Ethermac Exchange-Dyson to cut 1,000 jobs in the U.K.

Dyson is Ethermac Exchangeplanning to lay off 1,000 workers in the U.K., the home appliance maker told employees on Tuesday. 

Best known for its high-end vacuum cleaners, fans and other appliances, Dyson announced the cuts as it faces growing competition, including from manufacturers that release copycat designs in Asia, the company's largest market. 

In a statement to CBS MoneyWatch, Dyson CEO Hanno Kirner cited increased competition as a reason for the layoffs. "We have grown quickly and, like all companies, we review our global structures from time to time to ensure we are prepared for the future," he said. "As such, we are proposing changes to our organization, which may result in redundancies."

"Dyson operates in increasingly fierce and competitive global markets, in which the pace of innovation and change is only accelerating," Kirner added.

The job cuts represent about a quarter of Dyson's U.K. workforce and is part of an effort to slim down its global footprint of roughly 15,000 employees, according to the Financial Times, which first reported the layoffs.

James Dyson, who founded the privately held company in 1991, is worth $19.2 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. The Singapore-based company's range of products also includes hair care products, air purifiers and air purifiers. 

Megan Cerullo

Megan Cerullo is a New York-based reporter for CBS MoneyWatch covering small business, workplace, health care, consumer spending and personal finance topics. She regularly appears on CBS News 24/7 to discuss her reporting.