Construction starts on $55M plant for major new Springfield employer

Construction has started on a $55 million auto-parts plant that will bring 85 jobs to Springfield and city commissioners have approved a tax abatement for the project.

Topre America, a Japan-based manufacturer that makes parts for car companies like Honda and Toyota, will take over the Champion City Business Park. The site had once been home to a former International Harvester/Navistar factory for generations.

The business park was completed in 2013 after a decade of cleaning up industrial contaminants and improving infrastructure at the site.

Springfield was the best choice for Topre, said Pete Steiner, general manager of Topre America’s Springfield plant.

“Bringing back the exact kind of manufacturing that has been here for many, many years and there’s a good workforce here in Springfield,” Steiner said. “A skill set that we need to be successful.”

Topre specializes in stamping and producing high-strength steel products, which are increasingly in demand as the auto industry shifts toward strong, lightweight materials that can withstand crashes but are also light enough to improve fuel efficiency.

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