Starting in September, Microsoft plans to shut down a manufacturing facility outside of Portland where it built the Surface Hub.
The Oregonian reported that Microsoft sent a letter to the state of Oregon outlining plans to close the operation and lay off 124 workers over the next few months. The manufacturing site in Wilsonville, OR, about 30 minutes south of Portland, produced the enormous touchscreen computer that Microsoft introduced in early 2015.
ZDNet was able to get a hold of someone from Microsoft who confirmed the shutdown and said the company still plans to produce Surface Hubs, which cost well over $10,000 and seem to have disappeared from Microsoft’s online store, although you can find them at resellers. A Microsoft representative also confirmed the company’s plans for the facility to GeekWire. Microsoft has enjoyed success with other hardware products in the Surface family, but it’s not at all clear how many of the giant computers the company has sold.
It’s been a rough couple of weeks for Microsoft employees working on some of the company’s fringe businesses, coming off the massive restructuring of its sales organization last week that affected 3,000 employees. Microsoft will offer some of those affected by the Wilsonville plant closure a chance to work for other parts of the company, ZDNet reported.
(Editor’s note: This story was updated following confirmation of the layoffs by a Microsoft representative.)
