Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, September 18, 1993 TAG: 9309180134
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: MICHAEL STOWE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NARROWS LENGTH: Medium
Bob Moore, human resources manager at the plant, said Celanese officials told 370 salaried workers this week they are looking for volunteers to retire or leave the company with severance pay.
They have until Oct. 15 to make a decision and would leave the company over the next 28 months.
"This is being done in an effort to minimize involuntary separations," he said.
Celanese is restructuring its North American fibers business and has announced that 100 jobs will be lost at its Spartanburg, S.C., plant.
Moore said the company simply isn't far enough along in planning to estimate how many jobs need to be cut in Giles County.
"I'm not real good at predicting the future," he said. "We're simply looking to cut costs."
The Narrows plant, which makes an acetate fiber used in cigarettes, has 2,000 workers.
While the job cuts will hurt the economy, Moore also said the plant is scheduled to complete two high-tech environmental construction projects soon.
They are a $37.5 million system to eliminate benzene from its cellulose acetate fibers and flake manufacturing processes and a $33 million upgrade of its waste-water treatment facility.
Hoechst said it would cut the number of jobs overall at eight fibers-and-film group plants.
Besides the Narrows plant, they include operations in Rock Hill; Charlotte, N.C.; Shelby, N.C.; Salisbury, N.C.; and New York.
The total number of positions to be cut was not disclosed.
The parent company, Hoechst AG of Germany, lost $7 million in 1992. The loss was in part because of a $141 million one-time charge for an accounting change. Hoechst had a profit of $172 million in 1991.
by CNB