FINDLAY, Ohio—Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. has confirmed it will lay off 80 people in North America.
The firm said in an emailed statement that it has reorganized certain departments, resulting in the elimination of 60 salaried positions in Findlay, where the company is headquartered. A vast majority of the eliminated positions are corporate roles.
A facility in Texarkana, Ark., will see a majority of the remaining 20 layoffs, but cuts also will be made at Cooper's facility in Tupelo, Miss. The firm expects to eliminate salaried jobs at both locations.
A company spokeswoman said Cooper Tire would not comment beyond its statement.
Cooper did not specify which departments were reorganized, but said the move was viewed as a necessary response to changes in the tire industry and would place the company in the best position for long-term profitable growth.
"While a decision to eliminate positions is very difficult, the reorganization will help our business operate more effectively and efficiently and will align our people to deliver the transformation necessary to execute our strategic plans and drive growth," the firm said.
The move comes on the heels of Cooper Tire reporting a decrease in sales for the third quarter of 2017, by 2.3 percent to $734 million. Sales dropped by 7 percent in its Americas Tire Operations to $625 million, but experienced a 44.8 percent increase to $163 million in its International Tire Operations.
For the nine months ending Sept. 30, Cooper's sales were down 2 percent overall to about $2.1 billion. North America sales were down 7.1 percent to $1.78 billion, but internationally the firm experienced a sales increase of 34.4 percent to $457 million.