Atlantic Wallboard LP and CGC Inc. Form Strategic Alliance

Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, 21 February 2007 -- /PRNewswire/ -- Atlantic Wallboard LP, a subsidiary of J.D. Irving, Limited, the large privately held organization, headquartered in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, and CGC Inc., a subsidiary of USG Corporation (NYSE:USG), are pleased to announce that they have formed a strategic alliance to leverage the strengths of both organizations.

The strategic alliance will involve Atlantic Wallboard building and operating a new gypsum wallboard plant in Saint John, while United States Gypsum Company will license to AWL specific intellectual property that will enable the facility to exclusively manufacture USG SHEETROCK(R) brand wallboard products for sale and distribution throughout the Canadian Maritime Provinces, Quebec, and the northeastern United States. In addition, CGC has entered into a product purchase agreement with AWL and will purchase all of the output from this plant to bolster its leading market position.

"We are delighted to partner with Atlantic Wallboard and the Irving organization, which we have had a long-standing relationship with" said Christopher R. Griffin, president of CGC Inc. "We are pleased that this new capacity will allow us to both further strengthen our leading market position in the eastern Canadian wallboard market and expand the footprint of both companies."

With a start-up date slated for fall 2007, the new 300,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility will have a production capacity of 390 million square feet. It will use synthetic gypsum, produced as a by-product at the N.B. Power Coleson Cove Generating Station.

"The launch of Atlantic Wallboard begins a new movement for us into the broader building materials market" said Wayne Power, vice president responsible for the new business. "With an investment of approximately $90 million, this plant will be the most modern operation in Canada."

"We are pleased to partner with the leading producer of wallboard in both Canada and the United States. We think this is an ideal partnership that will benefit customers throughout Quebec, the Maritime Provinces, and the northeastern United States." noted Power.

CGC Inc. is a subsidiary of USG Corporation, based in Mississauga, Ontario. As it celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2007, CGC is the leading gypsum wallboard producer in eastern Canada and holds the leading market position in the Canadian ceiling grid market. It employs approximately 1200 people and operates seven plants in Canada that produce wallboard, joint compound, and ceiling grid. It has two principal lines of business: manufacturing and marketing gypsum wallboard and related building systems and products; and designing, manufacturing, and importing a broad line of ceiling suspension systems, acoustical panels, specialty ceiling and other components. CGC also operates product reload centers in British Columbia, Alberta, New Brunswick, Manitoba, and Newfoundland.

J.D. Irving, Limited is a private, family-owned company with 125 years of commitment to quality service and products. Its home office is located in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. The company's operations include Forests Products, Shipbuilding, Retail, Transportation, Construction, and Food Processing. More information on the company is available at www.jdirving.com and www.atlanticwallboard.com.

USG Corporation is a Fortune 500 manufacturer and distributor of high-performance building systems through its United States Gypsum Company, USG Interiors, Inc., and L&W Supply Corporation subsidiaries. Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, USA, the company serves the residential and nonresidential construction markets, repair and remodel construction markets, and industrial processes. USG's wall, ceiling, flooring, and roofing products provide leading-edge building solutions for customers, while L&W Supply center locations efficiently stock and deliver building materials nationwide. For additional information, visit www.usg.com.

Source: J.D. Irving, Limited