FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 2003

Contact:
Judy Makowski
Marketing Communications Manager
Estane® TPU
(216) 447-7392

CLEVELAND, OH – The hard-hitting game of softball, at its zenith in the 2003 NCAA Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City, finally lives up to its name – softball – with revolutionary new stadium wall padding by Promats with SKYDEX technology.

Installed this spring at the American Softball Association’s Don E. Porter Hall of Fame Stadium, the new Promats stadium field wall padding absorbs impact and protects players far better than standard foam and wood pads. The new padding is stronger, lighter and more durable than traditional products and “recharges” to attenuate shock again and again.

Use of SKYDEX, a breakthrough cushioning and protective technology, significantly reduces the potential for critical injuries during impacts at the outfield walls. The material is already being used in a variety of important applications ranging from playground surfaces and Nike athletic shoes to headgear and boat decking for the U.S. Military.

“We’re delighted that this extraordinarily protective surface will get its first championship outing at the NCAA Women’s College World Series,” said Mark Loehrs, chief financial officer of the Amateur Softball Association of America (ASA). “We were after the best product out there – durable, strong and lightweight – that would also meet our requirements for outstanding protection.” ASA’s Don E. Porter Hall of Fame Stadium is one of the premier softball venues in the country.

Lower Gmax scores mean more protection
One important measurement used to rate surface cushioning performance is “Gmax,” which assesses the maximum shock produced by an impact. There is a high risk of brain injury from impacts above 200 Gmax. An athlete running into the old style pads at a speed of only 12.5 mph (6.5 second 40 yard dash) would create an impact exceeding 200 Gmax.

The more typical speed for an athlete running in short burst ranges from 15-19 mph – at 18.6 mph equates to a 4.4 second 40 yard dash. Laboratory testing of SKYDEX Protected Wall Pads has resulted in Gmax scores well below 200 even at impact speeds as high as 18 mph. For the athlete, the difference might be playing with a sore shoulder for a day or so and remaining in the line-up versus suffering a broken or separated shoulder at impact with old-style wall pads.

“Our company’s mission is ‘protecting what matters,’ and nothing is more important than guarding young athletes against physical injury,” said Stuart Jenkins, CEO of SKYDEX Technologies, Inc. “Going after a ball that’s headed for the fences is enough to worry about – now there’s better cushioning that provides more protection in unpredictable fielding situations.”

Promats is the country's leading manufacturer of protective field wall padding and related products for use in stadiums and gymnasiums, including padding installations in more than 350 major stadiums and arenas. These include 16 Major League Baseball stadiums plus facilities for the NFL, indoor arena football, college football and baseball, the Canadian League Football, World Cup Soccer, Minor League Baseball, and 17 spring training facilities for Major League Baseball.

“Our engineers researched and tested many materials before deciding on Noveon’s Estane® TPU as the premium performing material”, said Peter Foley, SKYDEX COO. “The material needed to not only be versatile for our unique twin thermoforming process, but had to demonstrate the durability required for our many customers’ applications. We also wanted to align ourselves with an innovative company who will continue to be on the leading edge for technically advanced materials as we push the envelope in our technology”.

Lightweight, strong and custom-engineered, SKYDEX replaces old-fashioned, less protective cushioning – such as foam and rubber products. SKYDEX is capable of absorbing unprecedented amounts of shock through a unique double-hemisphere design.

“We are very pleased to be working with such a pioneer in new application technology developments as SKYDEX”, commented Stan Nerderman, marketing director at Noveon. “We consider ourselves to be pioneers in TPU technology development so together we make a very strong team.”

Slated to become the “Gore-Tex of cushioning,” SKYDEX technology already is used by some of the world’s most innovative consumer brands, including Nike, Burton and Airwalk, as well as the U.S. Military. SKYDEX Technologies, Inc. is a privately held company based in Centennial, Colo.

For more information about SKYDEX Techonologies, Inc, please contact Mr. Chris Mikolay at 303-790-4003 or via web at www.skydex.com.

For more information about Estane® TPU or to review a complete array of Noveon’s innovative TPU technologies contact Noveon at 9911 Brecksville Road, Cleveland, Ohio 44141. Telephone: (888) 234-2436. On the Web, visit us at www.estane.com.

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Estane® is a trademark of Noveon, Inc., headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio. Noveon is a leading producer and marketer of technologically advanced specialty chemicals for a broad range of consumer and industrial applications. Previously BFGoodrich Performance Materials, Noveon was formed as an independent company on February 28, 2001.