Media Contact:
Odessa Montgomery, Centennial Campus Partnership Office, 919/515-7036
Keith Nichols, News Services, 919/515-3470

Feb. 15, 2006

MeadWestvaco Brings R&D Center, Jobs to NC State’s Centennial Campus

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MeadWestvaco, the global packaging company with products such as AT-A-GLANCE, Five-Star and Cambridge, will open a new packaging innovation center on North Carolina State University’s Centennial Campus, company officials announced today. The center will bring 200 additional jobs to the campus and an investment of $14 million over the next four years.

“As an industry leader in packaging research and innovation, MeadWestvaco will bring a wealth of partnership opportunities to NC State,” said NC State Chancellor James L. Oblinger. “Their commitment to creating new ideas and products, and our faculty and student expertise in natural resources, textiles, design and engineering, will only serve to foster a collaborative
environment that produces innovative solutions.”

The company has had a long, historic partnership with NC State’s College of Natural Resources. MeadWestvaco and President James Buzzard have been major supporters of the university’s wood and paper science and forestry and environmental resources programs, and Buzzard was named the college’s distinguished alumnus in 2003. In 2005, the company became a member of the Nonwovens Cooperative Research Center, a university research unit located in the College of Textiles. In addition, MeadWestvaco will begin new collaborations with the university’s College of Design and College of Engineering.

“The establishment of our new Packaging Innovation Center clearly represents MeadWestvaco’s emphasis on innovation and technology and is a key element in our company’s strategy to be the leader in global packaging,” said company Chairman and Chief Executive Officer John A. Luke Jr. “The access to state-of-the-art technology and quality research partnerships through North Carolina State University and its Centennial Campus is unparalleled. We look forward to bringing value to the Raleigh community, and are confident this move will result in long-term success for our customers and our company.”

The company will move into a temporary location on Centennial Campus this summer with a permanent facility on campus to be determined at a later date.

Recognized as one of the nation’s leading universities in science and technology, NC State is ranked ninth among national research-intensive universities in industry-funded research, third in total state and local research funding among public national research universities, second in total research expenditures in the University of North Carolina system, and 31st nationally among public universities in total expenditures for research and development. More than 50 companies have spun out of NC State, creating more than 13,000 jobs.

Centennial Campus is NC State’s campus of the future, where university, corporate and government partners collaborate to produce innovative science and technology that will change
the way we live and work. The 1,334-acre site, adjacent to NC State’s north campus, is now
home to more than 100 large and small companies, government agencies and NC State units.

MeadWestvaco is a leading global producer of packaging, coated and specialty papers, consumer and office products, and specialty chemicals with 153 operating and office locations in
29 countries. They serve customers in nearly 100 countries in industries such as automotive,
beverage, consumer products, healthcare, media and entertainment, and publishing.

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