Beckman Coulter to shutter Webster facility 

Beckman Coulter Inc. is closing its facility in Webster and laying off 19 people over the next few months.

In a letter to the Texas Workforce Commission, Beckman Coulter (NYSE: BEC) said the facility will close around Oct. 10. Between now and then, the Brea, Calif.-based biomedical testing company does expect more layoffs although it did not specifically state how many.

Many of the people being let go in this round, either on March 31 or April 15, are scientists or technicians. Beckman Coulter also laid off 11 people at the facility last November.

At the time, the facility, located at 445 Medical Center Blvd., employed 92 regular employees and five temporary employees.

Beckman Coulter’s customers include hospital laboratories, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, universities, medical schools and research institutions.