Thyssenkrupp to close Indiana plant, shift chassis work to Ohio

Thyssenkrupp will close its Terre Haute production site by March 31, 2027, putting about 230 jobs at risk and shifting its U.S. chassis work to Hamilton, Ohio, in a move that will ripple through workers, suppliers and the local tax base.

The German industrial group said it will phase down the Vigo County Industrial Park plant in an orderly manner while keeping customer supply intact during the transition. The Terre Haute site has been tied to steering components, while thyssenkrupp Bilstein of America in Hamilton focuses on shock absorber systems, making the Ohio facility the new center of gravity for the company’s chassis business.

For Terre Haute, the closure reaches beyond the factory floor. Mayor Brandon Sakbun said the city is exploring options for affected workers and has identified nearby employers including ZINKPOWER, Entek, B&G Foods, GATX, Saturn Pet Care and GE Aviation as possible landing spots. Jonathan Blake, interim president of the Terre Haute Economic Development Corporation, said the agency is already hearing from companies looking for existing buildings with infrastructure and equipment, a sign that the plant’s footprint may become an immediate asset in the local property market even as the jobs disappear.

Workforce officials have treated the shutdown as a mass-layoff event, underscoring the scale of the disruption for a city that has long depended on advanced manufacturing. A company anniversary item in 2016 marked 10 years in Terre Haute, suggesting the site opened around 2006 and giving the closure added weight as the end of a nearly two-decade industrial presence.

Thyssenkrupp said the restructuring is meant to make its North American business more competitive over the long term as customer requirements, production volumes and cost structures shift. Viktor Molnar, chief operating officer of thyssenkrupp Automotive Technology, said those changes are driving leaner and more efficient production structures. Yashar Kazemi, president of thyssenkrupp Presta North America, said the closure is a significant change for employees and the local community.

The company said North America generated about €2.1 billion in sales in fiscal 2024/2025, a reminder that the region remains central even as the company trims sites. The Terre Haute shutdown fits a broader pattern in auto parts manufacturing, where suppliers are consolidating plants, concentrating specialized work and trying to hold down costs as demand and vehicle platforms shift across the U.S. and Europe.