Baxter International said today it would close 26 facilities, cut 2,500 jobs and miss its previous 2003 earnings estimate because of lower-than-expected growth in its bioscience business.
The company which employs 900 people at two manufacturing plants at Castlebar and Swinford in Co Mayo said it would take a second-quarter charge of $200 million for the job cuts and plant closures.
Baxter said it will cut the number of plasma collection centres to 94 from 120 and will reduce plasma production by about 13 per cent.
The remainder of the job cuts will occur in other Baxter units across the US over the next several months.
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Baxter's blood-product customers include hospitals, outpatient centers and physician offices.