Pneumatic-equipment manufacturer Norgren announced Thursday that competitive pressure is forcing it to cut 275 of the 500 jobs at its Littleton plant and outsource some of the work done there.
The company also plans to sell its 22-acre Littleton property and move into a new building at an undetermined location this year, said Alan Duff, Norgren vice president for global human resources.
“Many of the operations will be outsourced both domestically and offshore, and much of the manufacturing will go to Norgren facilities worldwide,” Duff said.
About 220 workers will remain in the area, some of whom will continue to make valves at a new “engineering advantage center” headquarters, Duff said. The building also will house a finance group, human resources, sales, marketing and information- technology staff.
The transition will take place over the next 15 months, Duff said.
Workers who lose their jobs will receive one week’s severance pay for each year of service. The company also is offering coaching on job interviewing and résumé-writing.
“We are trying to do everything we can during this transition time to help our employees make sound decisions,” Duff said.
Norgren is a subsidiary of Birmingham, England-based IMI Plc, a holding company with annual revenues of about $2.5 billion a year.
Norgren makes valves, lubricators, pneumatic devices and other equipment for medical devices, trucking and manufacturing equipment. The company has manufacturing plants around the world and employs 6,000 worldwide.
The Littleton plant is the headquarters for the company’s operations in the Americas. Norgren has operated the plant for 40 years and has had a presence in the region for 80 years.
Staff writer Tom McGhee can be reached at 303-820-1671 or tmcghee@denverpost.com.
