Ashland Names Mike Swartzlander to Head India Business Operations

DUBLIN, Ohio, March 12, 2007 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX News Network/ -- Mike Swartzlander has been named vice president and managing director, India, for Ashland Inc. (NYSE: ASH). Swartzlander previously served as vice president and general manager of Ashland's Casting Solutions business. The announcement was made by Peter Rijneveldshoek, president, Ashland Europe. Ashland Europe includes Europe, the Middle East, Africa and India.

"Mike's leadership within Ashland's Performance Materials Division coupled with his knowledge of emerging markets makes him the ideal candidate to lead Ashland's business growth across our organization in India," said Rijneveldshoek. Although Ashland's business interests have been represented in India for a number of years, Swartzlander will be tasked with organizing, aligning and growing the businesses as one Ashland enterprise.

"This is a tremendous opportunity to accelerate our growth in a very exciting and growing economy," said Swartzlander. "India is the second-fastest growing economy in the world, and I look forward to living, working and growing Ashland's business there." Swartzlander will be relocating to Mumbai to direct Ashland's India business activities.

Swartzlander joined Ashland in 1989. Throughout his career with the company he has been promoted to roles of increasing responsibility and was named vice president and general manager of Ashland Casting Solutions in 2001. A native of Butler, Pa., Swartzlander holds a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from Carnegie-Mellon University and a master's degree in chemical engineering from the University of Delaware. He is a member of several industry-related trade and professional associations, currently serving as vice president of the American Foundry Society, a board member of the Ohio Cast Metals Association and past president of the Foundry Educational Foundation.

Ashland Inc. (NYSE: ASH), a diversified, global chemical company, provides quality products, services and solutions to customers in more than 100 countries. A FORTUNE 500 company, it operates through four wholly owned divisions: Ashland Performance Materials, Ashland Distribution, Valvoline and Ashland Water Technologies. To learn more about Ashland, visit www.ashland.com.

FORTUNE 500 is a registered trademark of Time Inc.

SOURCE
Ashland Inc.

Ken Gordon of Ashland Inc., +1-614-790-1832, or kdgordon@ashland.com

"Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Statements in this press release regarding Ashland's business which are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties. For a discussion of such risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report or Form 10-K for the most recently ended fiscal year.