DuPont Dow Elastomers Plans to Consolidate Neoprene Capacity to a Gulf Coast Plant

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Researched by Industrialinfo.com (Industrial Information Resources, Incorporated; Houston, Texas). DuPont Dow Elastomers LLC (Wilmington, Delaware) is planning to expand the production of a polychloroprene elastomer called Neoprene at its plant site located in La Place, Louisiana called the Pontchartrain Works. The expansion will not only increase DuPont's production of Neoprene, but also replace and consolidate capacity currently produced in their Louisville, Kentucky plant, which is planned to close by 2005.

The Louisville plant employs over 280 people and the plant closure will result in a large demolition effort unless another business unit within DuPont or Dow can make use of the existing infrastructure. Construction for the expansion and consolidation of Neoprene at the Pontchartrain site is planned to kick-off some time late next year and will be complete by early 2005.

Neoprene is a versatile synthetic rubber with applications in products demanding oil and chemical resistance among other unique qualities. DuPont Dow Elastomers is a joint venture of E I du Pont de Nemours and Company (NYSE: DD) (Wilmington, Delaware) and Dow Chemical Company (NYSE: DOW) (Midland, Michigan).