Baton Rouge plant could change hands: Belgian plastics and chemicals company Solvay says it has made an offer to buy Paris-based chemicals firm Rhodia for $4.84 billion as it looks to expand in fast-growing emerging markets. Rhodia SA’s board of directors unanimously recommended the offer to its shareholders, Solvay SA says, adding that the combination will “accelerate the shared ambition to create a large global chemical company committed to sustainable development.” Rhodia has about 225 employees at its plant in north Baton Rouge; the facility mainly produces sulfuric acid and artificial vanilla. Rhodia has around 14,000 employees worldwide. Solvay says Rhodia is a leader in the market for specialty materials such as rare earths. Solvay employs about 16,800 people.
Anchor set to launch talk show: Katie Couric is leaving her anchor post at CBS Evening News less than five years after becoming the first woman to solely helm a network TV evening newscast. A network executive, who spoke on condition of anonymity because Couric has not officially announced her plans, reported the move to The Associated Press. The 54-year-old anchor is expected to launch a syndicated talk show in 2012 and several companies are vying for her services. Couric’s move from NBC’s Today show was big news in 2006, and she began in the anchor chair with a flourish that September. She tried to incorporate her strengths as an interviewer into a standard evening news format, and millions of people who normally didn’t watch the news at night checked it out. But they drifted away and the evening newscast reverted to a more traditional broadcast. After those first few weeks, the CBS Evening News settled into third place in the ratings and is well behind leader Brian Williams at NBC’s Nightly News and second-place Diane Sawyer at ABC’s World News. No departure date has been set for Couric. Her CBS News contract expires on June 4.
