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Equipment maker plans more job cuts

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Published: January 14, 2016

Ag Junction, which produces the farm equipment brands Outback and Satloc, is reducing its workforce by one-fifth.

The move comes in the wake of a recent industry consolidation that saw it paired with California-based Novariant.

It’s not the first time Ag Junction has cut staff.

The company, which was once based in Calgary when it was Hemisphere GPS, reduced its staff by 100 from 270 in early 2014 when it moved from Alberta to Kansas, shortly after its name change and restructuring.

Last spring, it acquired original equipment manufacturer guidance provider Novariant in a share merger, which put 15 percent of the company’s shares into the hands of venture capital firm Investor Growth Capital.

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Another 15 percent of the shares, which traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange as AJX, rests with other insiders such as staff and board directors.

The combined company had 200 staff at the time the merger was announced, according to corporate filings. Further staff cuts took place as a result, which reduced the workforce to 185, which will now be reduced by one-fifth.

Business consolidation is ex-pected to result in a $3.3 million savings to the operation, which will maintain the Outback, Satloc and Novariant brands.

The company said it will maintain corporate offices in Kansas.

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Michael Raine

Managing Editor, Saskatoon newsroom

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