Formlabs fire only 40 employees

Apparently it's just HR' summer cleaning

The global additive manufacturing (AM) industry is experiencing one of the most significant crises in its 35-year history, and most companies are responding in the most typical way—by reducing their workforce. While layoffs at companies like Desktop Metal or Velo3D were somewhat expected given their financial situations, the news of layoffs at Formlabs comes as a bit of a surprise.

In recent months, AM companies have shed a significant number of talented employees. For those with experience in 3D printing—whether in desktop or specialized areas like powder-based or photopolymer 3D printing—finding a job today is a challenge.

Formlabs, compared to its competitors, appears to be very strong and stable. The company recently acquired the startup Micronics and proudly announced that it is responsible for over 50% of all global SLS 3D printer shipments (the company develops the Fuse line). This makes the news of laying off 40 people, which represents about 5% of the 750-strong workforce, even more surprising.

However, it seems there is no need to panic, as the reduction appears to be more of a "cleansing" rather than a "cost-saving" measure. At least, that's what a Formlabs spokesperson claims:

We routinely review every part of the organization to make sure the roles we have best support our customers and enable us to deliver great products. At the same time, we are hiring new roles across all divisions and geographies and are heavily investing in R&D. While we continue to grow revenue and lead in the additive manufacturing market, we occasionally must make the difficult decision to part ways with a small number of colleagues who are in departments that are below our efficiency goals and/or who are not in the right roles.

The coming months will reveal whether this is indeed just routine housekeeping by the HR department or part of a deeper process.

Source: www.techcrunch.com