Dow Chemical Co. will close the former Rohm and Haas chemical plant in Philadelphia's Bridesburg section, the company told its remaining workers at the 63-acre complex this morning.
Some 25 employees at the Jetted Copolymer Facility, which makes ion-exchange materials for water filtration systems the company builds elsewhere, will lose their jobs when production ceases "by the middle of 2010," company spokesman Bob Plishka confirmed to me by phone.
The other 20 workers, at an herbicide unit that Dow's AgroSciences division bought from Rohm and Haas two years ago, had already been slated to leave when the unit closes Aug. 31.
Plishka said Rohm and Haas hasn't decided whether to sell the site, which once employed hundreds. "After production ends, our environmental (and) decommissioning process will begin."
NEW: "Fixed costs at the site are too high" to keep the copolymer unit going all by itself, Plishka said later in an email. Rohm and Haas has operated on the site since at least the 1920s. The company employs around 2,500 at its Center City headquarters and other plants in the Philadelphia area.
Dow bought Rohm and Haas in April after trying to rescind a sale agreement that looked increasingly expensive as the economy slowed and stock prices fell. Lawyers for major investors including the Haas family, Philadelphia philanthropists who inherited shares from the company's cofounder, forced Dow to go through with the deal, even though Dow warned it would have to cut expenses more than had originally intended.
EARLIER: The decision follows DuPont Co.'s closure of another city industrial landmark, Marshall Laboratory, formerly the company's Philadelphia works, earlier this summer. The company transferred workers from the specialty paint plant, which opened in the 1860s, to locations in the Wilmington area.
OK, PIDC, what is your next move?— FMT
Comment removed.- Dow's move here is a consequence of growth and robust expansion by acquisition. In contrast, DuPont's severe cut-backs and closures including the ill-fated Marshall Lab are a consequence of a decade of mismanagement, dramatically eroding revenues and cash flow, and severe organic shrinkage. ...funfun..— funfundvierzig
- They'll padlock the site, hire a security guard and let it slowly decay. Cheaper than cleaning it up.— Montco PA Dem
My soon to be father-in-law is one of the remaining workers about to lose a job. Anyone want to hire a 56 year old electrician?- Comment removed.
- Put a casino there!
- A perfect example why working class neighborhoods die.— IRAMITLA
- dont worry. green jobs and health care factories will replace it and we will all go back to the garden of eden in bridesburg under BHO.— stevejones
- Dan in Holmesburg, now that you mention it, YES! I am looking for a partner for my new business I am starting. I am a 29 year old Electrician with his own truck, tools and new business. I will be pulling ad's starting next week in the philly papers. I would love to have a older experianced electrician on my team to help me out in my venture. I just started building my own site. www.HotShotsElectric.com please check it out and email me at Cappa@aol.com Thanks, Steve Your father in law can also call me at 267-265-7052 if serious. As I said, I have the tools, truck and know how to make this happen but need a older face to represent and also work with me. We could make some major $ together. Have him call me!— CAPPAREGAN
- Comment removed.
- Anybody from or interested more in this issue, check out Bridesburg very own web site forum and place your opinions there. The web address is www.Pridesburg.com remember the "P" for PRIDE!— CAPPAREGAN
- Don't worry - the kids will still be born messed up. Sunoco is still there (the HUGE plant you can see from 95 that smells like plastic.) Rohm and Hass is a much smaller plant closer to the Delaware.— mantua633
- There are only 3 roads that go in and out of Bridesburg. It's probably cheaper and pretty easy to just seal off the whole neighborhood.— mikegdj
- ljabarr, that was the funniest thing I've heard all day! LMAO!! "Pummeling that clown..."— Hollywood Junkie
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