Omaha company FSC Edge to shut down, layoff staff

In a Nov. 30 letter addressed to the Nebraska Department of Labor, FSC Edge said it was notified Nov. 29 that the Patent and Trademark Office chose not to renew its contract.

The company said in the letter, which was signed by human resources director Amy Dechant, that the contract termination was not anticipated and “came as a shock.”

“Without a continuation of the USPTO contract, FSC Edge is unable to continue operations,” the letter said. “FSC Edge must now close its business and sever its employment relationship with all its employees and contractors.”

The company said it ceased operations and terminated “the overwhelming majority” of its employees on Dec. 1. A few people remain employed temporarily to help with winding up business operations, the company said.

The Patent and Trademark Office, in a statement, indicated the contract termination should not have come as a shock because it had been working with the company on “deficiencies.”

“USPTO notified FSC Edge in March 2023 of concerns of non-compliance with certain material contract terms and conditions. USPTO worked with FSC Edge for months trying to remedy those issues in order to retain the company as a vendor,” the emailed statement said. “Unfortunately, FSC Edge was unable to remediate the identified deficiencies. As a result, and after careful consideration, USPTO determined that it would allow the current contract with FSC Edge to expire and it would not exercise its option to renew the contract for an additional term.”