Nissan closing Aurora sales office, cut 110 jobs across U.S.

Nissan Motor Co., Japan's third-largest automaker, plans to eliminate about 110 U.S. jobs as it adjusts regional sales, marketing and design operations because of slowing sales.

Nissan North America, the U.S. arm of the Tokyo-based company, will reduce the number of regional sales offices to seven from 11 and consolidate design work at a San Diego studio, according to an e-mailed statement today.

Most of the job cuts will be from closing regional sales offices in Herndon, Virginia; Pleasanton, California, Aurora, Illinois; and Atlanta, Nissan said. Attrition and voluntary departures will account for most of the reductions, said Katherine Zachary, a company spokeswoman.

Nissan is revamping the operations after saying earlier this month said its U.S. plants will build vehicles just four days a week indefinitely. Nissan's U.S. sales fell 11 percent last year and the company, along with all its major competitors, is preparing for a continued slump in new-vehicle demand in 2009.

Nissan's U.S. operations are based in Franklin, Tennessee.

The company's American depositary receipts rose 18 cents, or 2.9 percent, to $6.47 at 4:29 p.m. in Nasdaq Stock Market composite trading.