Dow flies to Baton Rouge the week of a CEO succession announcement

Dow flew from Texas Gulf Coast Regional Airport to Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport on May 14, a 55-minute hop in the company's Bombardier CRJ-900, tail N892D. The flight arrived the same week the company is executing a leadership transition that was announced in April: Jim Fitterling will become Executive Chair of the board on July 1, and Karen S. Carter will take over as Chief Executive Officer, per a company press release [prnewswire.com](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dow-chair-and-ceo-jim-fitterling-to-become-executive-chair-karen-s-carter-appointed-chief-executive-officer-302741591.html).

Baton Rouge is home to one of Dow's largest manufacturing complexes, a major site for the company's materials science operations. The trip follows a pattern of frequent shuttles between Dow's Midland headquarters (KMBS) and its Texas and Louisiana facilities — the CRJ-900 is used to move engineering and management teams between sites. Recent flights show multiple loops between the Houston area (KLBX) and Baton Rouge in the days before this trip.

With Carter, a 30-year Dow veteran who previously led the packaging and specialty plastics unit, set to become CEO in six weeks, the visit to a key production hub fits the transition period's emphasis on continuity and operational focus. Fitterling will remain on the board as Executive Chair, but the Baton Rouge trip suggests hands-on attention to the company's manufacturing footprint before the handoff.