By Neil Johnson, Big Radio and WCLO News

A former SHINE Technologies employee confirms SHINE Technologies is laying off 59 people.

SHINE apparently announced the decision this morning, and while company executives haven’t confirmed the news or given details, an employee said SHINE sent a note today announcing the mass layoff, and saying the company apparently has been facing financial headwinds.

The layoffs, apparently, are most heavily focused on staff who work in the SHINE’s medical molybdenum 99 division, which is the segment of the company SHINE had initially pinned its hopes on for developing a state-of-the-art nuclear accelerator facility on Janesville’s south side.

SHINE last week and this week has been trumpeting groundbreaking research in its nascent clean energy fusion division, but the company hasn’t publicly announced its layoff of staff or shared the reasons why. About 400 people worked at SHINE prior to the layoffs.

SHINE apparently shared a note with city of Janesville officials explaining the layoffs. Multiple city officials were not immediately available for comment. It’s not clear what impact the layoffs could have on a multi-million dollar tax incentive deal the city of Janesville has with SHINE.

SHINE has been working toward launch of a 50,000-square-foot “Chrysalis,” its main production facility for moly-99 and a range of cancer fighting drugs.

Tune into Big Radio and WCLO Radio News for a broadcast of this developing story.