Cray Research Will Reorganize Field Staff

Cray Research Inc. will reorganize its 1,000-member field staff to separate sales and service functions and make prices more uniform, the supercomputer maker announced.

The move is not expected to have a “significant” financial impact and it won’t significantly alter the number of jobs within the organization, said Ed Masi, senior vice president of marketing.

But company spokesman John Swenson said there is a chance Cray would close or change its regional offices in San Ramon, Calif., Houston and Calverton, Md. “They may or may not go away,” Swenson said.

Under the new system, the 1,000-member field staff will be headed by Mike Wilhelm, previously general manager for the company’s Western region. Wilhelm will be based in Minneapolis. The sales effort will be divided East and West, and all service activities will be brought together, the company said.

Cray’s field employees have had joint responsibility for service and sales, but those jobs will be separated under the new system, Swenson said.

The move also is designed to bring uniformity to prices. Under the old system, equipment and service prices could vary depending on region.