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Millennium to close if buyer can´t be found
EL PASO, TEXAS (May 8, 4:55 p.m. EDT) -- Automotive injection molder Millennium Plastics Technologies LLC of El Paso expects to close this summer, ending 185 jobs. The company will begin laying off workers June 30 at its 110,000-square-foot plant.

BASF plans compounding plant in India
LUDWIGSHAFEN, GERMANY (May 8, 8:25 a.m. EDT) — BASF AG plans to build a new engineering plastics compounding plant at its existing site in Thane, India, as part of a larger investment to expand its contribution to the automotive industry in the country.

SCGM expanding in Malaysia, Thailand
GUANGZHOU, CHINA (May 6, 11:45 a.m. EDT) -- Malaysian thermoformer SCGM Bhd. plans to build a factory in Thailand and expand its extrusion capacity in Malaysia, using some of the nearly 12.9 million Malaysian ringgits (US$4.1 million) it raised from a public offering earlier this year.

Continental Structural site laying off 200
NORTH BALTIMORE, OHIO (May 2, 4:55 p.m. EDT) -- Continental Structural Plastics Co. is laying off most of the workers at its North Baltimore facility. The Troy, Mich.-based firm stated in a notice that it will cut 200 jobs from the plant’s 270-person workforce.

Createc acquiring Kaneka EPP assets
INDIANAPOLIS (May 2, 4:50 p.m. EDT) -- Createc Corp. is buying some assets and tooling from one of its suppliers that is slated to close, Kaneka Texas Corp. Kaneka said it will close its Jackson, Mich., plant this summer. The facility employs 50.

Plastech closing two plants
DETROIT (May 1, 5:20 p.m. EDT) -- Plastech Engineered Products Inc. is closing plants in Leamington, Ontario, and Shreveport, La., as part of its restructuring. Meanwhile, Plastech´s largest customers said they will finance Plastech’s Chapter 11 reorganization through Aug. 30, with a line of credit of up to $87 million.

Auto supplier JAC closing Ohio plant
MONCLOVA, OHIO (May 1, 5:10 p.m. EDT) -- JAC Products Inc. is consolidating assembly at its plants by closing an assembly-only facility in Monclova. A total of 141 workers will be laid off permanently.

Environment gains mileage with carmakers
DETROIT (May 1, 3 p.m. EDT) -- While cost reduction still is a major issue to automakers, suppliers say their customers now want to know more about ways to improve fuel economy and meet increasing emissions standards — and that is opening the door to plastics, including environmentally friendly plastics, and other lightweight materials.

GM to use PPG laminated glass in some vans
DETROIT (May 1, 2:50 p.m. EDT) -- GM executives used an unconventional method of announcing that the company will use Saflex laminated glass in its large passenger vans to improve safety. It involved three reporters and two baseball bats.

Stewart adds inspections to services
DETROIT (May 1, 2:40 p.m. EDT) -- Stewart Industries LLC began in 2001 as a specialist in assembling functional plastic parts for other firms in the auto industry. Now it is bringing new skills to molders as a specialist in inspections and troubleshooting.

Firm touts hydrographics for interior trim
DETROIT (May 1, 2:35 p.m. EDT) -- Spectrum Cubic Inc. of Grand Rapids, Mich., is trying to woo carmakers and suppliers to an alternate way to decorate plastic. The firm promoted its hydrographics, rather than in-mold decorating, for high-profile interior plastic trim at SAE International’s World Congress in Detroit.

Metal parts maker buys injection molder UFE
STILLWATER, MINN. (May 1, 2:05 p.m. EDT) -- Catalina Precision Products Inc., a maker of high-tolerance metal components for the auto industry, has purchased plastics precision molder UFE Inc. to broaden its market base and potentially boost the reach of both companies.

Excello enters bankruptcy protection
MACEDONIA, OHIO (April 30, 5:35 p.m. EDT) -- Automotive supplier Excello Engineered Systems LLC has filed for Chapter 11 protection with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court and will close its operations by the end of May, ending 127 jobs.

Toyota Boshoku adding jobs, space in Ky.
ERLANGER, KY. (April 24, 6:40 p.m. EDT) -- Toyota Boshoku America is boosting its corporate presence in North America, nearly tripling the staff at its U.S. headquarters in Erlanger.

TPE gaining bigger piece of auto market

Robert Eller

COLOGNE, GERMANY (April 22, 6:45 p.m. EDT) -- Multicomponent molding and coextrusion are coming to thermoplastic elastomers — and the technologies will spur much greater use of TPES in the huge automotive market, according to consultant Robert Eller. Automotive is already the largest consumer of TPEs, accounting for 40-50 percent of total TPEs used worldwide, he added.

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