Vestas lays off 220 staff as it integrates onshore and offshore wind units
Danish firm Vestas has commenced the integration of onshore and offshore wind organisations to accelerate the build-out of its renewable energy business.
Vestas acquired MHI Vestas Offshore Wind (MVOW) in December as part of the company’s plan to expand into offshore wind, and has now begun the integration of Vestas and MVOW into one organisation that is based on one shared operating model and unified culture.
Consequently, Vestas intends to lay off approximately 220 staff in primarily Denmark and Great Britain, with the majority being in Denmark.
“Since we announced the agreement to acquire MHI Vestas Offshore Wind, we have meticulously planned how we can build a united and strong Vestas organisation that can lead and scale up in both onshore and offshore wind. I want to thank everyone for their hard work and dedication during a difficult period where my colleagues have contributed to both the integration planning and execution of commercial commitments,” said Henrik Andersen, group president and CEO of Vestas.
“We have now started implementing our integration plans, which unfortunately includes letting around 220 hardworking colleagues go. It is never easy to make such a decision or say goodbye to good colleagues but integrating and simplifying two companies inherently creates overlaps between functions and it’s therefore necessary if we want to create a competitive and scalable organisation,” Andersen added.
The organisational integration will continue throughout 2021.