The Westinghouse facility in Cranberry Township

Cranberry Township officials say Thursday's announcement that Westinghouse will cut 1,500 employees company-wide comes as no surprise — and they are confident the area will take it in stride.

“Although no one likes to see folks laid off, this was not unexpected by anyone and is a world-wide number,” said Jerry Andree, Cranberry Township manager. “The impact on Cranberry Township is minimal, as the company will continue to employ over 2,000 employees in Cranberry.”

Westinghouse CEO Jose Gutierrez announced Thursday that Westinghouse will see 1,500 layoffs company-wide by the end of March.

“The layoffs are related to the company's business plan that was submitted as part of our bankruptcy process,” said Sarah Cassella, external communications manager at Westinghouse.

In their July announcement, Westinghouse estimated they would have to reduce their staff by around 7 percent. At the time of the announcement they employed around 12,000 people. As time went on and more information became available, Westinghouse increased their estimated layoff numbers.

A full report will appear in the Butler Eagle.