B.F. Goodrich earnings improve in quarter

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (May 17)—B.F. Goodrich Co.´s net income rose almost 13 percent to $86.1 million from $76.3 million in the first quarter ended March 31. Sales for the period slipped 2 percent to $1.37 billion from $1.41 billion in the like 1999 quarter. In the company´s Aerospace segment, sales fell 4 percent to $893 million while its Engineered Industrial Products segment´s margins hit 18.9 percent, marking a return to profit levels following soft market conditions experienced during the last half of 1999, the company said. However, engineered products´ sales fell 4 percent to $177.6 million from the first quarter in 1999. Goodrich´s Performance Materials operation had a 3-percent sales jump to $307.6 million. The company intends to sell the Performance Materials segment in order to concentrate on its Aerospace and Engineered Industrial Products divisions.