Truck manufacturer exits Ohio location, eliminates 1,341 jobs 

 International Motors employs around 14,500 people worldwide. The company has an extensive distribution network, which includes about 1,000 dealer outlets across the U.S., Canada, Brazil, and Mexico, and over 60 dealers in 90 other countries.

The Springfield complex has long served as an International truck assembly plant. In recent years, however, the facility has been used primarily for contract manufacturing under an agreement with a major automotive company. That contract is scheduled to expire Sept. 30, 2026, prompting the company to seek a buyer for the operation.

“With the end of our contract manufacturing agreement, we have been working diligently to find a suitable path for the Springfield Assembly Plant,” Samara Strycker, International’s executive vice president and chief financial officer, said in announcing the transaction. 

The Springfield manufacturing campus spans more than 2 million square feet on roughly 500 acres and includes a full vehicle assembly line and paint facility.

Roshel said it plans to leverage the site’s manufacturing capabilities to expand production of commercial, specialty and armored vehicles built on chassis supplied by multiple original equipment manufacturers.

Roshel has not publicly discussed when it will begin operations in Springfield or if International employees will be given hiring preferences.

Why it matters: The conversion of International’s Springfield operations into a defense and specialty vehicle manufacturing hub illustrates how North American manufacturing assets are being repurposed to serve evolving commercial and defense markets, even as more than 1,300 workers are displaced during the transition.