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 most of its operating assets at the sites to Roshel, a Canadian manufacturer of commercial, specialty and armored vehicles.

The layoffs are expected to take effect on October 2, 2026, the date International expects the transaction to close. The WARN notice covers 1,314 employees at the Springfield Assembly Plant and 27 workers at the Truck Specialty Center.

The July WARN filing adds an important development to the sale first announced in March: International’s existing workforce will not automatically transfer to Roshel. Roshel intends to establish new operations at the Springfield locations after the transaction, but the timing and scale of that future workforce have not yet been publicly detailed.

What the 1,341 layoffs mean for Springfield workers

International disclosed the job losses through a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification, or WARN, notice filed with the state of Ohio. The federal WARN framework generally requires qualifying employers to provide advance notice of certain large-scale layoffs or plant closings.

International expects its Springfield operations to end when the sale closes on October 2. Employees on certain qualifying leaves at that time may remain employed until their leave ends, after which their employment will be terminated.

More than 1,100 of the affected employees are represented by the United Auto Workers. International’s notice identifies UAW Locals 402 and 658 as representing workers at the Springfield facilities.

The company said termination-related payments and benefits for union-represented employees have been addressed through agreements with the union. Eligible employees who are not represented by the union are expected to receive severance pay and benefits under applicable company terms.

For workers, the key uncertainty is what comes after October 2. Roshel plans to operate at the Springfield locations in the future, but that does not guarantee immediate employment for International’s current workforce.

Why International Motors is selling the Ohio facilities

The Springfield Assembly Plant has been part of the area’s manufacturing economy for decades. In recent years, however, the facility has been heavily focused on contract manufacturing for another major automotive company.

That manufacturing agreement is scheduled to expire at the end of September 2026. International said the approaching end of the contract prompted efforts to find a new operator capable of continuing industrial activity at the site.

International announced its asset purchase agreement with Roshel on March 30. According to the company’s official announcement about the Springfield sale, Roshel plans to use the facility as a U.S. hub for vertically integrated production of commercial, specialty and armored vehicles.

The Springfield deal is another example of how ownership changes can reshape established industrial operations and create uncertainty for existing employees. Similar questions can emerge in other major transactions, including Volkswagen’s €7.4 billion Everllence stake sale, where a significant ownership change placed attention on the future direction of an established business.

Roshel plans a new manufacturing operation

Roshel is headquartered in Brampton, Ontario, and produces vehicles for commercial, security, emergency-response and defense applications. The Springfield acquisition gives the company an established U.S. manufacturing base rather than requiring an equivalent factory to be built from the ground up.

The Springfield campus spans about 500 acres and includes more than 2 million square feet of manufacturing space. Existing infrastructure includes an assembly line and paint facilities that can support future vehicle production.

Roshel has said it sees an opportunity to expand production at the site over time, including work involving major commercial vehicle manufacturers. The company plans to produce commercial, specialty and armored vehicles in Springfield.

That provides a potential longer-term path for the factory, but it should not be confused with preservation of International’s current jobs. The WARN notice confirms the existing positions are being terminated as International ends its Springfield operations.

Roshel’s future recruitment plans will therefore be especially important. Public information available so far does not establish that all 1,341 affected workers will be rehired or that Roshel’s new operation will begin with a workforce of the same size.

The transition happens within days

The timing leaves little separation between the end of International’s existing manufacturing work and the planned sale. The contract supporting much of the plant’s recent production is due to expire at the end of September, while the transaction with Roshel is expected to close on October 2.

That means Springfield is facing two developments at once: a confirmed large-scale layoff and the planned arrival of a manufacturer that intends to keep the site in industrial use.

The distinction matters for assessing the economic impact. A permanent plant closure could remove both jobs and manufacturing capacity from the area. In this case, the existing jobs are being eliminated, but the physical manufacturing operation is expected to have a future under a new company.

A comparable shift toward defense-related activity can be seen in CAE’s workforce reduction and growing defense focus, where changes in business priorities have affected employment while investment has moved toward other areas of demand.

What happens next for Springfield

The immediate impact will be felt by the 1,341 affected employees and their families. A workforce reduction of that size can also affect businesses connected to the plant, although the eventual local impact will depend heavily on how quickly Roshel establishes its operation and how many people it employs.

There is some positive industrial continuity in the deal. Roshel is acquiring a large manufacturing campus with plans to use it rather than allowing the property to become an inactive factory site.

At the same time, the future operation should be treated separately from the confirmed layoffs. Until Roshel provides detailed hiring numbers, recruitment dates and a production timetable, it is not possible to determine how many of International’s displaced employees will ultimately find work with the new owner.

For now, October 2 remains the central date. International expects the sale to close and its Springfield operations to end then, triggering the termination of roughly 1,341 positions while Roshel prepares for a new phase of manufacturing at the Ohio campus.