Merck to cut back on
pigment production
German-based Merck KGaA is set to cut back on pigment production in Germany, the U.S., Japan and China. The company said it would put approximately 500 German pigment workers on shorter hours but didn’t expect job cuts domestically. The 500 affected German workers are at the Gernsheim facility. Other production sites in Savannah, GA/US; Onaham, Japan and Songjiang, China would also be affected by production cutbacks. Company spokesperson, Phyllis Carter, wouldn’t say if that meant facility shutdowns, shorter hours programs or job cuts.