Update: An astute reader (thanks Randy!) pointed out that I posted an older article (last years) about the Xango layoffs.  The correct article about Xango's second round of layoffs is now posted below…

Daily Herald:

Supplements direct seller XanGo LLC laid off about 50 workers at its
corporate headquarters in Lehi on Thursday, company officials
confirmed.

Bob Freeze, vice president of public relations, in an e-mailed
statement to the Daily Herald on Thursday, said the restructuring move
affects less than 10 percent of its global work force of 570.

The company, which sells a mangosteen-based juice, now has 465
workers left in Utah. All affected workers are being offered severance
packages.

According to the statement, Thursday's restructuring move ensures
that XanGo is "properly structured for the future and during this time
of global economic instability."

Thursday's round of layoffs at XanGo came even as the direct-
selling industry nationwide appears to be reaping benefits amid the
recession as more people, facing job insecurity and pay cuts, seek
supplemental income through direct sales.

"We are reallocating resources to position ourselves for the future,
recognizing the reality of the economy. While we cut some positions
today, you can go to our Web site and see that we are still hiring a
number of positions to focus our business on continued growth and
profitability," Freeze said in e-mailed statements.

He said the company will be investing more resources in its
marketing and distributor relations areas, while reducing less
strategic investments and eliminating duplication.

"Much of this will be accomplished by not filling current vacancies
and attrition. However, there will also be a net reduction of positions
at our Lehi headquarters," Freeze said.

Last March, the company laid off an unspecified number of workers in
what it called a move to "reallocate corporate resources to align with
its continued global expansion."

But Freeze maintains the company had an overall "successful and
profitable year" in 2008, despite deteriorating economic conditions
during the fourth quarter.

"We have invested in a 30-acre international headquarters and three
buildings at Thanksgiving Point and as mentioned before, we are
expanding our operations to reflect where our growth continues to
occur," he said.