Around the Industry

Jan. 30, 2009
Cooper to cut 2,200 jobs as second-quarter profits fall Cooper Industries Ltd., Houston, reported a 38 percent drop in fourth-quarter profit and said

Cooper to cut 2,200 jobs as second-quarter profits fall

Cooper Industries Ltd., Houston, reported a 38 percent drop in fourth-quarter profit and said it has more than doubled its work force cuts to 2,200 employees worldwide.

Net income was $111.1 million, down from $179.3 million, a year ago. The results include a pretax charge of $35.7 million, primarily related to job eliminations. Excluding the charges, it earned 84 cents per share.

Analysts, had predicted a profit of 72 cents per share.

Revenue fell 1.4 percent to $1.52 billion from last year.

Cooper had said it would cut its work force by more than 1,000 employees and take a fourth-quarter charge of between $20 million and $22 million. However, as economic conditions deteriorated, Cooper's Chairman and CEO Kirk S. Hachigian said the company decided it was necessary to increase the reduction in work force in excess of 2,200 employees globally and take a restructuring charge of $35.7 million.

Eaton to cut 5,200 jobs to reduce costs

Eaton Corp., Cleveland, said it would cut 5,200 jobs as part of a plan to reduce costs because of a drop in demand for its products. The move is intended to help the company reduce costs by $125 million in 2009 and follows 3,400 job cuts last year.

“We took significant employee reduction actions in 2008 in anticipation of the severe downturn, and in January we have taken further actions,” said Alexander M. Cutler, Eaton chairman and CEO.“The continued decline in our end markets in early 2009 unfortunately necessitated that we reduce our workforce even further than we originally anticipated. The employee reductions in 2008 and 2009 total about 10 percent of our full-time workforce.”

Eaton also announced that its businesses are being reorganized into two sectors — Electrical and Industrial — with a vice chairman and chief operating officer for each sector. The changes are effective Feb 1. Thomas S. Gross has been named vice chairman and chief operating officer - Electrical Sector. Gross will succeed Randy W. Carson, chief executive officer - Electrical Group, who will retire at the end of April.

Leviton opens regional sales office in Dubai

Leviton Manufacturing Co. Inc., Little Neck, N.Y., has opened a Mid-East regional sales office in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The new 2,000 square-foot office, located in Jebel Ali's landmark towers in Dubai's free zone, will be home to a staff of Leviton sales, technical and administrative professionals.

The initial plan underlying Leviton's entry into the Middle East market is to establish growth in sales of the company's commercial networking devices, commercial and industrial products, lighting management systems and residential structured cabling products, with the goal of beginning manufacturing in the region within a five-year time horizon.