Owens Corning to close Maine wind-focused composites factory - report

US composite materials maker Owens Corning (NYSE:OC) plans to shut down its Maine factory where it makes technical fabrics mainly for the wind power industry, the Portland Press Herald reports, citing a company spokesperson.

The move will result in the loss of 60 jobs at the site, said spokesman Todd Romain, as quoted by the newspaper. Equipment from the Brunswick plant, which makes composite parts out of fiberglass for use in wind turbines, marine and industrial applications, will be relocated to Owens Corning’s production facility in Wichita Falls, Texas, as the company aims to cut transportation costs for its products in order to operate more efficiently.

The Brunswick factory will shut down in the next three months, with the earliest job cuts expected at the end of December. The company does not plan to transfer any of the plant’s workers at the new location, according to the spokesman.

Owens Corning produces insulation, roofing and fibreglass materials for a number of industries and supports the renewable energy sector by supplying glass fibre reinforcements for wind turbine blades. The Brunswick plant has been producing wind turbine materials since 1984 as Brunswick Technologies, which was later sold to Owens Corning.

The Bangalore News Daily reported earlier this week that Owens Corning also planned to close factories in China and Mexico. These facilities, together with the Brunswick site, are expected to cease operations within a year, spokesman Chuck Hartlage was cited as saying.

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