OMYA LAYS OFF DOZEN WORKERS

January 24, 1997

Staff report

Florence - About a dozen OMYA workers lost their

jobs last month when the company closed the former

White Pigment plant in Florence.

OMYA spokesman John Suddarth said Thursday the

layoffs made at the end of December were not

unexpected.

He said the company had announced in April it was

closing the older of its two calcium carbonate plants

in Florence.

OMYA is the world's largest producer of ground

calcium carbonate, operating more than 90 plants

worldwide.

The crushed marble, limestone and chalk is used

in the manufacture of paper, paints, plastics,

chemicals and pharmaceuticals.