Hutchinson Technology Restructures, Cuts Workforce

HUTCHINSON  (AP) -- Hutchinson Technology Inc. is consolidating operations and cutting hundreds of jobs.

The company said Tuesday it will move its component manufacturing operations from Hutchinson to Eau Claire, Wis., and will trim its workforce of nearly 2,300 people by 30 to 40 percent in the next 12 months.

The computer equipment and electronics maker says it will keep its headquarters, research and development and other specialized operations in Hutchinson. The computer components company expects to reduce costs by $45 million to $60 million annually.

Jill Jacobson, an industrial engineer, says the layoffs will be extremely painful for Hutchinson, a town of about 12,000 an hour west of Minneapolis.

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