National

ThyssenKrupp AG: A Janesville manufacturing plant is closing, resulting in the loss of about 140 jobs, as its German owners consolidate operations. The ThyssenKrupp plant makes parts and production equipment used in automotive factories. Combined, the operations employ 175 people, including mechanical and electrical engineers, robotic engineers and administrative personnel. Work at the plant will be phased out, a company spokesman said. Thirty-four of the employees will be offered jobs with ThyssenKrupp Krause Inc. and ThyssenKrupp Drauz Nothelfer in the Janesville area and Auburn Hills, Mich., near Detroit. The remaining employees will lose their jobs, and the plant will be sold, company spokesman said. Thyssenkrupp is closing the Janesville operation, formerly known as Gilman Engineering, for competitive and cost reasons, the company said in a news release. About 70 of the Janesville plant's employees are unionized. The company is meeting with workers to explain severance terms and access to job retraining and placement services. ThyssenKrupp Krause and ThyssenKrupp Drauz Nothelfer are part of ThyssenKrupp Technologies, a German group of companies whose customers include the automotive industry. With 55,000 employees, it had $15.3 billion in sales last year. ThyssenKrupp Technologies is a subsidiary of ThyssenKrupp AG, a German conglomerate formed in 1999.

Sunesis Pharmaceuticals Inc.: Sunesis Pharmaceuticals Inc. said recently it plans to cut about 60 staff positions and refocus its business on its lead oncology product candidate. South San Francisco-based Sunesis said members of the executive team who will be leaving include the chief medical officer and vice president of human resources and corporate operations. The company said it expects to take a one-time charge of about $10.7 million in the second quarter, with about $8 million going toward closing the company's research facility and about $2.5 million for severance and other personnel related expenses.

Borders Group Inc.: Borders Group Inc. said that it will cut 156 corporate jobs at its Ann Arbor, Mich. headquarters and another 118 corporate jobs elsewhere to implement its plan to reduce expenses by $120 million. The reductions eliminate about 20% of the company's corporate positions but less than 1% of its total workforce. Only a handful of store employees are a part of the job cuts.

Circuit City Stores Inc.: Circuit City Stores said recently it is cutting 123 jobs, ending a "pilot" program in which its employees did installations for cable companies. About 25 of the positions being cut are in Georgia, said a company spokesman. Employees in the program worked as subcontractors for cable television providers, including Comcast and Charter Communications. They were notified of the impending layoffs recently. The Richmond-based electronics retailer said the cuts include installers and support staff.

Dawahare’s LLC: The Lexington-based Dawahare's chain of clothing stores filed for bankruptcy reorganization recently, citing the national economic downturn and competition from other retailers. The 101-year-old family-owned business that was started by a peddler in the Eastern Kentucky coalfields and grew into the largest Kentucky-based retailer said it will close nine of its 31 stores over a two-month period and shrink its corporate staff in Lexington. About 100 jobs will be eliminated at the nine stores, plus seven jobs at Dawahare's headquarters, said the company's president. Dawahare's will have about 400 employees after the closings. The company listed more than $10 million in assets and nearly $9.3 million in liabilities in its Chapter 11 filing in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Lexington. The largest secured creditor is Fifth Third Bank, which is owed $4.94 million. Dawahare's operates stores under its own name and as The Cat Bird Seat. The stores to be closed are in Owensboro, Bowling Green, Paducah, Glasgow, Maysville, Mount Sterling, Campbellsville and Newport, Ky., and Bluefield, W.Va.

DHL Express: Express carrier DHL announced it will eliminate approximately 1,800 jobs in low volume rural locations as part of its restructuring of operations in the United States. Another 6,000 jobs will be scrapped at air-cargo carrier ABX Air if DHL's proposed deal with UPS goes through. Recently, DHL announced a plan to hire competitor Atlanta-based UPS to provide air transportation for all of DHL's domestic express and deferred shipments and airlift for DHL shipments between the United States, Canada and Mexico. The air transportation deal would effectively cut out ABX Air, which has provided DHL with airlift since 2003. The restructuring plan would reduce DHL's infrastructure network capacity by about 30 percent and cut overhead and other administrative costs. As part of the plan, DHL will close its air sort hub in Wilmington, Ohio, and phase out its outsourced flying with ABX Air to turn that business over to UPS, which has its own hub in Louisville, Ky.

American Airlines: AMR Corp., the parent company of American Airlines, has announced it will cut 6,500 jobs or more by year's end. The airline intends to offer voluntary buyout and early retirement packages in order to avoid as many layoffs as possible. American, like other U.S. carriers, is cutting staff in an effort to offset soaring fuel costs.

Bank of America Corporation: Bank of America, the nation's second-largest bank, will cut about 7,500 jobs over the next two years in connection with its acquisition of mortgage lender Countrywide Financial. Staff reductions will focus on areas with significant overlap.

Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc.: After rejecting a hostile takeover bid by InBev, Anheuser-Busch, best known for Budweiser beer, will appease shareholders by cutting as much as $1 billion in annual costs and buying back stock. As part of its cost-cutting plan, the company will cut up to 15 percent of its salaried workforce through an early retirement program.

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated: The combination of high Medicare costs and less commercial business has UnitedHealth Group, a leading health plan, instituting cost-cutting measures. The company will reduce its workforce by approximately 5 percent.

Brunswick Corporation: Boat maker Brunswick will cut at least 1,000 more jobs and close an additional four plants in response to slower sales for its boats and other recreational products. The company previously laid off 1,500 employees and announced it would close eight plants.