Orion seeking to close carbon black plant in France

On Friday, Orion Engineered Carbons announced that it has begun consultations with the Works Council at its Ambѐs, France facility in order to implement a restructuring and down staffing with a potential cessation of production at the site by the end of 2016.

Jack Clem, Orion’s group CEO, said that in order for the group to remain competitive in today’s global marketplace, it must fully utilize the capabilities of its carbon black operations, concentrating resources at more efficient facilities and those capable of producing technically special and unique grades that can compete in today’s challenging environment.

The French Orion plant employs approximately 40 people.

According to Clem, in the event manufacturing is stopped the plant would be deactivated simultaneously with the depletion of the existing stocks, thus fulfilling ongoing existing customer commitments until depletion.

Ambѐs is a commune located in the Aquitaine region in the south-west of France, 20 km from Bordeaux and 480 km from Paris. The facility in Ambѐs was founded by the American Philips Petroleum Company and Continental Carbon Company in 1959 and began operations in 1960 as Cofrablack. It was purchased by Degussa, the predecessor to Orion Engineered Carbons, in 1986.