Amway, the global direct sales giant, said it’s cutting 900 jobs, most of them at headquarters in western Michigan.
The company said it hopes to accomplish the move by offering buyouts and other incentives. The 900 jobs are equal to 6% of Amway’s global workforce.
“We are investing even more in our wellness portfolio — in science, innovation, manufacturing — while also improving our digital capabilities,” chief executive Milind Pant said in a written statement Thursday.
“It is a difficult business reality that this kind of change doesn’t come without affecting people — people we love dearly who all passionately believe in what we do to support entrepreneurs all over the world,” Pant said.
Amway, based in Ada Township, near Grand Rapids, sells a variety of products through an army of distributors, including cosmetics, vitamins, energy drinks, kitchenware and water purifiers. It had sales of $8.5 billion in 2020.
Ada Township Supervisor Ross Leisman said the job cuts are tough to hear.
“We are, of course, saddened to see any company have to lay off people, many of whom are our friends and neighbors,” Leisman told WOOD-TV. “We are confident that the decisions being made by Amway are being made thoughtfully and carefully.”
