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SALT LAKE CITY — The Larry H. Miller Group of Companies has reduced “a small percentage” of its workforce, according to a statement from the company, due to the continuing coronavirus pandemic.
ESPN reported that as part of cutbacks there are layoffs underway with the Utah Jazz. Those layoffs are limited to non-basketball staff and some employees are taking compensation reductions, according to the report.
But the layoffs have impacted those around sports. Zone Sports Network radio host and Jazz and Salt Lake Bees emcee Tony Parks was part of the layoffs, sources told KSL.com. On Friday morning, Zone producer Adrian Leiser announced on Twitter his position had been eliminated.
This morning I found out my position with The Zone was eliminated. It’s been fun to chase this dream there. These are tough times and unfortunately I was part of a tough decision. Thanks to everyone I’ve worked with and thank you for listening.
— Adrian Leiser (@APLeiser) April 3, 2020
“Due to the impact on our customer-facing businesses from this unprecedented pandemic, the Larry H. Miller Group of Companies, of which the Utah Jazz are a part, unfortunately, had to make difficult decisions to reduce a small percentage of our workforce,” a company statement said.
Larry H. Miller Group of Companies also includes Megaplex Theaters, the Salt Lake Bees, and the Larry H. Miller car dealerships.
The NBA went on a hiatus after Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19 on March 11. The next day, the start of baseball season was indefinitely postponed. Then, on March 18, Megaplex Theaters closed their doors to help stop the spread of the virus.
“Over the past several weeks, we have worked to manage and reduce costs, including executive compensation, and have reached a point where we have had to say farewell to a limited number of our valued employees,” the statement said. “We have connected our associates with outplacement services and aligned them with employers who have immediate hiring needs. We remain focused on helping our communities stay healthy.”
Contributing: Sean Walker
