News in brief

Dollar Tree warned again on China items

WASHINGTON -- Government regulators have again warned Dollar Tree's parent company about importing drugs and cosmetics that could be tainted because of improper product testing during manufacturing.

The Food and Drug Administration said that Greenbrier International also did not properly perform its own lab analyses as required before releasing certain products, including an anti-dandruff shampoo and an acne face wash. The products also were mislabeled by the Chinese manufacturers.

The FDA told Greenbrier about violations at the Chinese companies as early as 2017. The FDA's Nov. 6 warning to Greenbrier International said that the company continued to receive products from companies on "import alert," even after Greenbrier International agreed not to do so.

A spokesman for Dollar Tree said the Chesapeake, Va., company is cooperating with the FDA.

"We are committed to our customers' safety and have very robust and rigorous testing programs in place to ensure our third-party manufacturers products are safe," said spokesman Randy Guiler.

The FDA requested a response from the company within 15 days with a plan to ensure it doesn't import or distribute tainted products. Dollar Tree operates more than 15,000 stores in 48 states and Canada under the names Dollar Tree, Family Dollar and Dollar Tree Canada.

-- The Associated Press

GE plans to shutter Georgia plant in '20

WAYNESBORO, Ga. -- An eastern Georgia industrial plant will close by the end of 2020, eliminating 200 jobs.

General Electric Co. said that it will close its high-voltage electrical switchgear plant in Waynesboro, consolidating work at a similar plant in Charleroi, Pa.

The company's renewable-energy unit blames the closure on "current competitive market conditions."

GE said employees can take jobs at the Pennsylvania plant south of Pittsburgh, apply for other GE positions or receive severance payments.

The plant was built in 1991 by German firm Ritz Messwander. GE later acquired it from French firm Alstom as part of a $10.6 billion purchase of Alstom's electric power business in 2015.

GE plans to close the plant by December 2020 and put the building up for sale in early 2021.

-- The Associated Press

6 state stocks rise; index drops by 0.70

The Arkansas Index, a price-weighted index that tracks the largest public companies based in the state, closed Friday at 461.57, down 0.70.

Six of the index stocks rose, led by Murphy Oil at 3.2%.

All three major indexes rose, and hit record highs, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average rising above 28,000 points for the first time.

The index was developed by Bloomberg News and the Democrat-Gazette with a base value of 100 as of Dec. 30, 1997.

Business on 11/16/2019

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