VALLEY FORGE, PA. (Jan. 24, 10:40 p.m. ET) -- CertainTeed Corp announced that it plans to close its vinyl siding and vinyl accessory extrusion operation in Joplin, Mo., by March 30.

The Valley Forge-based company said that Mark Rayfield, president of CertainTeed’s Siding Products Group, informed Joplin employees Jan.24 that the plant will gradually wind down operations. The decision impacts about 90 employees.

"I want to thank all of the affected employees for their many years of dedication to our business. This closing is in no way a reflection of the quality and safety efforts of those individuals who have given their very best, day in and day out,” Rayfield said in a statement.

He said the decision was based on a combination of a continued slow housing market and a poor outlook for 2012, which has led to a decline in demand for siding products and industry-wide overcapacity.

The company said that it would work with employees and local employment agencies to find opportunities for the workers at other CertainTeed facilities or other local businesses.
CertainTeed also operates vinyl siding facility in Jackson, Mich; Hagerstown, Md; and Claremont, N.C. as well as a molded polymer products facility in McPherson, Kan.; and a cellular PVC trim plant in Social Circle, Ga.

The company, a subsidiary of Cie. Saint-Gobain, has more than 6,000 employees and more than 65 manufacturing facilities in the U.S. and Canada.