CHEMICALS

Crompton & Knowles to Buy Uniroyal Chemical: The $1.4-billion acquisition seeks to protect the Stamford, Conn.-based dye maker from swings in the fashion industry. Uniroyal Chemical Corp.’s specialty chemicals--including agricultural chemicals, plastics additives and synthetic rubber--sell to a broader customer base. The acquisition will reunite Crompton & Knowles Corp. Chairman and Chief Executive Vincent Calarco with a business he knows: He was president of Middlebury, Conn.-based Uniroyal Chemical, which was then a subsidiary of Uniroyal Inc., from 1979 to 1984. The purchase will add $1.1 billion to Crompton & Knowles’ annual sales of $666 million. The firm’s stock eased 12.5 cents to $15 on the New York Stock Exchange.