DPE postpones closure of CR plant at Louisville yet again

Louisville, Kentucky - DuPont Performance Elastomers LLC has given its Louisville Neoprene plant yet another reprieve, postponing its closing until the end of this year, according to a company spokeswoman.

The company had set 31 March, 2007 as the date to cease operations in Louisville but always said it would set back that date until its expansion at its Pontchartrain Works facility near LaPlace, Louisiana, was completely on-stream, the spokeswoman said.

DuPont Performance Elastomers broke ground at LaPlace for the Neoprene production expansion there in the spring of 2006. Since then, the United Steelworkers of America and USW Local 5-2002, which represents the Louisville workers, have tried to negotiate with the company to keep the facility open. Neoprene users also have said they fear the closing of the Louisville plant will represent a significant loss of Neoprene capacity, even with the Pontchartrain expansion.

From Rubber & Plastics News (A Crain publication)

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