Kato Engineering cuts nearly 100 jobs in Mankato

Electrical generator maker Kato Engineering says it's cutting 20 percent of its workforce, or 94 jobs.

Company spokeswoman Emily Umbright says the cuts are permenant and needed because of declining demand for the firm's products. It will leave the company with 344 employees.

Umbright says those being laid off are all full-time production employees who received their notices last week.

Kato is a subsidiary of St. Louis-based Emerson Electric.

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Kato Engineering was founded in 1926 and built its business supplying generators to the U.S. armed services.

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Information from: The Free Press, http://www.mankatofreepress.com

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)