Across the organization, between 60 and 70 jobs were discontinued, said Director of Corporate Affairs Luanne Radermacher. Half of the employees in those jobs were offered new positions within MEDRAD and of those two-thirds accepted.
The eliminated jobs ranged from management to production.
“We don’t have a history of layoffs,” Radermacher said. “This was extremely difficult for the organization and for managers to make these decisions.”
But she added: “All medical device companies are going through this. The health care reform proposals are complex, and there are a lot of unknowns and we are making sure that we have the resources to invest in innovation, which for MEDRAD is one of the keys to our success and being first to market with new products that benefit patients.”
The reductions at MEDRAD, which is part of Bayer Health Medical Care, a division of Bayer HealthCare LLC, come as Bayer AG is undergoing a global restructuring plan, said Bryan Iams, head of strategic and external communications for Bayer Corp. Bayer Corp. is the company’s U.S. headquarters located in Robinson Township.
In November, Bayer AG announced a global reduction of 4,500 positions, which would reduce headcount by 2,000 by 2012.
So far, no positions at the company’s Robinson Township site are effected, Iams said. The company has 1,500 people in Robinson and 1,200 at MEDRAD.
