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WEBVTT SEVERAL LEADERS IN THE AREA WHO SAID THEY WERE BLIND SIDED FROM IT. THE CENTRAL DINER IS FIVE MINUTES FROM THE ROBINSON BAYER OFFICE. THOSE EMPLOYEES ARE CENTRAL TO THEIR SUCCESS. >> THEY EAT A LOT EVERYDAY, MOSTLY FOR LUNCH. >> THAT MASSIVE LUNCH RUSH COUPLED WITH ABOUT ONE LARGE CATERING ORDER PER WEEK MEANS JEFFREY MUNOS WILL LIKELY LOSE CUSTOMERS. >> THEY CAN DO A 30 MINUTE LUNCH AND THEN GET BACK TO WORK. SO THOSE PEOPLE THAT WILL BE GONE WE'RE GOING TO FEEL IT. >> THEY'RE THANKFUL TO THE BAYER CUSTOMERS BUT THEY'RE ONLY PART OF THE TRICKLE DOWN OF THIS LOSS. >> A MAJOR PLAYER IN THE AREA. >> THE ROBINSON TOWNSHIP MANAGER HAD HEARD RUMORS ABOUT THE CLOSURE AFTER BAYER ANNOUNCED THEY WERE MERGING WITH AN AGRICULTURAL GIANT LAST YEAR. >> VERYDISAPPOINTED. 569 JOBS. OBVIOUSLY YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF FAMILIES, A LOT OF CHILDREN EFFECTED BY THIS. YOU MIGHT HAVE TOWNSHIP RESIDENTS, THE WHOLE AIRPORT CORRIDOR. >> HE HOPES T TWO YEAR BUFFER GIVES THEM SIGNIFICANT TIME T RECRUIT A NEW COMPANY TO COME INTO THE PROPERTY. >> IT'S NOT JUST A HUGE LOSS FOR ROBINSON BUT FOR THE REGION. DAVID: WE GOT A STATEMENT FROM BAYER TODAY THANKING THEIR EMPLOYEES HERE IN ROBINSON AND SAYING THAT THEY WILL TRANSITION THE SITE CLOSING IN A THOUGHTFUL ORDERLY MANNER OVER THE TWO YEAR PERIOD TO PROVIDE AMPLE TIME FOR EMPLOYEES AND OPERATIONS TO TRANSITION SMOOTHLY. WE ALSO GOT A STATEMENT FROM THE ALLEGHENY CONFERENCE, THEY SORT OF HANDLE ALL THINGS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HERE IN ALLEGHENY COUNTY. THEY SAY THEY ARE ALSO DISAPPOINTED BUT ALSO SAY THEY ARE GOING TO TRY AND INFORM THESE EMPLOYEES HERE AT BAYER AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE ABOUT WHAT THEY CALL OUR MANY OPENINGS HERE IN THE GROWING PITTSBURGH AREA. DAVID KAPLAN, PITTSBURGH'S ACTION NEWS 4. >> THANK YOU, DAVID. WHILE IN HARRISBURG FOR TODAYS INAUGURATION WE SPOKE TO RICH FITZGERALD WHO OFFERED HIS THOUGHTS ON BAYER'S DECISION TO CLOSE THE SITE. >> IT'S DISAPPOINTING TO LOSE OVER 500 JOBS. I GUESS THE SILVER LINING IS IT'S OVER TWO YEARS AND RIGHT NOW THERE ARE A LOT OF JOBS IN PITTSBURGH. SO WE WANT TO DO EVERYTH

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Bayer said it will close its administrative offices in Robinson Township, which served for years as the pharmaceutical giant's North American headquarters. (Tap the video player above to watch the report.)The move will impact 569 positions and 96 contractors, according to the German company's announcement Tuesday. The cuts include workers in finance, accounting, legal and technology jobs.It was announced in November that Bayer would lay off 12,000 workers globally by 2021.The Robinson site will be closed over a two-year period to "provide ample time for employees and operations to transition smoothly," Bayer said in its statement.Robinson Township Manager Frank Piccolino said township officials had heard rumors about a closure but were blindsided by Bayer's announcement Tuesday."Very disappointing -- 569 jobs," Piccolino said. "Obviously, you’ve got a lot of families, lot of children affected by this. Township residents, the whole airport corridor, lots of families are affected."Bayer is one of the 50 largest employers in Allegheny County, according to the most recent statistics from the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry."It's disappointing to lose over 500 jobs," County Executive Rich Fitzgerald said. "I guess the silver lining is that it's over two years, and right now there are a lot of jobs in Pittsburgh, so we want to do everything we can to help place these people if they want to stay here in Pittsburgh."The Allegheny Conference released a statement saying that Bayer's announcement does not reflect the growth they've seen in Pittsburgh, and they will try to help the affected employees.Piccolino emphasized the trickle-down effect of the Bayer closure and the loss of high-paying jobs.Central Diner is located five minutes away in Robinson. Manager Jeffery Munoz said they do about one big catering order for Bayer per week, in addition to several lunch customers every weekday."It's sad to see those people are going to be losing their jobs. Over two years, it’s going to make an impact," Munoz said.The full Bayer statement is as follows:“For more than 150 years, Bayer has stood for quality and trust, making innovative products in health and nutrition that improve lives and make a contribution to society. Our employees around the globe work every day to find solutions to a growing and aging population.“With the acquisition of Monsanto completed last year, we doubled the size of our business in the United States to more than $16 billion in sales, and we now employ more than 20,000 people in 300 locations across the country. “As part of the work to bring our companies together and significantly improve productivity and profitability, Bayer announced in November 2018 that it will reduce 12,000 jobs globally by 2021. “In the United States, we are beginning to implement this by consolidating administrative functions to best support our agriculture business, which is headquartered in St. Louis, and our healthcare businesses, which are headquartered in Whippany, N.J. “As a first step toward this consolidation, we are announcing that we will be closing our administrative site in Robinson, PA, and informed employees at this site today. This decision will impact 569 positions and 96 contractors. “This is certainly a difficult decision given the impact it will have on our colleagues and their families, and the important role the site has played in our company’s history. We have an extremely talented workforce in Robinson and a proud and rich history. We thank our colleagues for their hard work and dedication over the years. “We will transition the site closing in a thoughtful, orderly manner over a two-year period to provide ample time for employees and operations to transition smoothly and to ensure that we continue to serve our customers and businesses effectively. We are exploring options where key work at the site will be performed.“We have the utmost appreciation for the employees and their families affected by this decision, and we are committed to treating each employee with dignity and respect throughout this process. We know that changes like this can be uneasy and even a bit stressful for our employees – and for the community. That is why we will honor our commitments and continue to support important groups like non-profits and other charitable organizations in the region at the same level in 2019 and 2020.”