Syngenta Crop Protection will reduce its North American work force by 50 employees, including 30 from the company's Greensboro headquarters, officials announced Thursday.
Prior to the layoffs, Syngenta Crop Protection had about 750 employees in Greensboro. The staff reductions are part of a restructuring first reported in print editions of this paper April 5.
At the time, company officials had indicated the focus of the restructuring would be on reorganizing departments and responsibilities, not on job cuts. However, Syngenta spokeswoman Sherry Duvall said the company found the need for the layoffs unavoidable.
"A reduction in staff was certainly the last alternative we considered, but we believe it is a necessary move to help ensure that we retain our strong position in a tough agricultural market," Duvall said. "While these decisions are never easy, we hope to smooth the transition by offering those employees who lose their jobs a generous severance package."
Syngenta AG, the Greensboro firm's parent company, is in the midst of a cost-cutting effort local officials had hoped to avoid. Worldwide, Syngenta AG has announced the closure of 10 manufacturing sites and five research sites as part of an effort to cut costs by $525 million by 2004.