Wahl Clipper is aiming to reduce its Sterling workforce by about 20%, starting with voluntary resignation packages that were announced earlier this week, company officials confirmed to Shaw Local on Friday, Sept. 19.

Wahl, a manufacturer of grooming products, is one of Sterling’s major employers and has been manufacturing electric hair trimmers in Sterling for more than 100 years, according to its website.

The packages, starting with a “very generous early retirement voluntary resignation,” are being offered to employees “to try to limit involuntary releases,” which will affect those in office and factory positions, Marc Geil, global director of culture and employee experience at Wahl, told Shaw Local.

The company employed about 1,000 people in Sterling in 2017; 48 jobs at the Sterling plant were cut in late 2022, which the company attributed to a post-pandemic slowdown in retail demand, Shaw Local reported.

The 2025 reduction of employees is part of “a strategic reorganization designed to align the company with evolving market demands and consumer expectations in the post-pandemic landscape,” according to a news release sent Friday from Wahl.

“As part of this reorganization, some roles have been impacted. Wahl is committed to supporting affected employees in their transition, providing resources to help them move forward successfully,” according to the release.

Geil said the company “communicated with community leaders,” Sterling city officials and the Sauk Valley Area Chamber of Commerce about the reduction. Wahl also has asked the chamber “for a list of members so that we may be able to help provide employees with resources to contact other area employers.”

“We really are [sticking] with our values at Wahl to help [employees] with that transition,” Geil said.

“Wahl’s core values remain unchanged: creating value for customers, supporting employees and their families, and continuously improving how the company works and serves,” according to the release.

“We remain a proud, family-led company rooted in integrity, transparency and a deep commitment to our employees, customers and communities,” Wahl CEO Brian Wahl said in the release.