Dalton, GA - January 18, 2011
Employees at Styron LLC's Dalton Georgia Site received international recognition for their contributions to wildlife habitat conservation at the Wildlife Habitat Council's (WHC) 22nd Annual Symposium, The Business of Biodiversity. Styron LLC demonstrates its commitment to environmental stewardship and increasing native biodiversity by achieving Wildlife at WorkSM recertification at the Dalton Georgia Site.
"The Wildlife Habitat Council believes that collaboration among all stakeholder groups is critical to addressing the complex issues facing the sustainability of the planet," said Robert Johnson, WHC President. "WHC members take a leading role in connecting community stakeholders through wildlife habitat enhancement, community outreach and conservation education. Congratulations to Styron LLC for their commitment to a healthy natural world and connected communities."
"The Wildlife Habitat in Dalton is another example of Styron's commitment to the environment and sustainability. I am so proud of the efforts the employees on site have made to support the Wildlife at Work program and certification," said Melissa Kirkland, Dalton Site Responsible Care Leader.
The Dalton Georgia Site is located in the southeastern part of Whitfield County. The site, which is about 70 miles north of Atlanta, is involved in the manufacturing of latex for carpet backing and STYROFOAM™ insulation. The property on site and the Latex manufacturing facility are owned and operated by Styron, LLC. The STYROFOAM™ manufacturing facility that produces STYROFOAM™ is operated by The Dow Chemical Company and is a tenant on site. The property consists of 420 acres, one-quarter of which is developed for industry. The remaining 300 acres are characterized by fields, brush lands, pines and hardwood forests. Currently there are approximately 52 employees on site and roughly 10% of the site employees are involved in one or more of the site's ongoing wildlife activities.
The Dalton site's wildlife program began in 1989, with the formation of an employee team called the "Critter Club." The initial focus of the team was on managing the site for white-tailed deer, waterfowl, turkey and songbirds. Programs currently implemented and maintained at the site include a bluebird nesting program, field management efforts and planting and maintaining wildlife food and cover plots.
The nest box monitoring program, which was initiated in 1990, currently includes 21 songbird nest boxes, one American kestrel box and four wood duck boxes. The nest box program has been very successful, with boxes being utilized by tree swallows, bluebirds, chickadees and an occasional tufted titmouse. 159 fledglings were recorded in one year. The boxes are cleaned and maintained on a regular basis, and employees submit monitoring records to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Birdhouse Network.
The field management program focuses on maintaining habitat for deer, turkey, songbirds, rodents and raptors. These areas are mowed each summer and ten-foot fire breaks are maintained throughout the year. The wildlife team intends to convert the fields into native grasslands in the near future. Earlier reforestation efforts provide additional food and cover resources in the fields. To restore native species, the team planted native trees throughout the habitat area. In order to provide additional opportunities for food and cover, employees placed brush piles and mineral blocks in the fields.
The Dalton Georgia Site was one of 281 sites recognized at the 2010 Symposium for creating a Wildlife at Work program. In addition, 56 Corporate Lands for LearningSM programs reach thousands of learners from schools and scout groups to master gardeners and university researchers. Since 1990, WHC has certified 640 Wildlife at Work and 128 CLL programs worldwide. The certification program recognizes outstanding wildlife habitat management and environmental education efforts at corporate sites, and offers third-party validation of the benefits of such programs. Certification requirements are strict and require that sites apply for periodic renewal.
About The Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC)
The Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) is a nonprofit, non-lobbying organization dedicated to increasing the quality and amount of wildlife habitat on corporate, private and public lands. WHC devotes its resources to building partnerships with corporations and conservation groups to create solutions that balance the demands of economic growth with the requirements of a healthy, biodiverse and sustainable environment. WHC-assisted wildlife habitat and conservation education programs are found in 43 states, the District of Columbia and nine other countries. To learn more, visit www.wildlifehc.org.
About Styron
Styron is a leading global materials company, dedicated to innovate and deliver for its customers. Styron's unique and balanced product portfolio brings together plastics, rubber and latex businesses that share feedstocks, operations, customers and end users. Styron has a leadership position in its two flagship products, polystyrene and latex. The company benefits from global scale, a long-standing tradition of unrivaled customer relationships and a robust innovation pipeline. Styron has approximately $5 billion in revenue (2010), with 20 manufacturing sites in all geographies. Styron's 2,100 employees are committed to listen to customers' needs and provide them with innovative and sustainable solutions in markets such as appliances, automotive, building & construction, carpet, commercial transportation, consumer electronics, consumer goods, electrical & lighting, medical, packaging, paper & paperboard, rubber goods and tires. More information about Styron can be found at www.styron.com.
Legal Disclaimer
The information provided in the above report contains "forward-looking statements". The forward-looking statements rely on a number of uncertainties or other factors which are out of Styron's control. Styron does not undertake to update or revise any of the forward-looking statements.
The technical descriptions and information provided in the above report are not legally binding. The quality of our products will be specified in individual contracts with our customers. Unless otherwise explicitly agreed, the official product specification shall prevail in the form published from time to time.
For Editorial Information:
Jennifer Holzinger
Styron LLC
+1 989 832 4657
Sylva De Craecker
Porter Novelli (EU)
+32 2 413 03 40
sylva.de.craecker@porternovelli.be
Jason Dananay
Porter Novelli (US)
+1 312 856 8888
jason.dananay@porternovelli.com
Brad Cardwell
Wildlife Habitat Council
+1 240 247 0930
bcardwell@wildlifehc.org