Impact of Euro uncertain

Experts see challenges, opportunities in euro conversion

When CBW Automation Inc. of Fort Collins ships a robotic packaging device to a cottage-cheese plant in The Netherlands, it must sell it for guilders.

Customers in Austria would pay in schillings, in Portugal in escudos.

Beginning Jan. 1, transactions in these and eight other European countries will be conducted in a single currency called the euro. This will make it simpler, but will create some initial costs and could make European companies more competitive, according to Northern Colorado business executives and economists.

The new currency, adopted by the 11 countries at a meeting in Brussels May…