Suburban companies post layoff notices

Twenty-two companies, including six in the suburbs, are expected to lay off about 2,500 workers through May, according to documents posted Monday by the state of Illinois.

The layoffs are primarily from streamlining or closures due to the recession, the companies said.

London-based HSBC, which has its U.S. headquarters in Mettawa, led the suburban group with 214 layoffs. The number is part of about 6,100 layoffs companywide announced last month, but this is the first time the local impact has been provided.

The positions include support functions in information technology, marketing and underwriting related to the HSBC Finance Consumer Mortgage and Lending businesses, said company spokeswoman Kate Durham.

"We greatly appreciate the dedication and contribution of our employees, and will do our best to assist them in finding alternate positions," Durham said.

Also, BP America, headquartered in Naperville, said it will lay off about 50 workers in its Aromatics and Acetyls Technology Department beginning around May 11. The department is part of its petrochemical business that produces plastics, such as polyester.

"These are part of our ongoing streamlining efforts," said BP spokesman Scott Dean. "This business has been affected by the recession and demand is down significantly for these products."

In addition, Baltimore-based Vertis Communications, which provided advertising inserts and newspaper products for retailers, newspapers and consumer services, closed its Elk Grove Village plant in March, affecting about 150 workers. The company recently merged with American Color Graphics, which led to overlapping locations, said spokeswoman Grace Platon.

"We must capture synergies to strengthen our competitive position and continue to drive our business forward," said Platon. "We are taking aggressive actions now to improve operating efficiencies and ensure Vertis Communications' long-term success."

Other companies include:

• Evanston-based Northfield Laboratories Inc. aims to eliminate 69 positions due to closing a facility in Mount Prospect. The layoffs are scheduled to begin around early May.

• Filtration Group Inc. in Aurora is closing its facilities there and laying off 76 workers by mid-May.

• Swiss Automation Inc. in Barrington said it would lay off workers in March, but did not provide the number. It stated that the economic downturn was the cause.

Spokesmen for these companies did not return calls.

In other news, Schaumburg-based Motorola Inc. said Monday it let go about 2,800 workers during the first quarter, at a cost of $110 million in severance and other related costs. These were previously announced layoffs. However, this group, along with other previously announced layoffs have totaled 5,600 workers with severance and exit-related costs of $229 million for the first quarter, according to Motorola's filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Motorola expects to release its first-quarter earnings on April 30.