AM I NEXT? NO LOVE AT AEROJET ROCKETDYNE (02/15/22)

FEBRUARY 15, 2021 — GOOD NEWS OR NOT: LOCKHEED SCRAPS ACQUISITION

Lockheed Martin Corp called off plans to acquire Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings Inc for $4.4 billion amid opposition from U.S. regulatory agencies citing antitrust issues.

“The Federal Trade Commission sued to block the deal in late January on the grounds that it would allow Lockheed to use its control of Aerojet to hurt other defense contractors. Missile maker Raytheon Technologies was an outspoken opponent of the proposed acquisition.”

APRIL 30, 2019 — COMPANY ANNOUNCES ADDITIONAL LAYOFFS

The company has announced that it will be continuing to downsize in the region and that the layoff will affect 180 workers in Rancho Cordova by June 20, 2019. It is anticipated that an additional 40 workers will be laid off in the near future.

In accordance with a restructuring plan originally announced in April 2017, it was anticipated that 1,100 workers would lose their jobs and manufacturing operations would cease. Any company expansion was to take place in the 17,000 square-foot engineering and manufacturing facility in Camden, Arkansas. Rocket engine manufacturing will be consolidated in a new plant in Huntsville, Alabama.

OCTOBER 17, 2018 — Original post…

According to Lynn Machon, the Director of Corporate Communications, Sacramento, California-based Aerojet Rocketdyne, the iconic aerospace and defense systems manufacturer of rocket propulsion systems will be eliminating 120 positions in its Rancho Cordova, California facility. The company has filed the requisite WARN (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification) notice with the State of California.

“This reduction in workforce is part of what we previously announced publicly in April 2017 as a result of a consolidation of our sites across the country. The majority of these positions are related to manufacturing activities that we will no longer be handled at this site. The company will provide the affected employees outplacement assistance and transition support.”

The handwriting was on the wall since 2016 when the announced that it was moving its corporate headquarters from Rancho Cordova, California to El Segundo, California and suggested that a restructuring would eliminate design and manufacturing jobs that would be transferred from Rancho Cordova to other Aerojet Rocketdyne facilities in Huntsville, Alabama and elsewhere. The purpose of relocating the company’s headquarters was to move closer to the company’s major customers and contractors located nearby in Southern California.

Change is coming. There will always be a tomorrow, no matter how much you may try to ignore it. There are no guarantees in life or promises for a bright future. Just because something bad hasn't happened yet, doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere ... are you now wondering, Am I Next?

AM I NEXT? NO LOVE AT BAYER HEALTHCARE

German pharmaceutical giant, Bayer HealthCare has announced that it will be terminating an additional 227 manufacturing, quality, supply chain, warehouse and engineering jobs at its Berkeley, California facility to realign its manufacturing capabilities to meet the demands of its Hemophilia A treatment products.

The Berkeley facility, the only unionized manufacturing company in the biotech space, will be reducing its Kogenate production for some world markets as it promotes its two newer hemophilia A drugs, Kovaltry and Jivi, which are also made at the Berkeley facility. Approximately 200 positions have already been eliminated voluntarily throughout the year. And, additional cuts may be forthcoming as Kovaltry production is shifted to a new plant in Germany in a few years.

According to a Bayer spokesperson…

“Bayer’s longstanding commitment to the hemophilia community drives our continued investment in discovering and developing innovative therapies for patients living with this life-long disorder.

Berkeley has been Bayer’s biotechnology manufacturing hub for more than 40 years, serving hemophilia patients in nearly 80 countries around the world. This site is responsible for producing all three of Bayer’s rFVIII therapies, including the Jivi, which was recently approved in the US and Japan. We are deeply proud of the innovation that these medicines bring to our patients.

The manufacturing processes for these products must also be robust and efficient to ensure product safety, reliable supply, and to remain competitive in support of new therapies that position the long term viability of the site. Our transition into commercial production with three products has resulted in the need for organizational changes to enable these efficiencies, and today we notified 227 employees that their positions were being eliminated as part of this reorganization.

This decision will not impact product availability as we remain committed to providing a portfolio of treatment options to serve the individual needs of the hemophilia community.

We have the utmost appreciation for the employees affected by this reorganization, and will ensure that we manage their transition in the most respectful and thoughtful manner that we can.”

Are you wondering, Am I Next?

AM I NEXT? NO LOVE AT NOKIA NETWORKS

Following a string of acquisitions like Motorola, Alcatel and Lucent, Espoo, Finland-based Nokia, the iconic telecommunications company, will continue its restructuring operations at Nokia Networks in Naperville, Illinois.

The total reduction-in-force will be approximately 500 workers, 250 to be laid off presently with another 250 expected to be laid off by year-end.

A company spokesperson commented, “Following the acquisition of Alcatel-Lucent in 2016, Nokia announced a global synergy and transformation program that runs until the end of 2018, and as part of that program we have, indeed, reduced headcount in Illinois.”

The industry is rapidly changing from consolidation and the need to redeploy resources in the upcoming next-generation 5G network. I would look for additional layoffs as Nokia rolls out 5G products and services.

Are you wondering, Am I Next?