PHILADELPHIA - Rohm and Haas Company intends to consolidate its North American Powder Coatings operations into two sites, closing its Wytheville, Va., plant by the first quarter of 2006. Production will be transferred to the Warsaw, Ind., and Reading, Pa., facilities, which provide proximity to major customers, transportation hubs and afford the greatest manufacturing flexibility. Approximately 70 employees at the Wytheville facility will be affected by the site closing.

As a result of the plant closing, the company expects to take restructuring charges related to asset impairments in the range of $8 million to $10 million and cash charges related to termination benefits and other expenses that include costs to close the plant and consolidate operations of approximately $4 million. The restructuring will be substantially completed by the first quarter of 2006 and is expected to result in annual cost savings of approximately $6 million pre-tax.