Grand jury probes catalytic converter industry

It's not a good day at work when a subpoena lands on your desk.

So you can imagine the reaction at Corning Inc. last month when one issued by a federal grand jury in Michigan fell into the lap of Corning's lawyers.

The grand jurors, working in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan in Detroit, are looking into possible antitrust activity in the auto parts industry.

The subpoena requires Corning Inc. to provide certain company documents generated in the manufacturing and sale of catalytic converters, diesel particulate filters, ceramic substrates and other devices.

The goal of the investigation is to determine whether the market for those devices has been contaminated by illegal anti-competitive behavior.

Corning Inc., when it disclosed the existence of the subpoena on March 30, said it cannot estimate how much the case could cost the company.

Twin Tiers' largest employer gets subpoenaed in Michigan auto industry case
6:55 PM, Apr. 6, 2012