On Feb. 6, 2008, Standard&Poor's Ratings Services assigned its 'A' senior unsecured debt rating to Ecolab Inc.'s proposed $250 million of senior unsecured notes due 2015. In addition, we affirmed the 'A' long-term and 'A-1' short term corporate credit ratings on the company. The outlook remains stable. Proceeds from the notes will be used for general corporate purposes. As of Sept. 30, 2007, Ecolab had about $1.2 billion in adjusted total debt (adjusted for the present value of operating leases and unfunded postretirement obligations). The ratings on St. Paul, Minn.-based Ecolab reflect a strong business profile and modest financial risk, including a conservative financial philosophy. The company is the global leader in the institutional and industrial commercial cleaning,
