Huntsman intends to close operations at its titanium dioxide facility in France
Huntsman Corporation has announced a plan to close the white end finishing and packaging operation of its titanium dioxide manufacturing facility based in Calais, France, during the third quarter 2017.
The announced plan follows the 2015 closure of the black end manufacturing operations and would result in the closure of the entire facility. 108 positions on the site will be affected.
Optimising the manufacturing network
The plan to close the Calais white end is structured to allow completion of any remaining obligations to any third parties and regulators.
Simon Turner, President of Huntsman Pigments and Additives division, commented: “The planned closure of the Calais facility further optimises our manufacturing network and will increase our recently announced business improvement program by EUR13.9 million to a total annual benefit of EUR83.4 million. Our priority is to communicate with our Calais employees and their representative groups, along with local community leaders, to ensure that the planned closure is safely and effectively managed.”
At the end of January, Huntsman's Ti02 production facility in Pori, Finland experienced a fire. More about this incident and the difficulties for coatings manufacturers concerning titanium dioxide can also be read in a recent blog by our editor Kirsten Wrede.
