8 Feb 2006
Louisville, Kentucky - The continued impact of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita has made it necessary for DuPont Performance Elastomers LLC to keep its Louisville polychloroprene plant open an extra three months, until the end of March 2007, according to the company.
The extension will allow the company time to build inventory in advance of its planned consolidation of polychloroprene production in Pontchartrain, Louisiana, DPE said in a memo to its 200-plus Louisville employees.
"It's three months in the right direction, but it's not where we intend to leave it," said Carl Goodman, president of United Steelworkers Local 5-2002, which represents the workers at the DPE Louisville and is trying to persuade the company to reconsider the closing.
The former DuPont Dow Elastomers LLC announced in 2002 it would close the Louisville facility in the second half of 2005, but in late 2003 moved the closing date to the end of 2006.
Polychloroprene is currently in very short suply around the world.
From Rubber & Plastics News (A Crain publication)
Website of DuPont Performance Elastomer
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