Dinkie Heel to close Phillips Rubber plant

LONDON (April 5)—Dinkie Heel P.L.C. will close its Phillips Rubber Ltd. footwear molding operation in Manchester, England, and source its products from overseas, the British footwear, flooring and protective clothing group said. The closing, which will result in the loss of about 60 jobs, will be completed by year-end and the facility will be sold, Dinkie said in its annual results statement for 2000. While the firm´s fiscal 2000 sales rose slightly over 1999, pressure on margins left the operation with another trading loss, Dinkie said. Phillips Rubber, founded in 1905, mainly supplies footwear manufacturers and repairers throughout the United Kingdom.