Chardon Rubber to close Beebe Rubber subsidiary by early 2002

CHARDON, Ohio (Nov. 5)—Chardon Rubber Co. plans to cease operations at its Beebe Rubber Co. subsidiary in Nashua, N.H., by the end of January 2002, the company announced Nov. 5. The Beebe site was affected negatively by depressed market conditions, overcapacity, foreign competition, stricter environmental requirements and technology changes, Chardon said. The closure will impact 78 salaried and hourly employees, the company said. Beebe's rubber compounding customers will be served via consolidated operations at the firm's headquarters facilities in Chardon, where more than $2.5 million was invested in a new intermeshing mixing system earlier this year. In addition to the Chardon and Nashua sites, the company operates manufacturing plants in Alliance, Ohio, and St. Joseph, Mich.