BLOOMINGTON — Pharmaceutical company Catalent, Inc., one of the largest employers in Bloomington, plans to lay off roughly 400 employees at its location there.
A spokesperson for the company confirms a letter was sent to employees stating they will be notified by Friday of their employment status.
Of those impacted, about 60 are temporary workers.
"We will offer severance and job transition support to all impacted employees and will seek to deploy as many as possible to other open roles in the network. Bloomington remains an important part of Catalent's global network and long-term growth strategy," the spokesperson wrote in an email to WRTV.
Catalent, based out of New Jersey, employs more than 19,000 people, according to its website. The company hired thousands of employees over the past two years during the COVID-19 pandemic. During that time, it contributed to the production of vaccines and treatments against the disease.
In 2017, Catalent acquired Cook Group for $950 million.
Its Bloomington location specializes in clinical and commercial biomanufacturing and drug product fill/finish and packaging, according to the company's website.
"To meet the needs of the pandemic, we added personnel to the facility at an extraordinary rate to ensure that we could meet our commitments, but now the size and structure of our organization needs to match current demands in order to increase efficiency and cost-effectiveness," the spokesperson said in a statement.
"they did a great job in 2020 and 2021 ramping up vaccine production and people have gotten more efficient. so if the volume is no longer there to support it, it's kinda hard to justify keeping so many people on the payroll"
George Telthorst with the IU Kelly School of Business says the Bloomington area is home to several life sciences and bio-medical companies that are in need of qualified candidates.
"There are four other significant firms in the area, and I think they're going to be wanted to hire experienced people who are let go from Catalent," Telthorst said. "So I feel that people here are going to be able to find jobs pretty readily."
In a statement shared on Facebook, Bloomington Mayor John Hamilton says he is sad to hear of the layoffs so close to the holiday.
-
Police: Shots fired into SUV with children inside in Bloomington, suspect fled
Multiple shots were fired into a SUV with four children inside in Bloomington Monday night, police say.
Purdue basketball to play four games in Canada on foreign trip
Purdue men's basketball released the schedule for its foreign trip to Canada in July. Purdue will play four games, with the first game being against Vancouver Select on July 25.
Shane Steichen shares what excites him most about this Colts team
Colts head coach Shane Steichen is entering year four in Indianapolis, looking for his first playoff appearance with the Colts.
Man charged with stalking Indiana Fever's Sophie Cunningham
A 48-year-old man is facing criminal charges after allegedly sending multiple threatening and explicit messages to Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham through social media.
