Two New Research & Development Labs for Afton Chemical in Asia Pacific

Afton Chemical Corporation announces two new research and development facilities in Asia Pacific. A new facility in Shanghai, China will be opening in early 2009 and a new and expanded facility in Tsukuba, Japan has recently commenced operations. The primary objectives of these laboratories are to improve response time to customers and develop more products for the specific needs of the Asia Pacific region.

The Shanghai R&D facility is located in the Zizhu Science Industrial Park and provides over 1,000 square meters of space including nine fully equipped laboratories for analytical development and testing. The facility is close to two leading universities.

The second facility is located in Tsukuba, Japan outside of Tokyo. This expanded R&D center is over 3,300 square meters and employs eight managers, technologists, formulators and technicians. The Tsukuba facility will provide improved development capabilities and response times for Afton’s customers.

“The Asia Pacific region is of critical importance to Afton Chemical,” said Jon Rock, Vice President and Managing Director Asia Pacific. “Our customers value technical leadership and innovation above all else. These two investments demonstrate Afton’s commitment to our customer’s and their ultimate success in the region,” Rock continued.

These two new centers are in addition to Afton’s global R&D center located in Richmond, Va., and a major center in Bracknell, near London, in the U.K.

Afton Chemical Corporation is a wholly-owned subsidiary of NewMarket Corporation (NYSE:NEU). Afton Chemical develops and manufactures petroleum additives that boost the performance of fuels and lubricating oils to achieve increased efficiency, power and durability in machinery, vehicles, and other equipment. From custom-formulated chemical blends to market-general additive components, Afton Chemical technology helps fuels burn cleaner and more efficiently, engines run smoother, and machines last longer.