Deal will secure jobs at Italian PVC plant
AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS — Europe's leading PVC producer EVC International NV has reached a deal to save the jobs of all 121 employees at its vinyl chloride monomer and PVC resin plant in Brindisi, Italy, which is due to close by the end of the year.
Amsterdam-based EVC announced it has agreed in principle to sell the Brindisi site to environmental reclamation and alternative power source generator Celtica Ambiente SA of Milan, Italy. Celtica said it will take on all the former EVC workers and will invest 70 billion lira ($37.7 million) in the operation.
The deal was struck at a May meeting involving EVC's local subsidiary, EVC Italia SpA, with local authorities, unions and the Italian Industry Ministry in Rome, according to EVC.
EVC has a VCM capacity of 397 million pounds a year and PVC capacity of 309 million pounds a year at the southern Italian facility. Under a plan announced last year, EVC plans to concentrate its Italian production at other plants at Porto Marghera (408 million pounds a year) and at Ravenna (452 million pounds a year).
The closure will save the Netherlands group $24.6 million in the region, according to EVC.
Pultrusion toolmaker expanding business
DOWNERS GROVE, ILL. — Pultool Inc. plans to expand pultrusion tool building capacity next year with the addition of another surface grinder.
The Downers Grove firm's sales have been growing since it was established three years ago, said President Gregory Nosich. Pultool probably will add more floor space to accommodate its second grinder as well as other new equipment such as secondary machining mills and an EDM machine, he said.
Nosich established Pultool with Steve and Mike Bales, owners of Bales Mold Service Inc., a polishing and plating company for injection molds. Pultool shares Bales Mold's plant in Downers Grove. About half of pultrusion die manufacturing involves polishing and hard chrome plating