According to The Oregonian, Columbia Sportswear has laid off about approximately 80 employees. Company spokesman Ron Parham told the newspaper that most of the layoffs occurred at its Portland headquarters and in Europe as Columbia reaches a 2 percent labor force reduction. Columbia employs about 4,100 people.
Forecasts of low single-digit sales and earnings growth in the current year prompted the company to make cost reductions, including layoffs, Parham said. On its fourth quarter conference call, management attributed the subdued forecast to the
warmer-than-usual winter's impact on ordering patterns. On the call, Columbia chief executive Tim Boyle said he and his mother, chairman
Gert Boyle, would also take a 50 percent salary cuts as a result.
“It's an unfortunate set of circumstances that have been dealt here,” Parham said.
