Plastics/Rubber
Bridgestone Firestone Cutting 150 Jobs
December 1, 2008 9:14 am | News | CommentsTire company will layoff at least 158 employees at its plant in LaVergne, Tenn., due to a decrease in demand for passenger and light truck tires.
Michelin Temporarily Shuts Down Romanian Factories
November 25, 2008 3:55 am | News | CommentsFrench tire maker said Tuesday it will temporarily close its Romanian factories until further notice due to a drop in demand for tires amid the global economic crisis.
Mitsubishi Rayon Buys Lucite For $1.6 Billion
November 11, 2008 5:25 am | News | CommentsBritish chemicals producer agreed to a $1.6 billion cash takeover by Mitsubishi Rayon Co. Ltd., which would gain ownership of the Lucite and Perspex acrylic plastic brands.
Arkansas City Fights For Tire Plant
November 6, 2008 8:43 am | News | CommentsTexarkana officials are working to convince Cooper Tire and Rubber Co. to keep open its tire plant on the city's Arkansas side.
Union: BFGoodrich Cutting Production For Now
October 28, 2008 6:05 am | News | CommentsBFGoodrich plans to temporarily cut production by nearly 40 percent at its Indiana tire plant, which could mean temporary layoffs for about 500 workers, said union officials.
Cooper Tire: Overcapacity May Force Restructuring
October 21, 2008 10:24 am | News | CommentsTire maker said Tuesday it launched a capacity study of its U.S. manufacturing facilities that will likely lead to consolidation or restructuring.
Cooper Tire: U.S. Plant Closure 'Likely'
October 21, 2008 7:11 am | News | CommentsOhio-based Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. says it will likely close one of four U.S. manufacturing plants in the coming months due to slumping demand for tires.
Economic Woes Delay Georgia Tire Plant
October 21, 2008 5:55 am | News | CommentsDownturn in the automobile industry and the global economy will delay construction of the Kumno Tire plant in south Bibb County.
Bridgestone Forms New Americas Unit
October 15, 2008 7:50 am | News | CommentsWorld’s largest tire and rubber company is creating a new entity called Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations to oversee business in North and South America.
FDA Probes Possible Bisphenol A Review Conflict
October 14, 2008 10:45 am | by Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Associated Press Writer | News | CommentsOfficials will look into concerns that a prominent toxicologist asked to render an independent verdict on the safety of bisphenol A may have a financial conflict-of-interest.
States Call For BPA-Free Baby Products
October 13, 2008 8:00 am | News | CommentsAttorneys general from three states on Monday asked 11 companies that make baby bottles and baby formula containers to no longer use the toxic chemical bisphenol A.
Goodyear Halts Production At Kansas Plant
October 10, 2008 5:25 am | News | CommentsTire and rubber company will halt production Monday for one week at its median radial truck tire division in Topeka, idling 500 of the plant's 1,600 employees.
Erie Plastics Enters Bankruptcy Protection
September 30, 2008 11:00 am | News | CommentsPennsylvania plastics plant that recently lost Proctor & Gamble as a major customer has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection while it mulls a possible sale to Ohio investors.
Goodyear Temporarily Shuts Down Alabama Plant
September 30, 2008 10:25 am | News | CommentsCompany officials said Monday they temporarily closed the plant because of a shortage of raw materials used in producing tires and to reduce the company's tire production.
Wellman Closing 2 South Carolina Plants
September 18, 2008 5:35 am | News | CommentsCompany will shut down its two plants in Johnsonville and Darlington, S.C., eliminating more than 700 jobs, as part of its reorganization under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.
Goodyear, Bridestone Firestone Plants Receive Grants
September 17, 2008 11:31 am | News | CommentsNorth Carolina awarded the two tire manufacturers a maximum of $30 million in grants each to upgrade their operations and keep existing jobs at the plant.
Two Bridgestone Plants Cutback Production Days
September 10, 2008 6:05 am | News | CommentsBridgestone Firestone plants in Tennessee are cutting back on production days through the end of the year in response to softening sales.
Analysts: Goodyear Faces Production, Cost Worries
September 9, 2008 11:15 am | News | CommentsTire production has been cut significantly in both North America and Europe, while at the same time the company has substantial overhead costs that it has been unable to absorb.
Iridium Expanding Plant In Pennsylvania
September 4, 2008 5:45 am | News | CommentsPlastic container manufacturer says it will use a $3.1 million loan to expand and buy equipment for its plant in East Stroudsburg.
Gov't Questions Safety Of Plastic Baby Bottles
September 3, 2008 11:31 am | by Matthew Perrone, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsToxicologists reiterated safety concerns about a chemical used in baby bottles and food containers, just weeks after the FDA declared the substance safe.
Chemical Safety Board Probes Goodyear Plant Blast
August 20, 2008 11:15 am | News | CommentsFederal officials are investigating the causes of a June explosion that killed one employee and injured several others at a Houston synthetic rubber plant.
Albemarle Raises Plastic Additive Prices
August 13, 2008 11:00 am | News | CommentsSpecialty chemical manufacturer will increase the price of a key plastic additive by up to 50 percent effective on orders shipped after Sept. 15 or as contracts allow.
AEP Industries Buying Plastic Film Unit
August 11, 2008 10:56 am | News | CommentsPlastic packaging company will pay $87 million to acquire nearly all the assets of the plastic films segment of Atlantis Plastics Inc.
California Lawmakers Mull Chemical Ban In Baby Items
August 11, 2008 5:25 am | by Samantha Young, Associated Press Writer | News | CommentsResponding to growing consumer anxiety, lawmakers are considering what could be the first statewide restrictions on a chemical in plastic baby bottles.
Plastics Supplier A. Schulman Raising Prices
July 18, 2008 6:35 am | News | CommentsA. Schulman Inc. will raise prices by as much as 20 percent in three different business units to offset ballooning costs for raw materials and energy.
