History 2000: Seagate Closed Sites in Anaheim, CA, and Mexicali, Mexico

The restructuring of Seagate Technology is continuing at high speed, and is perhaps even accelerating.

The disk drive manufacturer is closing its disk manufacturing plants in Anaheim, CA and in Mexicali, Mexico, which will leave roughly 600 people from each plant without jobs.

The company still has one remaining facility turning out the components in Limavady, Northern Ireland.

In addition, Seagate plans to sell to an (unnamed) Japanese firm its 2,000-people strong motor assembly plant north of Bangkok, Thailand, according to local broadsheet The Nation, citing Seagate’s VP Sampan Silapanad.

Recall that, in February, the firm sold its printed circuit cable facility, also in Thailand, with 2,800 people to US company Fabrinet.

Seagate appears to be standing by its declaration last September that it would eliminate 8,000 jobs during the subsequent 8 months. From 110,000 employees in 1997, the company has become a shadow of its former self, with only some 61,000 remaining.

This article is an abstract of news published on issue 149 on June 2000 from the former paper version of Computer Data Storage Newsletter.