A Massachusetts automation company has announced plans to lay off hundreds of employees at a facility it purchased from Walmart earlier this year.
Wilmington-based Symbiotic LLC, which develops automated warehouse technology, will cut 400 jobs at the Andover location by June 27, according to a Massachusetts Workers Adjustment Retraining Notice filed with the state on April 29.
Symbiotic acquired the Andover robotics unit from Walmart for $200 million, according to a Jan. 16, 2025, press release, and up to an additional $350 million in the future, as part of an ongoing relationship between the two companies, which started in 2017.
The automation company said at the time that it would develop further supply chain technology to provide “accelerated pickup and delivery options” for Walmart customers.
In turn, Walmart agreed to deploy Symbiotic technology in at least 400 of its stores over the next few years, paying the company $520 million.
According to the company, the layoffs are part of Symbiotic’s process of combining the robotics unit with its own existing operations.
“While [layoff] decisions like these are always difficult, we made them following a thorough post-close review of our operations to ensure we are best positioned for the future with an effective structure to continue executing our long-term growth strategy,” the company said in a statement. “We appreciate the contributions of the impacted employees and are committed to treating every employee respectfully during this change.”