Mar 15, 2007 By Steve Ferris 1 min read

The Sony television plant in Mount Pleasant announced Thursday that 200 to 300 employees will be laid off in April, and 500 to 600 more will be laid off this summer when it will shift production from rear-projection to liquid-crystal display TVs.

Sony Technology Center-Pittsburgh said it will relocate production of the Grand Vega SXRD high-definition TVs from the Westmoreland County plant, where 1,100 to 1,200 people work, to a plant in Tijuana, Mexico.

A company spokesman also said the Mount Pleasant plant will undergo a transformation this summer for the production of 46-inch Bravia LCD televisions and a distribution warehouse while it continues to be a base for customer service.

The Bravia production line will be automated and require 200 to 300 workers, the spokesman said.