JDS Uniphase Corp., based in both San Jose and Ottawa, recently announced plans to cut more jobs as the company’s third quarter results reveal an ongoing loss of profits.
The optical network equipment maker reported its sixteenth consecutive quarterly loss on April 29, with a net loss of US$137 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2003 as compared to a net loss of US$215 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2002.
JDS started implementing layoffs in January 2001 with 700 contract manufacturers from its Ottawa operation. In February 2001, JDS cut roughly another 1,200 jobs including 350 Ottawa staff.
In April 2001, JDS implemented a global realignment program, which has seen the Ottawa workforce drop to 860 staff from its peak of 10,000 in January 2001. The Ottawa operation has lost 340 employees since the end of January 2003, and there are still more layoffs to come.
“The job cuts are part of our global realignment program and that program is expected to be completed by December of this year. There is expected to be some reductions ongoing throughout that period,” said Lori Goulet, a JDS spokesperson.
The global realignment program was set in place by the company to align JDS’s resources and operations into a global structure that, according to the company, would help JDS remain competitive in the future.
JDS reported net sales for the third quarter of US$166 million. The company’s Communication Products Group represented US$74 million, or 44 per cent of total sales, while the Thin Film Products Group represented US$92 million or 56 per cent of total sales.
Despite four years of ongoing financial problems, at least one division of the company has some good news.
Flex Products Inc., a company owned by JDS, announced last week that Dearborn, Mich. -based Ford Motor Comp. has chosen ChromaFlair, Flex Products’ light interference pigment technology, for its special edition 2004 Ford SVT Mustang Cobra. According to Flex Products, ChromaFlair pigment provides a colour-shifting optical effect, that changes with the viewing angle, in the exterior paint and for the interior leather.
More information about ChromaFlair can be found online at www.colorshift.com. JDS Uniphase is online at www.jdsu.com.
