Kazan, Tatarstan – Russia, March 8, 2012 -- Armstrong World Industries, Inc., (NYSE: AWI), the leader in the Russian ceilings market, has announced it will invest up to $100 million (2.4 billion rubles) in its first mineral fiber ceilings manufacturing facility in Russia.  The plant will occupy a 10-hectare plot of land inside the Alabuga Special Economic Zone (SEZ) of the Republic of Tatarstan.  The company is scheduled to break ground in the first quarter of 2013 and open in 2015.

Republic of Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov said, “We are honored Armstrong has chosen Tatarstan’s SEZ as the site for its first Russian plant.  Our ‘Alabuga’ SEZ has the engineering infrastructure and highly skilled labor pool Armstrong was looking for to accelerate the construction timetable and help get the plant on line as soon possible.  We look forward to a long and prosperous partnership.”

Tatarstan, a vibrant industrial region in Russia, has one of the strongest construction markets in the country. The combined commercial ceilings market of the Volga and neighboring Urals region was nine million square meters in 2011.  Armstrong has had sales and distribution operations in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries for 19 years, since 1993. 

Armstrong CEO Matt Espe said, “We are very excited about this new plant and what it will mean for our business.  Having a plant in place that’s centrally located will contribute considerably to our ability to serve and grow the Russian market efficiently, so we can maintain our leadership position in this critical geography.  We thank the people of Tatarstan for their support in helping this project come about, and we look forward to being members of the business community here.”

About Armstrong
Armstrong World Industries, Inc. is a global leader in the design and manufacture of floors, ceilings and cabinets. In 2011, Armstrong's consolidated net sales totaled approximately $2.9 billion. Based in Lancaster, Pa., Armstrong operates 32 plants in eight countries and has approximately 9,100 employees worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.armstrong.com/.  Established in 1860, Armstrong celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2010.

About the Republic of Tatarstan
The Republic of Tatarstan is situated in the heart of the Russian Federation on the East-European Plain at the confluence of two greatest rivers, the Volga and Kama, about 800 kilometers east of Moscow. Tatarstan is one of the most vibrant industrial areas of Russia; its core industries are oil extraction and refining petro-chemicals and machine-building.  The Alabuga SEZ in Tatarstan hosts international companies such as Ford and Air Liquid, with the total investment volume into the SEZ exceeding $3 billion USD.  Tatarstan’s capital is Kazan, which is one of Russia's largest and most prosperous cities. Tatarstan’s population is about 3,786,488.

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