ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Friday, August 23, 1996                TAG: 9608230099
SECTION: BUSINESS                 PAGE: A-11 EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: JEFF STURGEON

YOKOHAMA TIRE PLANT TO CLOSE FOR 9 DAYS

Yokohama Tire Corp. in Salem said Thursday it will close for nine days around Labor Day instead of a scheduled six. A company official said the extension is part of a previously announced plan to slow production at the factory.

The Labor Day furlough, normally three days, will run from Sept. 1-9. The plant already closed for three days in July and a week in August. Also this month, management notified 44 of the 875 production workers they would be laid off.

Company officials said the steps will cut production by 500 tires daily, or 3 percent of the previous daily volume, to shrink an oversized inventory of tires for cars and light trucks.

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