Temple workers will be included in the layoffs, a spokeswoman said, but it's not clear how deep the local job cuts will be.
Initially, Wilsonart will offer a retirement incentive to eligible employees and a voluntary, early-out option for all other workers.
Spokeswoman Alison DeMartino said within four weeks the company would have a clearer picture on how many Temple workers would lose their jobs.
"We probably won't know until we've been through this process," Ms. DeMartino said, regarding Wilsonart's announcement that this was part of a new strategy the company is pursuing. "We think the number is going to be about 10 percent countrywide, but it's going to hit different parts of the organization in different ways."
Wilsonart employs about 1,200 in Temple.
The layoffs are necessary because 2009 is shaping up to be the laminate and floor manufacturing giant's worst year this decade.
Bill DiGaetano, president of Wilsonart International in North America, said he expects to see little recovery before the end of 2010 because Wilsonart is closely tied to the residential and commercial construction markets, which are in a prolonged slump.
"When the market does return, we believe that it will be at a reduced level from all-time highs of the past several decades," DiGaetano said. "It is important that we structure our company to meet this new, reduced opportunity."
According to the company's Monday press release, after the early-out option period has been evaluated, Wilsonart will consider if it needs to trim more staff.
Wilsonart was founded in 1956 when California businessman Ralph Wilson Sr. relocated to Temple. The company today manufactures countertops, flooring, adhesives and other interior surfacing materials.
