OREANDA-NEWS. For the third consecutive year, Nalco, an Ecolab company, was selected as a preferred supplier for the paper industry by readers of Pulp & Paper International (PPI) magazine, a leading industry trade publication.

Pulp, paper and paperboard manufacturers around the world named Nalco as the supplier they most anticipated buying from in the next 12 months across four categories of chemical programs in PPI's 2012 Brand Awareness and Preference Study. Respondents also preferred Nalco to treat mill boiler, steam and cooling systems, and named the company the most preferred supplier of biocides and retention and drainage aids used in the wet-end of the papermaking process.

"This recognition reinforces the value Nalco's innovative technologies and services bring to the paper industry and serves as a great testament to the commitment and leadership of the Nalco brand in the global market," said Tim Mulhere, Ecolab executive vice president and president, Global WPS.

The Brand Awareness and Preference Study is an annual survey conducted by PPI publisher RISI. RISI is an information provider for the global forest products industry, including the pulp and paper, wood products, timber, biomass, tissue, nonwovens, printing and publishing industries.

With 2011 pro forma sales of \$11 billion and more than 40,000 employees, Ecolab Inc. (NYSE: ECL) is the global leader in water, hygiene and energy technologies and services that provide and protect clean water, safe food, abundant energy and healthy environments. Ecolab delivers comprehensive programs and services to the food, energy, healthcare, industrial and hospitality markets in more than 160 countries.

Nalco, an Ecolab company, specializes in industrial water, energy and air applications, helping customers reduce natural resource consumption, enhance air quality, minimize environmental releases and improve productivity.