Arc International Announces Reorganisation Of Its French Arques Site

The Arc International Group has announced very severe restructuring of its French site at Arques (Pas-de-Calais). The plant recorded an operating loss of Euros 33M in 2003, and the trend in 2004 is identical, following continuous erosion since 1999. The company is going to close three large furnaces by the end of 2005 and transfer 80,000 tonnes of glass production abroad to get closer to its markets. It is the new plants in Nankin and the UAE that should benefit from this move in particular. Arc is also going to axe one quarter (2,659) of its 10,700 jobs in France. However, the management will be very attentive to the social chapter.