes being rebuilt by other volunteers or the owners themselves.
SABIC Innovative Plastics employees will assist with some of the installations this month.

“We are very pleased to help the people of Bay St. Louis finish rebuilding their homes and to protect them and their property against future hurricanes with our virtually unbreakable Lexan PC sheet” said Kevin Clunie, Supply Chain and Customer Service manager, Specialty Film & Sheet Americas, SABIC Innovative Plastics. “This is an excellent opportunity to help those in need by donating one of our toughest high-performance materials, technical expertise and other resources they need to make them safe and secure and to enhance their quality of life.”

Clearly Superior to Plywood and Metal

Lexan Clear Storm Panels protect windows and doors with up to four times the impact resistance of a half-inch of plywood, and yet are up to 50 percent lighter than traditionally used metal panels. Their clarity lets in natural light, avoiding the claustrophobic effect of wood and metal coverings. Clear Lexan sheet also allows for panels to be installed days ahead of an approaching storm without plunging the home into darkness, as is the case with plywood.


Further, Lexan Clear Storm Panels can be left in place for the entire hurricane season. They outperform metal in that they will not rust or corrode, and retain their shape after impact. A single Lexan panel can completely cover a window or door, which eliminates the need for multiple panels and greatly simplifies installation.

For more information on SABIC Innovative Plastics’ Lexan sheet products, please visit the company website at www.sabic-ip.com.

About SABIC Innovative Plastics

SABIC Innovative Plastics is a leading, global supplier of engineering thermoplastics with a 75-year history of breakthrough solutions that solve its customers’ most pressing challenges. Today, SABIC Innovative Plastics is a multi-billion-dollar company with operations in more than 35 countries and approximately 9,000 employees worldwide. The company continues to lead the plastics industry with customer collaboration and continued investments in new polymer technologies, global application development, process technologies, and environmentally responsible solutions that serve diverse markets such as automotive, electronics, building & construction, transportation, and healthcare. The company’s extensive product portfolio includes thermoplastic resins, coatings, specialty compounds, film, and sheet. SABIC Innovative Plastics (www.sabic-ip.com) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC), one of the world’s top five petrochemicals manufacturers.

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* Trademarks of SABIC Innovative Plastics IP BV.

SABIC Innovative Plastics
Plasticslaan 1
PO Box 117
NL - 4600 AC Bergen op Zoom
The Netherlands
Tel: (31)(164) 292911
Fax: (31)(164) 292940

Marketing Solutions
Kevin Noels
Lelyweg 6
NL - 4612 PS Bergen op Zoom
The Netherlands
Tel: +31 164 317 011
E-Mail: knoels@marketingsolutions.be

This release was published on openPR.