Camas

Camas-based Sigma Design Inc. is permanently laying off 42 employees in Camas and Vancouver as of Jan. 31, according to the Washington Employment Security Department.

The company, headquartered at 4600 N.W. Pacific Rim Blvd. in Camas, said in a statement to the press that the workforce reduction was across most departments and within several facilities.

The product design and engineering company was founded in 1994 in Vancouver and now has offices in Seattle, Pasadena, Calif., and Singapore. It has 327 employees, according to its website.

“This was an incredibly difficult decision to make, and we understand the impact it will have on our affected employees and their families,” Bill Huseby, chief executive at Sigma Design, said in the statement. “However, sudden client project changes have proven we, too, are not immune to dynamic global economic conditions.

“In order to sustain our competitiveness and position ourselves for future growth, we had to make some tough changes,” Huseby said.

The statement said the company is committed to supporting affected employees with job search assistance and other resources.

“Despite the difficult decision, the company remains committed to delivering high-quality services to its customers,” it read.

Sigma Design started out of the founders’ house in 1994 before opening offices in downtown Vancouver, where it operated for more than a decade. It continued to see steady growth in business over the years.

In 2017, it moved its headquarters to its 56,000-square-foot facility in Camas. The building was previously used by Heraeus Shin-Etsu America, which made quartz crucibles for the production of silicon crystals and ingots. That facility closed in 2014.

What started out as a small mechanical engineering group with a handful of employees grew to a much larger product design and development company employing hundreds. Sigma Design engages in industrial design; systems; mechanical, electrical, firmware and software engineering; rapid prototyping, machine shop/part fabrication; product testing; manufacturing; logistics and shipping. Customers span industries from tech and medical to aerospace, recreation and military.