Zeon delays UK plant closure
Sully, UK – Zeon Chemicals Europe Ltd (ZCEL) has announced that it is postponing the planned closure of its site in Sully, Wales, to March 2016 from previously announced end of 2015.
Speaking to ERJ, Hubert Thimm, commercial director, Zeon Europe GmbH said the planned closure was set for end of 2015 subject to the outcome of consultation talks with employees.
A Zeon press release on 25 Nov stated that following talks with employees, it was decided that ZCEL's production of synthetic rubber would cease and the factory closed down by the end of March 2016.
The Welsh plant is the Japanese group’s only European manufacturing site. Built in the 1950s, it was bought by Zeon from BP Chemicals in 1989.
The plant employs 80 people and its nameplate production includes about 15,000 tonnes per annum of nitrile rubber, which is mainly exported to Europe.
According to European sales boss Thimm, the capacity will be taken up by Zeon’s North American and Japanese operations.
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