Last month, workers at a Dow Corning plant in the town of Barry, located in Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, were told that job cuts could be on the way. This week, the warning was confirmed and the company announced that 115 jobs will be eliminated.
The plant currently employs about 630 people.
The cuts come weeks after Dow Chemical announced that it had formally completed its acquisition of Corning Inc. and that it plans to lay off 2,500 employees worldwide, or 4 percent of its global workforce.
“We are moving quickly and effectively to integrate Dow Corning and deliver the synergies that will drive new levels of value creation for our customers and generate even greater returns for our shareholders," Dow CEO, Andrew Liveris, said in a statement.
According to the BBC, the Dow Corning facility in Barry starting producing silicone in 1952 and has since become “one of the most advanced facilities in the world” of its type. The facility’s website says it produces silicone fluids, rubber and specialty polymers for various applications, including cosmetics and construction sealants.