As it prepares to weed 12,000 jobs out of its pre-Monsanto organization by 2021, Bayer has begun consolidating corporate functions in the US.

In a first step, the US subsidiary of the German group is shutting its base at Robinson, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh. The jobs of some 569 employees and 96 independent contractors will be axed over the next two years. Most of the cutbacks will target administrative support positions in fields such as IT, accounting, legal and compliance.

“We will transition the site closing in a thoughtful, orderly manner over a two-year period to provide ample time for employees and operations to transition smoothly and to ensure that we continue to serve our customers and businesses effectively,” Bayer said in a statement.

US reports pointed to the significance of the Pittsburgh area site in Bayer’s  industrial and more recent past. The area was home to the Leverkusen-headquartered group’s erstwhile joint venture with Monsanto, MoBay and with the spinoff of Bayer MaterialScience as Covestro in 2015 it became the North American hub of the plastics maker.

Bayer’s US operations will see additional job cut as the group carves out its animal health business and part of its consumer health franchise and with the  consolidation of its CropScience segment, where 4,100 jobs are threatened by the merger of Bayer and Monsanto agriculture operations.