BUSINESS CONCENTRATES Chemical employment Employment in the U.S. Millions3 chemical industry fell in 1.10 July, which, after a revised June total, was the first decline in almost a 1.09 year. According to seasonally adjusted data from the Labor Depart- 1.08 ment, chemical industry employment declined 2000 in July to 1,094,000 1.07 from June's upwardly revised total of 1,096,000. June employment was 1.06 J A S O N D J F M AMJ J 2000 ahead from the 1 1988 previous month. On an annual basis, July em- a Seasonally adjusted. ployment was 27,000 more than a year earlier, and June's was 30,000 more. While employment declined in July, the chemical workweek remained unchanged. Average weekly hours of production in July, at 42.5, were the same as in June. The figure was revised downward in May to 42.1 from the 12-month high of 42.6 in April. Because of the decline in employment, the Labor Department's index of aggregate weekly hours of production declined slightly in July to 101.8 (1977 = 100) from an upwardly revised 102.0 in June. The Labor Department also revised the May index downward to 100.5.
agricultural products manufacturers, the state of Mississippi, and Washington County, Mississippi. In the county, about 40,000 lb of HDPE pesticide containers, or about 0.1% of what is used nationwide, are expected to be carried to a reclamation facility in Findlay, Ohio. Mississippi has received a grant for about $80,000 from EPA for the program and Du Pont and other companies are providing funds for transporting and analyzing the recycled plastic for other industrial uses.
Engelhard offers stock in Japanese venture Shares in N. E. Chemcat, a Japanese joint venture between Engelhard Corp. and Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., will be available for general trading on the Tokyo over-the-counter stock market in September. Engelhard owns 46% of the company that was known as Nippon Engelhard until June of this year. The stock offering is for 3.9 million shares of which 1.35 million will be new issues, and about 1.17 million are owned by Engelhard and 1.38 million by Sumitomo. Engelhard will receive a net after-tax gain of at least $19.7 million from a minimum offering price of about $22.70. Following the offering Engelhard will own about 39% of the company and Sumitomo will own about 46%.
Law merges with British engineering firm
Xoma Corp. and Ingene Inc., both California biotechnology companies specializing in products for immune-related disorders, have proposed to merge. All 7.9 million outstanding shares of Ingene common stock would be exchanged for 0.278 shares of Xoma stock within a price range of $16 to $22. The new company would maintain separate operations under the Xoma name.
Law Companies, a geotechnical, materials engineering, and asbestos inspection firm headquartered in Atlanta, plans to merge with Sir Alexander Gibb & Partners, a British engineering firm. Financial details have not been disclosed. The combined company will have revenues exceeding $200 million, and will operate 100 offices worldwide with 3400 employees. Lee M. Thomas, former Environmental Protection Agency Administrator, heads the Law Environmental subsidiary, a provider of waste site evaluation and cleanup services. Gibb & Partners' senior partner Geoffrey Coates will report to R. K. Sehgal, chairman and chief executive officer of Law.
Comeaux heads Fertilizer Industries
Business roundup
R. James Comeaux will head Fertilizer Industries as president and chief executive officer. Fertilizer Industries is a joint venture of Sterling Group of Houston controlled by investor Gordon A. Cain and New Jersey-based Unicorn Venture Funds (C&EN, July 24, page 14). Comeaux, 51, formerly senior vice president of American Petrofina, will head the fertilizer company, whose headquarters are in Nashville.
• Arco Chemical has started construction of a polyols plant with a capacity of 220 million lb annually at Fos-sur-Mer, France, and at the same site is expanding propylene oxide capacity 110 million lb annually and methyl tert-butyl ether capacity 3000 barrels per day. Completion is expected in the third quarter of 1990. • Air Products & Chemicals has begun manufacturing commercial quantities of toluene diisocyanate prepolymers as intermediates for polyurethane elastomers and other polyurethane materials. • Allied-Signal has filed a patent for a blend of HCFC-141b and HFC-123 as a foam-blowing agent and electronic components solvent. The blend may serve to reduce ozone depletion by 95% compared with chlorofluorocarbons now in use.
Xoma, Ingene biotech firms to merge
Du Pont sponsors recycling program Du Pont will be part of a pilot program in Mississippi for the recycling of plastic pesticide containers made from high-density polyethylene (HDPE). The company will sponsor the project along with the National Agricultural Chemicals Association, other
August 21, 1989 C&EN
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