Timken Belts closure puts 283 Springfield jobs on a near-term timeline

Timken Belts’ announced closure of its Springfield plant is approaching a key date, but July 31 does not mean all 283 affected workers will lose their jobs that day.

Missouri’s 2026 WARN database lists Timken Belts under Manufacturing with a Closing designation, 283 affected workers and a July 31, 2026, layoff date. The state listing identifies Springfield in Greene County as the affected location.

Why the dates appear different

In a May 1 notice to Missouri workforce officials, Timken described a full plant closure and permanent layoff at 2601 W. Battlefield Road in Springfield. The notice says employees are expected to be separated beginning in August 2026, with all separations completed by December 2026.

The filing also includes a detailed schedule for individual positions. Some separation windows run from July 17 through July 31, followed by additional groups scheduled in August, September, October and later October windows. In practical terms, the state database provides a summary closure date, while Timken’s filing shows that employment reductions are planned in waves.

The documents describe an announced and planned closure; they do not establish that the facility has already shut down.

How the Gates transaction fits

Timken announced May 1 that it had entered into an agreement to sell the assets of its belts business to Gates Industrial Corporation. Timken said the transaction was expected to close in the third quarter of 2026, subject to customary closing conditions.

The announcement does not say that Gates will operate the Springfield facility or retain Springfield jobs. Those outcomes are not established by the cited documents.

KY3’s local report added that the United Steelworkers union said the Springfield plant was not included in the sale. The official WARN records, however, are the basis for the worker count and separation schedule in this article.

Where affected workers can seek help

The Springfield Job Center offers free services for people looking for work or preparing for a career change. Available help includes job-search assistance, career counseling, resume and interview support, workshops, unemployment-filing assistance, labor-market information, WIOA-funded training, apprenticeships and on-the-job training.

The center is at 1661 N. Boonville Ave., Springfield, MO 65803. Its phone number is 417-887-4343. Listed hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday.

The cited sources do not identify a separate Timken-specific relocation, retraining or severance program. Workers can use the Job Center’s general workforce services as the closure schedule moves forward.

The next developments to watch are the July 31 WARN date, the remaining separation windows, the progress of the Gates transaction and any additional workforce-support announcements.

Sources

• Missouri WARN Notices — Timken Belts listing
• Timken Belts WARN notice — May 1, 2026
• The Timken Company — Sale of Belts business to Gates