Dow Chemical 2015 Annual Report Download - page 14

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The Dow Chemical Company and Subsidiaries
PART I, Item 1. Business.
THE COMPANY
The Dow Chemical Company was incorporated in 1947 under Delaware law and is the successor to a Michigan corporation, of
the same name, organized in 1897. The Company's principal executive offices are located at 2030 Dow Center, Midland,
Michigan 48674. Throughout this Annual Report on Form 10-K, except as otherwise indicated by the context, the terms
“Company” or “Dow” as used herein mean The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries.
Available Information
The Company's annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K, and
amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, are
available free of charge through the Investor Relations section of the Company's website (www.dow.com/investors), as soon as
reasonably practicable after the reports are electronically filed or furnished with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
(“SEC”). The SEC maintains a website that contains these reports as well as proxy statements and other information regarding
issuers that file electronically. The SEC's website is at www.sec.gov. The Company's website and its content are not deemed
incorporated by reference into this report.
General
Dow combines the power of science and technology to passionately innovate what is essential to human progress. The
Company is driving innovations that extract value from materials, polymers, chemicals and biological sciences to help address
many of the world's most challenging problems such as the need for clean water, clean energy generation and conservation, and
increasing agricultural productivity. Dow's integrated, market-driven, industry-leading portfolio of specialty chemical,
advanced materials, agrosciences and plastics businesses delivers a broad range of technology-based products and solutions to
customers in approximately 180 countries and in high-growth sectors such as packaging, electronics, water, coatings and
agriculture. In 2015, Dow had annual sales of nearly $49 billion and employed approximately 49,500 people worldwide. The
Company's more than 6,000 product families are manufactured at 179 sites in 35 countries across the globe. The Company
conducts its worldwide operations through global businesses, which are reported in five operating segments: Agricultural
Sciences, Consumer Solutions, Infrastructure Solutions, Performance Materials & Chemicals and Performance Plastics.
Strategy
Dow’s strategy is to invest in a market-driven portfolio of advantaged and technology-enabled businesses that create value for
our shareholders and customers.
Dow DuPont Planned Merger of Equals
On December 11, 2015, the Company and E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company ("DuPont") announced that their boards of
directors unanimously approved a definitive agreement under which the companies will combine in an all-stock merger of
equals strategic combination. The combined company will be named DowDuPont. This transaction is expected to close in the
second half of 2016, subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals. The parties intend to
subsequently pursue a separation of DowDuPont into three independent, publicly traded companies through tax-efficient
transactions, including a leading global pure-play agriculture company, a leading global pure-play material science company
and a leading technology and innovation-driven specialty products company. See Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors and Note 27 to
the Consolidated Financial Statements for further details on this transaction.