Adtech lays off 10 percent of workers

By Frank Cho
Advertiser Staff Writer

Telecommunications test equipment manufacturer Adtech Inc. announced today it is laying off about 10 percent of its 300-plus workforce to cut costs as part of a company-wide restructuring effort.

The Kaimuki-based company, a division of London-based Spirent Plc, is one of Hawai'i's top technology companies.

Tareq Hoque resigned as president of Adtech earlier this month, saying it would soon become apparent why he left.

Adtech, which sells Internet test equipment to telecom giants like Cisco, Nortel and Lucent, has been hard hit by falling sales as customers try to reduce their costs.

"This step, along with other planned administrative cost-cutting measures, will enable Spirent to reduce its total operating costs," said Barry Phelps, president of Spirent Communications' Performance Analysis Division, in a statement.

In June, Spirent reported a slowdown in second-quarter sales of its telecom test division, of which Adtech is a key part. Adtech in May said revenues should exceed the $150 million earned last year, but layoffs and other cuts at major customers of Adtech has put those projections in doubt.

Frank Cho can be reached by phone at 525-8088, or by e-mail at fcho@honoluluadvertiser.com.