Steve Gevurtz, one of the founding officers of Itronix Corp., a Spokane maker of rugged, hand-held computers for field-service technicians, has stepped down as that companys chief executive officer. Separately, the company has cut back its work force here.


Gevurtz says hell remain on Itronixs board of directors and continue to work with the companys key partners and customers as a consultant, but chose to step away from his day-to-day responsibilities at the company to spend more time with his family and to pursue other personal interests.


Itronix is searching for a new CEO and hopes to name one in the next two months, Gevurtz says. Helmut Berg, who currently serves as CEO of Itronixs sister company, TTC, of Germantown, Md., is serving as acting CEO at Itronix until Gevurtzs successor is on board.


Itronix laid off 19 employees this spring, most of whom worked in the companys manufacturing and engineering divisions, and didnt renew the contracts of about 40 temporary workers.


Gevurtz says the company, which began its 1998-99 fiscal year in April, chose to pull resources out of those divisions and shift them to other areas, such as product development, sales and marketing, and customer service. Kirk Wood-Gaines, director of human resources at Itronix, says three of the 19 full-time workers who were laid off have been rehired, and Itronix now is recruiting employees to staff the areas on which the company has decided to focus its current efforts. He says Itronix, when possible, will try to rehire the laid off employees.


Itronix employs about 350 people full time, but its work force often swells to more than 400 as it hires temporary employees when orders are brisk.


Gevurtz says that Itronix continues to grow, as utility, telecommunications, insurance, and other companies with field-service employees automate their mobile work forces. He says the company also provides consulting services to companies seeking such automation.


Gevurtz was on the original management team of Spokane-based Itron Inc. in 1981. He later was one of the founders of Itronix, which was spun-off in 1992 by Itron, which makes utility meter-reading equipment.