MARIETTA, Ga. (Jan. 8, 2009) - Columbian Chemicals Co. said it will close its Sevalco Ltd. carbon black production plant in Avonmouth, England, by Jan. 31, resulting in 85 jobs being eliminated.
Continued overcapacity along with an uncertain business outlook made Columbian re-evaluate its European assets, according to President and CEO Kevin Boyle.
"We are optimizing our resources during this difficult economic period while at the same time maintaining our focus on our customers," he said. "Our remaining plants in Europe are well-positioned to supply this critical market with high-quality products and excellent service."
While the closure removes about 68,000 metric tons of annual capacity from its system, Columbian said it is "committed to maintain market share and to minimize disruption to its valued customers."
The company previously announced it also will close its Marshall, W.Va., plant by the end of January.