Raj L. Gupta, chairman and chief executive of Rohm & Haas, "has been heavily involved - he's been a leader in the CEO Council for Growth," Schweiker added, "Every indication so far is that what we've enjoyed to date will not change."
Dow touts corporate citizenship on its Web site, where it displays a quotation about the company from its chairman and CEO, Andrew Liveris: "Sustainability begins at home, but its destiny is to engage the world's most pressing problems. We will build on our company's rich legacy of leadership with a spirit of fearless accountability, not just for our own footprint on the planet, but the collective footprint we make as part of the human family."
Dow is a global giant, with $54 billion in annual sales and 46,000 employees worldwide. Experts say they believe it will nurture rather than change Rohm & Haas.
"Dow is a standard smokestack company, a producer of commodity chemicals. Rohm & Haas is a more profitable producer of specialty chemicals," said Michael Gombola, head of the finance department and an expert on mergers and acquisitions at Drexel University's LeBow School of Business.
"I wouldn't be too surprised if Dow [gives] Rohm & Haas a long leash," Gombola said. "Specialty companies tend to be more high-tech, a little less bureaucratic, more entrepreneurial and open. I don't think Dow wants them to be less high-tech and more like smokestack company. I think they will want them to stay innovative."
Aside from a boost in profits, he said, Dow may hope the purchase "brings new blood" to its management.
Indeed, Dow this week said it has tapped Rohm & Haas' current chief operating officer, Pierre Brondeau, to head its restructured specialty-chemical business, which will be based in Philadelphia under the Rohm & Haas name.
