TONAWANDA COKE LOOKING TO BUY BETHLEHEM'S COKE PLANT

摘要

Tonawanda Coke Corporation, Tonawanda, NY, is negotiating to purchase and operate Bethlehem Steel Corporation's coke plant in Lackawanna, NY. This is good news for over 300 unionized workers who feared losing their jobs. Bethlehem Steel had announced July 25th that they would permanently shut down the Lackawanna plant in September. Bethlehem Steel is selling the plant in order to reduce costs due to poor market conditions in the steel industry. If all goes according to plan, the coke plant will remain operational until September 28, 2001 when the coke ovens are to be shutdown to allow the transition of ownership to take place. At 12:00 a.m. on September 29, 2001, the coke ovens will be restarted, and coke production will resume under the new name, Lackawanna Coke Products Corporation.