Austrialian building products company Amatek is to close its glass fibre plant at Dandenong, Victoria because it is no longer viable in the global market, according to a recent press report. The plant has made losses since 1997 and with global supply expected to exceed demand, closing the plant was the only option in the increasingly competitive global marketplace, the report said. The company is Australia's only domestic supplier. Aurora's capacity was 25,000/tpa, while domestic demand has remained constant at 15,000/tpa. Owens Corning will continue to supply Aurora's customer base. Since Owens Corning has a site in India, and PPG has a joint venture in Taiwan, these may be sufficient enough to supply the Asian and Australian markets in a difficult environment, the report added. (whole item)
