The layoffs, amounting to about 8 percent of Tahitian Noni's work force, are part of a restructuring plan to move support of the company's international operations from its central office to its overseas offices and markets, which are closer to customers, Shon Whitney, vice president of marketing communication, said Friday.

"We are trying to push a lot of our support out into the field. If you are moving to more of a regionalized structure, you can't be heavy at the central headquarters," Whitney said.

The layoffs affected departments including training and support, call centers, marketing and lower executive management.

Tahitian Noni has about 1,650 employees around the world. The company's Provo work force of 846 people will shrink to 716. On the other hand, overseas employment will increase as Tahitian Noni pushes more operational responsibility to its sales offices in Japan, Taiwan, China, Germany, Norway and other locations.

Tahitian Noni is restructuring because the company is growing rapidly, Whitney said. Earlier this month, Tahitian Noni said its first-quarter sales were the highest in its 10-year history, largely because "worldwide sales continue to exceed expectations.

"We had a 17 percent sales increase. In order to support that growth, we need to move more resources and jobs closer to customers," Whitney said.

Tahitian Noni was founded in 1996. The privately held company's annual sales have grown to about $530 million, Whitney said.

The noni is native to southeast Asia, but has spread as far as India and the islands of the southern Pacific. Its fruit is said to have high amounts of antioxidants.

Tahitian Noni has manufacturing plants in Tahiti, Japan and China. The company sells its products through a network of 500,000 distributors in 35 countries. It is developing sales offices that include cafes to showcase its product lines.

Tahitian Noni is a subsidiary of Morinda Holdings Inc., also in Provo.

pbeebe@sltrib.com