DePuy Ortho to shutter British plant, lay off 280 workers

November 12, 2009

The orthopedics giant plans to stop making some of its older hip replacement
products at its factory in Leeds, England, as sales slide in favor of its newer
offerings.

DePuy Orthopaedics plans to shutter its manufacturing operations at a facility
in Leeds, England, after sales declines for some of its older hip replacement
products.

The Warsaw, Indiana-based orthpedics giant, which is a division of Johnson &
Johnson (JNJ) and has operations in Raynham, Mass., said it will phase out
manufacturing at the plant, laying off 280 workers, over the course of the rest
of this year and 2010.

The company is discontinuing an older line of hip replacement and resurfacing
products made in Leeds and relocating the production of other products to a
plant in Cork, Ireland.