LOCAL BRIEFS

Coke sets goals for water, carbon

Atlanta-based Coca-Cola Co. said Thursday it wants to improve water efficiency across the Coca-Cola system 20 percent by 2012, compared with a baseline year of 2004. By 2015, the company wants to grow its business but not carbon emissions across the system. It hopes to reduce carbon emissions 5 percent in developed countries. The emissions targets also are compared with 2004. As part of the new goals, Coca-Cola announced the extension of a partnership with the World Wildlife Fund. In 2007, Coca-Cola committed to a $20 million grant for the World Wildlife Fund to work on conservation efforts through 2010. The company has extended the partnership through 2012 with another $3.75 million.

—- Joe Guy Collier

New Ga. owner will close S.C. mill

Officials with Blair Mills in Belton, S.C., say the textile plant will close by the end of the year, eliminating 250 jobs. Company President Billy Rice said the business makes towels for hotels and other businesses and has operated for 102 years. Rice told the Anderson Independent-Mail the company has signed an agreement to sell the business to 1888 Mills in Griffin. Rice said 1888 Mills has facilities in Georgia and in Pakistan and doesn’t need the Belton plant. 1888 Mills will get the patent that Blair Mills holds for a process of making towels with colors that withstand bleach. He said 1888 Mills’ global operation will be able to serve Blair Mills’ customers better. Rice said he will try to help his employees get jobs at other plants.

—- Associated Press

Delta asks to trim Shanghai service

Delta Air Lines wants to further reduce service on its Atlanta-Shanghai route, saying that economic conditions have worsened. The much-ballyhooed route was Delta’s first entree into China. Delta started flying the route with daily service on March 30, then in June got federal permission to cut back to five days a week for the winter to match reduced market demand. “At the time, Delta was hopeful that this seasonal flexibility would be sufficient; but economic conditions have continued to worsen since June,” Delta said in a new filing to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

—- Kelly Yamanouchi

Airlines cut many holiday airfares

The major U.S. airlines have cut many fares for the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons. Northwest Airlines started the rush with a broad holiday fare sale, and most other major carriers matched the prices Wednesday. But there are cheaper fares available on routes where the big airlines compete with low-cost carriers such as Southwest, JetBlue and AirTran. Some of the sale fares have blackout dates on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 —- the Sunday and Monday after Thanksgiving —- and on Dec. 20. Delta shaved the cheapest price for an Atlanta-Nashville round trip around Thanksgiving from nearly $500 to $238, said Rick Seaney of Farecompare.com. In most cases, the prices are good until at least late November.

—- Associated Press