Sterling Pulp Chemicals Ltd., Sub. Of Sterling Chemicals Inc.

Sterling Pulp Chemicals' Ltd. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sterling Chemicals' Holdings, Inc. of Houston, Texas. Sterling Pulp Chemicals is in the "chlorine dioxide business". Sterling is the leading worldwide supplier of chlorine dioxide technology to its customers under the ERCO™ trade name. It is one of the world's largest producers of sodium chlorate which is used mainly in the generation of chlorine dioxide for the bleaching of wood pulp. It is also one of the two leading North American producers of sodium chlorite used to generate chlorine dioxide for water treatment, food processing and the treatment of effluents for environmental control.

Sterling's ERCO™ technology has been serving the Pulp and Paper Industry since the early 1940's through the development, engineering and international sales of patented technology and equipment for the production of chlorine dioxide used in bleaching pulp. To date there are more than 110 ERCO™ chlorine dioxide plants in 17 countries.

Research and development activities concentrated in Toronto, Ontario, are focused on the changing future needs in the specific areas of pulp bleaching technology, elimination of pulp mill effluent and by product streams, and water-treatment.

Sterling Pulp Chemicals has long been recognized in the Pulp and Paper Industry not only for the quality of its products and its reliability, but also for the value added services it provides, not only in customer service regarding product usage, but also in engineering support. Recently Sterling Pulp Chemical has also been recognized as a success story in the Canadian Chemical Sector (by Industry Canada, March, 1997) in a strategic analysis of the Canadian Chemical Industry.