The Associated Press reports that U.S. housing construction and permits for new builds hit record lows in April.

North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue today announced that Henkel Corp., an international supplier of adhesives and sealants for industrial, commercial and home use, plans to expand its Salisbury operations.

Reuters reports that GM and Chrysler plan to cut as many as 3,000 auto dealers in the U.S., with the first notifications going out as early as today.

The Columbus Dispatch reports that Hexion Specialty Chemicals increased its profit in the first quarter of 2009 despite selling less than it did in the same period last year.

Hexion Specialty Chemicals Inc., Columbus, OH, has announced plans to indefinitely idle its BPA3 production unit, part of its manufacturing complex in Deer Park, TX.

Bloomberg.com reports that DuPont plans to lay off 2,000 workers in an effort to reduce costs in the face of weak demand.

In its first quarter of 2009, Henkel increased sales compared to the prior-year quarter by 3.1% to 3,258 million euros.

Newsherald.com reports that Jacksonville, FL-based Arizona Chemical will furlough workers at its Panama City, FL, Tall Oil and Turpentine plant for the second time in six months.

3M recently announced first-quarter sales of $5.1 billion, a decrease of 21.3% from the first quarter of 2008.

Accelerated cost reduction actions, record performance by Dow AgroSciences and lower raw material costs help offset challenging economic condition.