First Solar, Inc. announced that it is restructuring its operations in response to deteriorating market conditions in Europe. To reduce costs and align itself with sustainable market opportunities, the company will close its manufacturing plant in Frankfurt in Q4 2012 and indefinitely halt four production lines at its center in Kulim, Malaysia on May 1.
These actions, combined with other personnel reductions in Europe and the U.S., will reduce First Solar’s global workforce by approximately 2,000 positions, about 30 percent of the total. The restructuring initiatives are expected to reduce First Solar’s costs by $30-60 million this year and $100-120 million annually going forward.
"After a thorough analysis, it is clear the European market has deteriorated to the extent that our operations there are no longer economically sustainable, and maintaining those operations is not in the best long-term interest of our stakeholders," said Mike Ahearn, Chairman and Interim CEO of First Solar. "Decisions like this are not easy, especially given how important the European markets and our associates in Europe have been to the development of our Company and the solar industry as a whole. We are committed to treating all affected associates fairly, and to building our relationships with European business partners that are aligned with our strategy of pursuing utility-scale solar opportunities in sustainable markets around the world."
"The solar market has fundamentally changed, and we are quickly adapting our market approach and operations to maintain and build upon our competitive advantage," said Ahearn. "After a period of robust growth, First Solar is scaled to operate at higher volumes than currently exist following the reduction of subsidies in key legacy markets. As a result, it is essential that we reduce production and decrease expenses to reflect the smaller volume of high-probability demand we forecast. These actions will enable us to focus our resources on developing the markets where we expect to generate significant growth in coming years."
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