PARIS — Maine Machine Products has laid off 11 full-time employees and placed another 40 on a two-weeks-on, two-weeks-off schedule.

The move, which affects more than one-third of the company’s 138 employees, was made due to an end-of-the-year production slowdown, Human Resource Manager Erika Douglas said Friday. The facility on Prospect Street will also be shut down for two weeks beginning Dec. 20.

The company manufactures precision machine components for defense, semiconductors and oil and gas companies. It was founded in 1956 by Roland Sutton and Bill Detert at the beginning of the local metal working trade. Sutton took the reins of the company in 1982 before selling out this year.

Douglas said the end of work for one major customer, whom she did not name, was a pivotal reason behind the slowdown. The spokesperson, who said she is new to the company, said she understands that slowdown in production is not unusual at this time of year and that layoffs have occurred in the past around this time.

It is hoped the rolling layoffs will be stopped by the end of January, she said.

The permanent and rolling layoffs were effective Dec. 1.

The company was sold GenNx360 Capital Partners in July after 54 years of ownership by the Sutton family. GenNx360 was founded in 2006 and is based in New York City, with offices also in Boston, Seattle and India.

Douglas said the state’s Rapid Response team was called to ensure that those employees laid off receive the tools necessary to deal with their job loss.

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