BUSINESS MEMO: CLAY MINE TO CLOSE

An Olmsted, Ill., clay mine, in operation since the late 1930s, is closing this month.

The mine is owned by the Ralston Purina Co. of St. Louis, which purchased Golden Cat Corp. in 1995.

The Olmsted plant has produced cat litter since 1958. The litter is marketed under the "Tidy Cats" brand name.

The clay mine at Olmsted was founded in the late 1930s by Sinclair Oil Co., which used the clay to clean petroleum products.

Twenty-nine employees will be affected by the closing.

Olmsted is 18 miles north of Cairo on Route 37.