REI CEO Eric Artz said the outdoor gear retailer would end its Experiences unit, which offered adventure classes and trips, and lay off 428 workers.

A major local corporation announced plans to lay off over 400 employees in an elimination of a business division on Wednesday. REI will be shuttering its "Experiences" division, which employed 180 full-time employees and 248 part-time guides.

More than 400 employees will lose their jobs as REI closes its Experiences program, ending the adventure travel and outdoor education programs that have been part of the retailer’s identity for 40 years.