Dec. 30--BRADENTON -- Intertape Polymer Group Inc., a manufacturer of plastic and paper packaging goods, is eliminating 152 jobs as part of several cost-saving measures it is implementing due to economic conditions.

The company's headquarters in Bradenton, however, will see the lowest reduction of positions.

Intertape Polymer spokesman Rick Leckner said fewer than 10 employees will be laid off at the company's office on Cortez Road.

Intertape, which also has a main office in Montreal, has already cut many of the positions among its 17 locations, which include 13 manufacturing facilities in North America and one in Europe.

"All should be complete very early in the new year," Leckner said.

Once the downsizing is complete, Intertape will have an estimated 1,950 employees.

Aside from downsizing, Intertape extended its holiday closure period by an additional week at all of its manufacturing facilities to help save on production costs.

In addition to shutting down for Christmas and New Year's, the company will close the week of Jan. 5 to help conserve costs.

And additional cost savings are expected to come for the company after it revises its third-party contracts and fees.

By revising the contracts, Intertape brought more services in-house and reduced existing fees.

Leckner said the company was not willing to disclose the amount of savings it is expected to see from all of its cost-savings measures.

"We are taking these necessary and proactive steps, as unfortuour focus on cash management and lean operations," said Melbourne Yull, executive director of Intertape Polymer Group, in a news release.

Intertape saw sales improve for a third straight quarter in the third quarter, which ended Sept. 30.

The company's sales for the third quarter were $202 million, compared with $201.9 million for the same period in 2007.

However, Yull said the fourth quarter is traditionally slow for the company, and sales are expected to decline significantly.

"As previously announced, fourth-quarter sales are expected to decline from third-quarter levels," Yull said.

Intertape Polymer is one of several Manatee County manufacturing companies in recent months to announce or complete layoffs.

Earlier this month, Teleflex Marine announced it was closing its facility in Lakewood Ranch Corporate Park to eliminate 100 jobs due to a weak boating industry. Hi-Stat Manufacturing, a maker of automotive sensors and switches, will close its facility Wednesday.

The company began laying off its 290 employees in March, and administrative positions are the only jobs that remain.

And Scott Sign Systems cut 42 employees on Dec. 19.

Nancy Engel, executive director of the Manatee Economic Development Council, said the slumping economy has forced local companies to make drastic cost-savings.

"All companies across the board are looking at how they can save money and be more productive at the same time," Engel said.

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