BLACKFOOT — Premier Technology in Blackfoot recently laid off 16 employees.

Doug Sayer, chief business officer at the engineering, manufacturing and construction management company, said the decision wasn’t easy, but it was necessary. 

“We’re adjusting the size of the staff to meet the volume of our workloads,” Sayer said, adding that the change coincides with the “reorganization and adjustment of our project management philosophy and strategy to give our customers stronger support.”

Sayer would not give further details about the changes taking place, but he did say they want to remain as competitive as possible.

“(We need to be) staffed appropriately to support our customers, and periodically that means a shift or change in the managing workloads,” he said. 

Still, it’s hard to make those changes, Sayer said. 

“We appreciate the contribution of our workforce,” he said. “(Our employees) are our most valuable asset.”

Despite the recent layoffs, Sayer said the company is predicting a strong first-quarter coming up. 

“We’re pleased with the relationships we have with our clients,” he said, adding that they want to improve their service to them.