A major auto parts supplier is pulling out of New Lexington, and it is taking 228 paychecks with it.
Cooper Standard Automotive plans to permanently close its New Lexington, Ohio, manufacturing plant, phasing out production over more than a year and a half. According to a WARN notice filed with the Ohio Department of Job & Family Services, the company notified state officials on Dec. 15, 2025, that job separations will begin Feb. 6, 2026, and the facility is set to be fully closed by July 1, 2027.
The filing lists about 228 employees across hourly production, maintenance and salaried roles as affected, and includes an itemized reduction schedule that spells out how staffing will be ratcheted down at the site.
Cooper Standard told state officials the decision is part of a broader effort to “optimize our manufacturing footprint,” and said eligible employees may be offered transfers to other company locations where feasible, according to reporting by Spectrum News. The company notice also says United Auto Workers Local 1686 will receive at least 60 days' warning before any affected employees work their final day.
Small-town ripple effects
New Lexington and surrounding communities lean heavily on plant paychecks to keep local shops, diners, and service businesses humming. With headcount set to shrink in stages through 2026 and into 2027, that cash flow is expected to slow to a trickle.
Industry coverage warns the extended wind-down could have a “significant economic impact” on Perry County unless state or nonprofit aid steps in, as reported by Rubber World. County officials have not yet released details on retraining, upskilling or job placement programs for workers who will be left hunting for their next paycheck.
What the law requires
The WARN filing also serves as proof that Cooper Standard is meeting federal notice rules. Under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, employers with 100 or more employees must provide at least 60 days' advance notice of plant closures, and the company's paperwork documents those key dates.
Union contract provisions may also give senior workers so-called “bumping” rights that can reshuffle who ultimately gets laid off, according to Spectrum News.
Crain's Cleveland Business first reported on the closure and placed it within a broader wave of restructuring among auto suppliers. Industry reporting indicates local and state officials have not yet detailed workforce assistance plans for the employees who will be displaced.
For now, the WARN filing is the main public roadmap, laying out closure dates, affected roles and limited transfer options, while New Lexington residents and plant workers wait to see what comes next from the company, the union and local leaders.
