New Autocatalyst Manufacturing Facility in UK

Johnson,Matthey PLC
10 April 2000


Johnson Matthey to build Major New Autocatalyst Manufacturing Facility in the
UK

Johnson Matthey announces that it is to build a new autocatalyst manufacturing
plant at its main UK site in Royston, Hertfordshire. The new facility, which
will cost approximately £10 million, is being built to expand the company's
global manufacturing network in response to rapidly growing demand for
automobile emission control catalysts including new systems for heavy duty
diesels. 

Autocatalyst volumes are growing at a rate significantly ahead of vehicle
sales. This is driven by continuously tightening emission standards worldwide,
led by Europe and the United States. These tightening standards are resulting
in the use of more catalysts per vehicle and growth in demand for more
technologically sophisticated catalyst systems.

The new Royston facility will be in production towards the end of this year
and will have initial capacity to manufacture 3.5 million autocatalysts per
year. It will supply the European market together with Johnson Matthey's
existing facilities in Brussels and South Africa. Demand in Europe now exceeds
30 million catalysts per year. Existing autocatalyst production on the Royston
site will be consolidated into the new facility. 

In addition to autocatalysts, the new plant will produce sophisticated
catalysts for heavy duty diesel trucks and buses, an important new market for
Johnson Matthey that will commence in earnest as new European legislation
comes into effect from 2005. 
Announcing this new investment Neil Carson, Executive Director, said:

'JM is a world leader in emission control technology, first developed on the
Royston site over 25 years ago. We are pleased that our latest and most
advanced facility should be here to better service our European car company
customers.'

Pelham Hawker, Managing Director, European Region, said:

'Johnson Matthey's European customers are currently supplied from our Belgian
and South African factories.  New advanced technology products have increased
our share of a business that is already growing strongly because of tighter
environmental legislation and good car sales. We therefore need to build
additional capacity.  We have chosen to do this at Royston because our
European technical service centre is on the site and we have a pool of
talented and experienced staff to run the new facility and train the 30 or
more new employees we will be recruiting.'


Enquiries:
Neil Carson          Executive Director                      020 7269 8449
Pelham Hawker        Managing Director, European Region      01763 253 398
Ian Godwin           Group Corporate Communications Manager  020 7269 8410