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Semitool Laying Off 100 Workers

By Beacon Staff

Semitool Inc. says it is laying off about 100 workers at its plants in Kalispell and Libby.

The firm has about 800 Montana employees including 37 workers in Libby, so the layoffs will affect just under 13 percent of Semitool’s Montana work force.

Workers were told to consider the layoffs permanent.

Semitool is the third-largest employer in Flathead County and a leading manufacturer of wafer processing equipment for the semiconductor industry.

Its headquarters are in Kalispell.

Human Resources Manager Vicki Billmayer said she and two Semitool executives, Chief Operating Officer Larry Murphy and Vice President of Operations Jim Wright, personally delivered the news to small groups of employees starting Monday morning.

She expected to finish talking with all affected workers Tuesday.