Johns Manville and COMFIL enter into strategic alliance in thermoplastic composite systems:

Bad Homburg (April 9, 2002) --- Johns Manville Europe, comprising the European businesses of Johns Manville, and COMFIL ApS in Denmark announced the recent signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in the field of thermoplastic composite systems for structural applications. COMFIL is a spin-off of the former Hoechst Trevira-Neckelmann company located in Silkeborg, Denmark.

Johns Manville, with its core competencies in both glass and polyester products and COMFIL with a strong Know-how in polyester fiber systems and hybrid yarns have entered into a strategic alliance to manage development, productions, sales and marketing. Johns Manville will focus on the selling and marketing of Comfil-G™, and the product and application development will be done by Comfil ApS.

"We aggressively search out opportunities to provide added-value products and services to our customers and believe the strategic alliance with COMFIL is one of those opportunities," said Luc Mechelaere, Vice President and General Manager of Johns Manville Europe.

The initial focus will be on polyester hybrid yarns for structural and semi-structural applications in automotive, industrial and consumer products. Other polymer fibers such as PP and PA will follow.

Johns Manville, a Berkshire Hathaway company, is a leading manufacturer and marketer of premium-quality building and specialty products. In business since 1858, the Denver-based company has sales in excess of $2 billion and holds leadership positions in all of the key markets that it serves. Johns Manville employs approximately 9,500 people and operates 52 manufacturing facilities in North America, Europe and Asia. Johns Manville Europe is the European operations for one of Johns Manville's three strategic business units, and has 11 manufacturing locations in Germany, Sweden, the U.K., Poland, Slovakia and China. Additional information can be found at www.jm.com.

COMFIL ApS is a new started independent company in Silkeborg, Denmark. It is a spin-off of the Hybrid Yarn Activities of Trevira Neckelmann A/S. COMFIL ApS develops and produces Hybrid yarns from continuous reinforcement fibres and various types of thermoplastic matrix fibres - especially polyester types. Besides hybrid yarns COMFIL ApS also develop and sell fabric and compression mould technology coming from 10 years of experience in the composites field. Additional information can be found at www.comfil.biz