TIFFIN, Ohio — Toledo Molding & Die’s Tiffin manufacturing facility will permanently close on April 30, 2026, eliminating all 407 jobs, according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act notice filed Friday with the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.
The notice was filed by First Brands Group, LLC, the Cleveland-based automotive parts conglomerate that owns the TMD brand. The Tiffin facility is located at 1441 N. Maule Rd.
The closure is one of three announced the same day by First Brands Group across Ohio. Simultaneous WARN Act notices filed Friday also cover the TMD plant in Bowling Green (302 jobs) and the FRAM filtration plant in Greenville (302 jobs), bringing the total number of Ohio workers affected to 1,011.
First Brands Group is currently operating under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. In its notice, the company stated it had pursued a sale of the Tiffin facility and sought additional outside funding before concluding the plant could not remain open.
“The company has gone to great lengths to maintain its operations,” the notice states. “However, under all of these circumstances, the company has now made the difficult decision to close this facility.”
Despite the filing, the Seneca Regional Chamber & Development said Friday that the situation may not yet be resolved. In a statement, Chamber President Bryce Riggs said the organization was made aware of the WARN filing Thursday morning and immediately contacted plant leadership.
“Company leadership has indicated there has been interest in the facility and they remain optimistic about a potential path forward prior to the April 30 date,” Riggs said in the statement, adding that the perspective had been communicated internally to employees.
Riggs noted that a WARN notice is a federal requirement designed to give employees, local officials, and workforce agencies time to prepare, but does not necessarily mean a closure is final.
“While the filing reflects the seriousness of the situation,” Riggs said, “we are actively engaged and in communication with company leadership, state workforce partners, and local officials.”
The bankruptcy that led to Friday’s closures came after federal prosecutors filed what they describe as evidence of a yearslong fraud scheme at the top of First Brands Group. On January 29, 2026, a federal grand jury in the Southern District of New York indicted First Brands founder and former CEO Patrick James, 61, of Chagrin Falls, and his brother Edward James, 60, of Canton, on charges including conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and multiple counts of wire fraud and bank fraud. Patrick James faces an additional charge of managing a continuing financial crimes enterprise, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Prosecutors allege the brothers ran a yearslong scheme in which they submitted fake and inflated invoices, double- and triple-pledged loan collateral, falsified corporate financial statements, and concealed billions of dollars in liabilities from lenders. When First Brands filed for bankruptcy in September 2025, it declared just $12 million in cash in its corporate accounts against more than $9 billion in liabilities.
“The fallout from selfish and deceptive actions — such as those alleged in this case — can cascade down to honest and hardworking company employees based right here in Ohio,” said U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio David M. Toepfer at the time of the indictment. “Their jobs and livelihoods are at stake due to the corrupt actions of a few individuals.”
A cooperating witness, former First Brands executive Peter Andrew Brumbergs, pleaded guilty to his role in the scheme on January 26, 2026. Both Patrick and Edward James have pleaded not guilty and were released on bond under home confinement pending trial. The charges contained in the indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Toledo Molding & Die has operated since 1955, growing from a model and pattern shop into a Tier 1/Tier 2 automotive supplier producing interior components and air and fluid management systems, according to its website. The company changed hands several times before landing in First Brands’ portfolio. Grammer AG purchased TMD for $271 million in 2018, then sold it to APC Parent LLC — with First Brands Group serving as guarantor — for $40 million in September 2024. First Brands filed for bankruptcy less than a year later, and Grammer subsequently filed suit in Delaware court alleging that APC Parent LLC and First Brands had breached the purchase agreement and withheld more than $20 million in payments, according to court records. That litigation is ongoing.
The Tiffin facility operated as part of the broader First Brands portfolio, which also includes brands such as FRAM filters, Autolite spark plugs, and TRICO wiper blades.
The closure would affect workers across more than 50 job classifications, including press operators, production handlers, engineers, quality control staff, maintenance workers, and administrative personnel. Some of the affected workers are represented by United Auto Workers Local 2021.
Tiffin Mayor Lee Wilkinson and Seneca County Board of Commissioners President Anthony Paradiso were notified of the filing as required under federal and state law. TiffinOhio.net is seeking comment from both officials.
Displaced workers are encouraged to contact the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services for assistance with unemployment compensation, job placement, resume writing, interview preparation, and retraining programs. Information is available at jfs.ohio.gov or by calling 877-644-6562.
