ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, December 19, 1996 TAG: 9612190087
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B-6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: GREG EDWARDS
Vitramon Inc., a manufacturer of chip capacitors for a variety of electronic applications, has laid off 17 workers at its Roanoke plant, or about 3 percent of the work force, plant manager John Dyer said.
No further layoffs are expected at the plant, which employs more than 400 people, Dyer said. The layoffs last week were necessary to bring the plant into line with its 1997 budget and business forecast, he said.
Sales of the chip capacitors that Vitramon makes have been fairly flat, Dyer said. Chip capacitors are miniature components used in electronic circuits to store electricity.
However, the plant may hire additional workers around the end of March, Dyer said. Vitramon is conducting research and development on a new product, a chip inductor, another tiny component used in electronic circuits.
Chip inductors, which alter the nature of electric current, are made in a similar fashion to the chip capacitors but with different materials and slightly different processes, Dyer said. Some of the laid-off workers could be rehired when the new product is brought on line, he said.
Vitramon's plant is in the Roanoke Centre for Industry and Technology.
LENGTH: Short : 31 lines KEYWORDS: JOBCHEKby CNB