The Lubrizol Corp. has announced its decision to close its Chagrin Falls, OH, overprint coatings manufacturing facility. The decision to end production of Algan^® overprint coatings and varnishes was made after a thorough business analysis and is part of a previously announced restructuring of the company’s Performance Coatings product line.

Overprint coatings consist of custom products for the commercial printing, packaging and specialty printing sectors of the North American graphic arts industry. This action will not affect Lubrizol’s polymer, waxes-surface modifiers and hyper-dispersant product offerings. The company remains committed to providing innovating solutions to the graphic arts industry.

In April 2008, Lubrizol Performance Coatings refined its business model to focus on fewer higher-growth market end uses where it believes it can deliver the most value to customers. Actions taken at that time included the disposition of a manufacturing facility in Lawrence, MA, and a restructuring of its sales, marketing, and research and development organization. In June 2008, Performance Coatings announced it would close an acrylic emulsions production line at its Avon Lake, OH, facility by the end of fourth quarter 2008 and discontinue merchant sales of styrene butadiene (SB) latex from its Gastonia, NC, plant by the end of Aug. 2008.

Located in Bainbridge Township, OH, the overprint coatings manufacturing facility will cease production as of Jan. 31, 2010. The 35 employees impacted by the closing will receive severance packages and outplacement assistance. Some employees may be relocated to other Lubrizol sites.

For more information, visit www.lubrizol.com.