WASHINGTON (AP) — Truck manufacturer International Motors, formerly Navistar, ceased operations at its factory in Springfield, Ohio, laying off 1,341 workers. However, the facility could gain new life under its next owner.
The Cranberry Journal reported that the closure followed a planned sale and an expired contract with General Motors. The arrangement, which dated back to 2015 and expired September 30, covered production of Chevrolet Silverado medium-duty trucks. GM plans to discontinue the Silverado 4500HD, 5500HD and 6500HD.
The facility also built International's CV series, a medium-duty work truck.
President Donald Trump held a rally three days after the job cuts at a nearby high school. He pointed to major investments in Ohio, including an $850 million project by aircraft maker Electra, a new Stellantis investment and a recent announcement from Bayer for a $2.2 billion drug plant near Columbus, as evidence that his policies were creating jobs.
However, the president's broad tariffs did not boost demand at the former Navistar plant and International Motors announced in March that it would sell the facility.
Additionally, Trump’s major legislative achievement — the One Big, Beautiful Bill — contributed little to people’s take-home pay, even as it temporarily stripped taxes from tips and overtime.
"We weren't getting a lot of overtime because of the economy," said Marianne Donnelly, who drove a forklift at the factory. "There just wasn't any to be had, very little to be had."
Laid-off workers like Donnelly say they expect to be rehired in six to 12 months by Roshel, a Canadian manufacturer of armored vehicles, which is buying the plant. Roshel said in a statement that it's "working with everyone involved not only to protect the current workforce, but to more than double it over the coming years through a phased process."
The Dayton area once featured a large factory base but has shed about half of its 90,000 factory jobs since 1990 after the North American Free Trade Agreement and trade with China made it cheaper to buy auto parts from abroad.
In recent years, the local economy has improved as the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base steadily added government workers. The base has drawn new aerospace companies to the area such as Joby Aviation, Electra and the Sierra Nevada Corporation.
