Huntsman is closing a Canadian plant

Huntsman Corp. is closing its 100 million-lb-per-year Guelph, Ontario, plant by the third quarter of 2005. The company will begin phasing out production at the plant, which makes detergent and personal care chemicals, and moving it to units in Jefferson County, Conroe, and Dayton, Texas. "The Guelph facility is by far our smallest and is no longer economically viable in today's competitive environment," says Don Stanutz, president of Huntsman's performance products division. The company says the closure is part of its program to cut more than $200 million in annual costs.