Terre Haute kitchen products company won't reopen

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (AP) - A company that made kitchen products for decades in Terre Haute has failed to find a buyer and won't resume local production.

Production had stopped in December at Columbian Home Products. Plant manager Mike Vastag told employees this week that it won't resume.

The Tribune-Star, citing a letter to workers from Vastag, reported that chief executive Dick Ryan is trying to sell the Graniteware and Joyce Chen trademarks, but any deal wouldn't revive production or distribution of cookware in Terre Haute.

There were more than 80 employees, the newspaper reported. The company had filed a layoff notice in September.

'œPeople are going to the non-stick stuff, but I feel there will be people out there who will miss it,'ť former employee Ken Stanford told WTHI-TV. 'œNot just in Terre Haute, but other people use that type of cookware in general.'ť