AHLSTROM
Closure of US glass fibre reinforcement plant / Weakening demand from wind energy sector / Company cost cutting programme could affect 400 jobs
High performance materials company Ahlstrom (Helsinki / Finland; www.ahlstrom.com) is closing its glass fibre specialty reinforcement manufacturing plant in Bishopville / USA amid weakening demand from the wind energy sector in North America. As a result, 74 employees will lose their jobs from January 2012.
The closure is part of a profit improvement programme which the company says is expected to improve annual operating profit by approximately EUR 15m from 2012 and could affect about 400 employees. As part of the program, Ahlstrom has to date announced measures impacting a total of 305 employees in Karhula and Mikkeli in Finland, Osnabrück / Germany, Turin / Italy and Bishopville.
Co-operation negotiations at its Mikkeli plant, which began in September, will lead to seven job cuts from December 2011, the company said. The production of glass fibre reinforcements at the site will continue as before.
The closure is part of a profit improvement programme which the company says is expected to improve annual operating profit by approximately EUR 15m from 2012 and could affect about 400 employees. As part of the program, Ahlstrom has to date announced measures impacting a total of 305 employees in Karhula and Mikkeli in Finland, Osnabrück / Germany, Turin / Italy and Bishopville.
Co-operation negotiations at its Mikkeli plant, which began in September, will lead to seven job cuts from December 2011, the company said. The production of glass fibre reinforcements at the site will continue as before.
24.11.2011 Plasteurope.com [220882-0]
Published on 24.11.2011
German version of this article...