According to foreign media, Felman Production will temporarily shut down one of its three electric arc furnaces on May 31 and it will reduce its workforce and overtime. The temporary shutdown will allow Felman to conduct planned maintenance one furnace at a time. If economic conditions remain poor after the planned maintenance is complete at the end of September 2013, Felman will leave one furnace idle until conditions improve. In regards to the workforce reductions, Felman has already eliminated several management and contract positions and anticipates temporary layoffs of union employees starting June 3, 2013. The decline in silicomanganese prices over the past several months combined with rising manufacturing costs, such as electricity, resulted in its decision to move forward with the changes, Felman said. In addition to reducing labor costs, the company is taking steps to increase efficiency and productivity, such as bringing its slag processing in-house.

• [Editor:editor]