PONR Pioneer Companies New 2/02 (MM)

HOUSTON, Jan. 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Pioneer Companies, Inc. (NASDAQ:PONR) today announced that Charlie Whitlock has joined Pioneer as Vice President -- Sales reporting to Ron Ciora, Vice President -- Sales and Marketing, and will be responsible for Pioneer's field sales team. Mr. Whitlock joins Pioneer from GE Infrastructure Water and Process Technologies, where he served as Vice President North American Industrial Sales. Most of his career has been with Betz Dearborn, which was acquired by GE in 2002. Mr. Whitlock, 54, is a native of Oklahoma and graduated with a biology and chemistry degree from Texas A&M. He has been involved in chemical sales his entire career. He has relocated to Pioneer's corporate office in Houston, Texas. Ron Ciora stated, "Charlie brings great experience in the industrial water treatment area which complements Pioneer's long-term strategy. With our marketing strategy and objectives of increased sales to smaller customers for bleach, HCL and caustic, we will need more sales personnel if we are to reach these customers and our goals. The addition of Charlie to the sales and marketing group will allow me to have more time to pursue opportunities in the bleach and other distribution businesses, such as another bleach plant site in Southern California. We are pleased to have Charlie as a member of our team." Pioneer, based in Houston, manufactures chlorine, caustic soda, bleach, hydrochloric acid and related products used in a variety of applications, including water treatment, plastics, pulp and paper, detergents, agricultural chemicals, pharmaceuticals and medical disinfectants. Pioneer owns and operates four chlor-alkali plants as well as other downstream manufacturing facilities in North America. Certain statements in this news release are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act. Forward- looking statements relate to matters that are not historical facts. Such statements involve risks and uncertainties. Actual outcomes may vary materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements. DATASOURCE: Pioneer Companies, Inc. CONTACT: Ron Ciora of Pioneer Companies, Inc., +1-713-570-3207 Web site: http://www.piona.com/

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