UPDATE: Spokeswoman praises Kalamazoo workforce but sidesteps questions on local job cuts

KALAMAZOO, MI -- Zoetis Inc., an international animal-health drugmaker, which employs about 1,000 people at its research and development headquarters in Kalamazoo, will cut up to 25 percent of its total workforce.

Zoetis Inc. whose research and development lab building is shown in downtown Kalamazoo, is a worldwide leader in the discovery and production of medicines and vaccines for livestock and domestic animals.

On Tuesday, the company released its plans to cut $300 million in annual costs by 2017, and will shutter or sell 10 manufacturing sites and reduce its geographical divisions from four to two.

In addition, Zoetis Inc. will cut a total of 2,500 jobs as part of the cost-cutting plans, according to a Bloomberg report.

It was not immediately clear what impact the cuts could have on Zoetis' Kalamazoo-area workforce.

"We took a comprehensive look across our business and identified opportunities to generate higher quality, profitable growth, while preserving and enhancing our competitive advantages," said Paul Herendeen, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Zoetis, in a company statement issued Tuesday.

"The operational efficiency initiative we announced today will result in a company that will generate more profit from a slightly smaller, more focused revenue base." He added.

"By 2017, we will be a company that can grow our re-based organic revenue in line with or faster than the mid-single digit growth of our markets, while holding growth in our leaned-out operating expenses to the inflation rate, thereby delivering long-term profit growth greater than our revenue growth."

Zoetis Inc. develops medicines, vaccines, parasiticides, anti-infectives, medicated feed additives and other pharmaceutical products to livestock farmers and veterinarians who work with cattle, pigs, poultry, sheep, fish, dogs, cats and horses. The company employees more than 9,000 people.

Kalamazoo is home to one of Zoetis's 29 manufacturing plants, which employees some 700 research and developers and 300 manufacturing employees.