International Motors to Lay Off 1,341 Workers After Selling Ohio Plant to Roshel

International Motors plans to eliminate 1,341 jobs at two manufacturing facilities in Springfield, Ohio, as the truck maker prepares to sell the operations to Canadian specialty and armored vehicle manufacturer Roshel.

The layoffs are expected to take effect on October 2, 2026, when the asset sale is scheduled to close. Approximately 1,314 employees at the Springfield Assembly Plant and 27 workers at the Truck Specialty Center will be affected.

The transaction preserves the sprawling manufacturing campus for future vehicle production, but it does not guarantee continued employment for International’s existing workforce. Roshel has not yet announced how many people it will hire, when production will begin or whether displaced workers will receive hiring preference.

Key details of the International Motors layoffs

Why International Motors is selling the Ohio facilities

The Springfield Assembly Plant opened in 1966 and has been associated with International truck manufacturing for decades. More recently, the facility has primarily supported contract manufacturing, including medium-duty trucks and General Motors van chassis.

That manufacturing agreement is scheduled to expire on September 30, leaving International without the contract that supported much of the plant’s workload. The company subsequently searched for a buyer capable of continuing industrial operations at the site.

International signed an asset purchase agreement allowing Roshel to acquire the operating assets of the Springfield Assembly Plant and Truck Specialty Center. According to the company’s official announcement about the Springfield sale, Roshel intends to establish vertically integrated vehicle production in the United States.

The transaction is another example of a large manufacturer selling an established industrial operation while redirecting resources elsewhere. Similar questions about ownership changes and employment protections emerged during Volkswagen’s €7.4 billion Everllence stake sale.

What the WARN filing means for employees

A Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification filing says virtually all employees at the two Springfield facilities will be terminated when the sale closes. Certain employees on approved leaves of absence may have different termination dates.

Most affected workers are represented by the United Auto Workers. Approximately 1,137 Springfield Assembly Plant employees and 21 Truck Specialty Center workers belong to UAW Locals 402 and 658.

The sale of the facilities does not automatically transfer those employees to Roshel. Workers may therefore face an employment gap between their October termination date and any future recruitment undertaken by the buyer.

Roshel has not publicly disclosed an employment target, application process, wage structure or production timetable. Those details will determine how many of the 1,341 lost positions could eventually be replaced.

Roshel’s plans for the Springfield campus

Roshel manufactures commercial, specialty, security and armored vehicles for customers including emergency-response agencies, security organizations and defense users.

The company plans to turn Springfield into a U.S.-based production hub for vehicles built on chassis supplied by multiple original equipment manufacturers. The site gives Roshel access to an established assembly line, paint facility and experienced regional manufacturing workforce.

The campus covers approximately 500 acres and contains more than 2 million square feet of manufacturing space. Acquiring an existing factory may allow Roshel to expand more quickly than it could by constructing a new plant, although equipment changes and new supply arrangements may still be required.

The shift toward specialty and defense-related production reflects a broader industrial trend in which companies are reallocating resources toward stronger markets. That pattern is also visible in CAE’s workforce reduction and growing defense focus.

Economic impact on Springfield

The immediate effects are likely to extend beyond International employees. Local suppliers, logistics providers, restaurants, retailers and service companies may experience lower activity as more than 1,300 households adjust to lost income.

However, the transaction differs from a permanent factory shutdown because Roshel intends to continue manufacturing at the location. The longer-term effect will depend on how rapidly the company launches production and whether its future workforce approaches International’s current staffing level.

International Motors is headquartered in Lisle, Illinois, and employs approximately 14,500 people worldwide. Its distribution network includes about 1,000 dealer outlets across the United States, Canada, Brazil and Mexico, as well as more than 60 dealers serving around 90 other countries.

The company is part of the TRATON Group, alongside Scania, MAN and Volkswagen Truck & Bus. The Springfield sale therefore represents a major local restructuring rather than International’s withdrawal from the wider North American truck market.

Why the transition matters

The contract manufacturing agreement is due to end on September 30, followed by the expected sale closing and layoffs on October 2. That narrow timeline gives workers little certainty about whether new positions will be available immediately.

For Springfield, Roshel’s acquisition protects the industrial future of a site that has operated for six decades. Yet preserving the factory is not the same as preserving every job. The outcome for workers will depend on Roshel’s hiring plans, production contracts, investment decisions and the speed of its expansion in Ohio.