POLYONE ELIMINATING SAN FERNANDO PLANT.

Byline: Staff and Wire Services

SAN FERNANDO - PolyOne Corp. said Monday that it will cut about 65 jobs while closing four plants, including one in San Fernando, that had been doing work with vinyl and other engineered compounds and color additives.

The three others sites are in Conroe, Texas; Glen Rock, Pa.; and Denver. The Cleveland-based maker of specialty chemicals, plastics and rubber products said other sites are prepared to handle production requirements.

Thomas Waltermire, PolyOne chairman and chief executive, said the closings are to be completed by the end of June. The company is consolidating manufacturing in light of the combination of M.A. Hanna Co. and Geon Co., which merged as PolyOne on Aug. 31.

The Valley facility was formerly known as M.A. Hanna Color & Additives. Officials there could not be reached for comment.

``We knew we would have some difficult decisions to make,'' Waltermire said.

PolyOne, which has more than 9,000 employees at 80 manufacturing sites, plans to release fourth-quarter 2000 and full-year earnings results Wednesday.