Sony Digital Audio Disc Corp. US Inc. plans to outsource its music and video manufacturing operations in Terre Haute, ending employment for about 375 workers at the plant by the end of August.
In a notice to the state dated Wednesday, the company said terminations at the plant are expected to start March 23. It said the terminations are expected to be permanent.
Sony DADC spokeswoman Lisa Gepthardt told the Terre Haute Tribune-Star that the company currently has about 680 workers. That’s down from about 1,300 employees earlier this decade.
The Terre Haute facility was the first plant in the United States to manufacture commercial compact discs, starting with Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the USA” in 1984.
In recent years, the company has mostly concentrated on producing Blu-ray movie discs and games for Sony's PlayStation gaming system.
Gepthardt told the Tribune-Star that the changing home-entertainment market has taken a toll on the plant. Consumers are streaming more and more movies, games and music while buying fewer and fewer discs.
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