CALIFORNIA : SOUTHLAND FOCUS : Also. . .

More than 60 employees of PPG Industries Inc. in Torrance will lose their jobs when the company closes its automotive and industrial coatings plant in the South Bay city later this year, executives said this week. Employees at the 48-year-old facility were told of the decision in June. Executives with the Pittsburgh-based company announced the plant closure earlier this week to comply with state laws, said Fred Bose, plant operations coordinator. The exact date for the closing has not been set. Bose said the company, which makes chemicals, coatings, glass and resins at 75 facilities worldwide, is looking to cut costs by moving production from the Torrance plant to newer, larger manufacturing facilities in Eastern states. The company plans to hire an outplacement consulting firm and work with the state’s Employment Development Department and other agencies to help displaced employees find new jobs.