Dow Cuts 5000 Jobs

Reported by: Bob Aaron
Videographer: Bob Aaron
Web Producer: Bob Aaron
Updated: December 8, 2008 7:52pm

There's plenty of evidence that the chemical industry is just a shell of its former self in the Kanawha Valley. But South Charleston's mayor is hopeful that a sweeping worldwide round of cutbacks announced by Dow Chemical Monday will not hit too hard in South Charleston.

Dow will close about 20 plants and layoff 5000 people. That's 11 percent of their workforce. The company, one of the largest chemical makers in the world, expects the moves to save about $700 million per year by 2010. Dow also will temporarily idle 180 plants and prune 6,000 contractors from its payroll.

South Charleston's mayor is optimistic the cuts won't hit too hard here. There was no immediate word on how the cutbacks would affect Dow's WV operations. Frank Mullens, South Charleston's mayor, thinks West Virginia plants will have to trim operating expenses by 10 percent.

But he said the city would survive even if the plant and tech center closed-- costing the city almost a million in taxes. The impact on people and the community from what Dow calls " bold and proactive measures " is still unclear.