Selling Hard Drives
According to industry sources, Samsung Electro-Mechanics is trying to sell its hard disk drive (HDD) motor business unit. The company announced on June 26 that it would shut down the business and sell its three factories located in China, Japan, and Thailand along with 2,500 or so employees. In addition, the 200 or so R&D staff members in the main office in Suwon will be allowed to retire voluntarily or be given different jobs. Samsung Electro-Mechanics is planning to dispose of other non-key parts as well, including the power supply business unit.
In the meantime, Samsung Display combined its TV and mobile OLED R&D units in March this year. Samsung SDI let go of about 200 employees in Sept. last year by shutting down its plasma display panel (PDP) business, and merged its battery and material business divisions late last month.
Samsung Electronics reduced the number of those to be promoted by 20 percent late last year, while relocating 500 employees from the Mobile Communications Division to the Consumer Electronics Division and sending 15 percent of the 1,000 or so main office staff members to Suwon.
Samsung C&T is planning to retire 700 to 800 workers, too. The company’s housing business unit was absorbed by its building business unit late last year, and now it has three divisions, the other two being plant and civil engineering.