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.

BASF, Ludwigshafen, Germany, has announced that its business declined in the first quarter of 2009.

Stahl, Waalwijk, Holland, recently announced the death of Willi Vaskovich, former president and chief executive officer, who passed away at age 70.

The Nordson Corp. Board of Directors has reported that Chairman, CEO and President Edward P. Campbell, 59, has announced his intention to retire in early 2010.

Eastman Chemical Co. recently announced earnings from continuing operations of $0.03 per diluted share for first quarter 2009 versus $1.46 per diluted share for first quarter 2008.

According to an article in the Business section of today’s New York Times, the debt plan designed by the Obama administration and the Treasury Department to save Chrysler could be derailed by some of the company’s 46 creditors who are unwilling to accept the terms of the agreement, which includes $2 billion in cash in exchange for the elimination of $6.9 billion in secured debt.

General Motors today presented an updated Viability Plan designed to speed the reinvention of GM's U.S. operations into a leaner, more customer-focused and more cost-competitive automaker.

Ford Motor Co., Dearborn, MI, today reported a first quarter net loss of $1.4 billion, or $0.60 per share. This compares with net income of $70 million, or $0.03 per share, in the first quarter of 2008.