Pioneer Announces the Election of Charles L. Mears to the Board of Directors HOUSTON, May 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Pioneer Companies, Inc. (BULLETIN BOARD: PONR) reported that at the Company's annual meeting of stockholders, held on May 13 in Houston, the stockholders elected Charles L. Mears to serve as a Pioneer director. Mr. Mears retired as Executive Vice President of the chlor-alkali business of Occidental Chemical Corporation, a subsidiary of Occidental Petroleum Corporation, in October 2000, after a thirty-five year career in the industry. The Chairman of Pioneer's Board of Directors, David Weinstein, stated, "We are very pleased that Chuck Mears has been added to our Board of Directors. Chuck's extensive managerial experience, his broad and long-standing knowledge of the chlor-alkali industry, and his wisdom and insight will enhance our Board and enable him to provide valuable assistance to Pioneer's management. Chuck's addition strengthens our efforts to enhance the independence, expertise and governance structure of our Board." At the stockholders' meeting, the four individuals that previously constituted Pioneer's Board of Directors were all re-elected to new one-year terms. In addition to Mr. Weinstein, those individuals are Marvin E. Lesser, Michael Y. McGovern and Gary L. Rosenthal. Mike McGovern also serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of Pioneer. 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 and several downstream manufacturing facilities in the United States and Canada. 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, including, but not limited to, the risks and uncertainties described in Pioneer's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual outcomes may vary materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements. DATASOURCE: Pioneer Companies, Inc. CONTACT: Gary Pittman of Pioneer Companies, Inc., +1-713-570-3200 Web site: http://www.piona.com/

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