Job losses at Hercules

Job losses at Hercules

Job losses at Hercules The US chemicals group million by the end of the second competitiveness Hercules lnc, which makes quarter of 2002. In addit...

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Job losses at Hercules The US chemicals group

million by the end of the second

competitiveness

Hercules lnc, which makes

quarter of 2002. In addition to

businesses.

chemicals for the treatment of

the initial staff reductions, the

water, has announced it is to cut

company said it also plans job

of its

Early last year, the company looked at its heavy debt load and

3% of its non-European

cuts in Europe, after consulting

a number of unrelated chemicals

workforce, as part of an ongoing

with employees and their

businesses and set out to divest

effort to sell off its businesses or

representatives.

It will also

those units, i.e. resins and fibres,

arrange a merger.

release noncritical external

to enable it to focus on chemical

contractors.

treatments for water heavy

The company plans to lay-off

Redundancies are

300 employees from a

expected to come from all of

industries. Last November,

worldwide workforce of 9600.

Hercules’ business divisions and

Hercules said it would consider

The job cuts are the initial phase

functions around the world.

a sale or a merger.

of a plan announced in June to

According to chairman and chief

improve financial performance

executive officer, William Joyce,

Contact: Hercules Inc, 1313 North

through an extensive cost

the plan is vital to lower its

Market Street, Wilmington,

DE

reduction and work process

operating costs and restore

J 9894,

594

improvement programme. The

Hercules to a sound financial

5000;

company aims to save US$ 100

position and ensure the

Website: www. hexcorn

USA. TeJ: +1 302 Fax: +1 302

594 5400;

Multi-million dollar water treatment contract Osmonics Inc has been awarded

effectively treat water for the

demand for municipal water

a US$3.8 million contract for a

removal of dissolved minerals,

treatment systems. The 1996

reverse osmosis (RO) system to

arsenic, hardness, colour,

Safe Drinking Water Act is

desalt and purify Brazes river

radium, nitrates and sulphates.

beginning to be enforced,

water from the Granbury

According to Osmonics’

Reservoir inTexas, USA.

Process Water Group, advances

small and medium-size

in system design and energy

municipal water treatment

contracted Osmonics to reduce

efficiency have now made RO

facilities in the USA will need to

dissolved minerals in the Brazes

membrane technology a

improve water treatment to

river to meet the World Health

competitive alternative to

comply with the regulations. As

Organization’s standards for

traditional water treatment.

a result, many municipalities

drinking water. The system will

Osmonics is expecting

will need to invest in better

consist of four Osmo MUNI

continued growth in the

water treatment equipment.

Series RO units, containing over

municipal market as US

The Brazes River Authority

meaning that more than 25 000

1200 replaceable membrane

Environmental Protection

elements, and will purify and

Agency (EPA) regulations,

Clearwater

desalt 2 3 million litres of water

consumers’ heightened

55343.8995,

daily. Its MUNI Series line of

awareness of water quality and

Tel: + J 952 933 2277;

energy-efficient

diminishing potable water

Fax: +f

sources continue to drive

Website: www.osmonics.com

water treatment

systems are said to be able to

Contact: Osmonics Inc, 5951 Drive, Minnetonka,

MN

USA.

953 933 0141;

Middle Eastern desalination project fuelled power plant and a 455 million litres per day

Authority. The plant is expected

Power Plc has won a contract to

desalination facility. CMS and

to be fully operational by the summer of 2004.

operate Abu Dhabi’s US$ 1.6

International Power will operate

billion Shuweuhat S 1 power and

the facility under a 20.year

desalination project.

operations and maintenance

Contact: CMS Energy, FairJane Plaza

agreement. CMS Energy and

South, Suite 1100,

Abu Dhabi’s largest independent

International Power will jointly

Drive, Dearborn,

water and power plant and

own 40% of the project, with

7’eJ: fl

includes a 1500 megawatt gas

the other 60% owned by the

Website: www.cmsenergy.com

The project is claimed to be

6

October

2001

Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity

CMS Energy Corp’s joint venture with International

313 436

330 7&n Center

MI 48126,

USA.

9200;

Filtration+Separation