Ashland Inc. Promotes Hughes

COVINGTON, Ky., March 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Robert C. Hughes, director of corporate business development for Ashland Inc. (NYSE: ASH), has been appointed vice president, mergers and acquisitions, Chemicals and Transportation Construction. The promotion is effective immediately. In this position he will have responsibility for directing the processes connected with larger acquisitions and divestitures for all Ashland businesses, as well as certain business development activities. Hughes reports to Gary A. Cappeline, Ashland Inc. senior vice president, and president and chief operating officer, Chemicals.

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Hughes joined Ashland in 1981 while he was chief financial officer of William Brothers Engineering Company, which Ashland was then acquiring. He was named administrative vice president of Ashland Technology Corporation in 1984 and vice president of Ashland Engineering and Construction Group in 1988. He became vice president of planning and development for Ashland's chemical operations in 1990 and director of corporate business development and investor relations for Ashland Inc. in 1998 before being named to his most recent position in 2001.

A native of New York City, Hughes earned a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from The New Jersey Institute of Technology and a master's degree in business administration from Rutgers University.

He is a member of the Commercial Development & Marketing Association and the Manufacturers Alliance (MAPI) Strategic Planning and Business Development Council.

Ashland Inc. (NYSE: ASH) is a Fortune 500 transportation construction, chemicals and petroleum company providing products, services and customer solutions throughout the world. Through the dedication of our employees, we are "The Who In How Things Work^™." Find us at www.ashland.com .

^™ Trademark, Ashland Inc.

SOURCE Ashland Inc.

"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.