For more than 50 years, the Cooper Standard plant in New Lexington, Ohio, supported families in Perry County. The plant’s permanent shutdown now adds a new hardship to a community already hurt by the end of coal mining. It will wipe out 228 jobs in a town of just 4,455 people, worsening economic struggles for everyone.
Sudden News Shakes Workers
On December 8, 2025, Cooper Standard, an automotive parts maker based in Michigan, announced it will close its New Lexington plant by July 1, 2027. This move ends 228 full-time jobs, with the first layoffs set for February 6, 2026, following a required 60-day warning period. Employees at the site build sealing systems and fluid parts for cars and trucks, work that defined the plant for decades but is now seen as unnecessary.
The news came as a shock to longtime workers who relied on these steady positions. The facility has operated for half a century, becoming a key part of local life. Now, families face tough choices as the plant winds down.
A Community with Few Choices Left
New Lexington serves as the county seat of Perry County, where the average household earns $43,447 a year, well below Ohio’s statewide figure. The Cooper Standard plant offered solid union jobs through United Auto Workers Local 1686, providing stability after coal mines closed and left few other options. Perry County’s economy, already weakened by those losses, grows even more vulnerable with this latest hit.
Residents here have long depended on manufacturing for their livelihoods. Without the plant, local businesses that serve workers, from diners to shops, face their own risks. The town’s small size means every job loss echoes widely.
Wide-Reaching Economic Pain
The closure affects more than the 228 direct workers; it could impact 456 to 684 family members right away. Economists predict 137 to 160 additional job losses at nearby suppliers, restaurants, stores, and trucking firms, based on standard multipliers of 0.6 to 0.7. In total, the town might lose 365 to 388 positions, a heavy blow where every role matters.
Workers at the plant earned between $11.4 million and $17.1 million in yearly pay. That money supported local spending and taxes, which could drop by $2.3 million to $4.6 million at typical rates of 10% to 20%. These losses will strain schools, roads, and public services in the short term.
Jobs That Are Hard to Replace
The workers losing their jobs include skilled electricians, machine operators, quality checkers, and engineers. Many are between 40 and 60 years old, with over 20 years on the job. They earned hourly wages from $12.60 to $29, plus salaried management roles protected by their union.
These specialized positions do not easily shift to lower-paying service jobs like retail or fast food. The plant’s gradual shutdown through mid-2027 adds months of worry, as production slows to meet customer orders. For mid-career workers, finding matching pay and benefits nearby proves difficult.
Company Cites Costs and EV Shift
Cooper Standard points to low plant use and the need for better efficiency as reasons for the closure. The auto industry is moving fast to electric vehicles, and the company won $105.8 million in EV contracts in 2024. That shift makes older equipment for gas-powered cars less useful.
The firm runs over 120 plants in more than 20 countries, employing 22,000 to 32,000 people worldwide. It plans to focus operations at cheaper sites, including new builds in Mexico and China, over U.S. union plants. No clear plans exist for the New Lexington site after 2027, though the company is considering internal reuse.
Help Available, But Challenges Remain
Support programs aim to ease the pain. Ohio’s WIOA offers job search help, retraining in fields like healthcare, IT, green energy, or skilled trades. Union contracts give workers rights to transfer jobs, fight for severance, and get benefits beyond federal rules. Trade Adjustment Assistance might also step in.
Still, these options fall short for older workers close to retirement. Moving costs average $85,466 to $97,166 per family, too high for most in a slow housing market. It would upend lives, schools, and roots.
Perry County turns to groups like BRECC for ideas in tourism, outdoor activities, and farming. Yet such shifts rarely fully succeed; only 1.8% of similar Appalachian areas make it work. This closure fits a bigger pattern: Ohio’s manufacturing jobs fell from 1 million 25 years ago to under 700,000 today, with more losses in 2025.
The next 18 months will test the town’s grit. Some may transfer, retrain, or retire early to soften the blow. Without strong policy help and company aid, outmigration could empty stores, drop home values, and overload services, much like Gary, Indiana’s long decline. New Lexington’s future depends on quick, smart action amid manufacturing’s ongoing changes.
Sources
Cooper Standard WARN Act Notification Filing. Ohio Department of Job & Family Services, December 15, 2025
State of Working Ohio in 2025. Policy Matters Ohio, August 29, 2025
Building Resilient Economies in Coal Communities Action Challenge. National Association of Counties, 2024
The Impacts of Coal-fired Power Plants’ Closures on Local Employment. Journal of Regional Analysis & Policy, 2024