First Brands Group, the bankrupt auto parts manufacturer behind brands including FRAM, Autolite, and ANCO, is expanding a wave of layoffs and plant closures beyond Ohio, as restructuring deepens amid the inability to find funders.
The latest round of facility closures comes days after the company announced major layoffs in Ohio, closing four locations and affecting more than 1,200 workers, which I covered earlier here.
Together, the filings indicate that over 2,000 workers across multiple states could lose their jobs as First Brand closes plants and distribution centers, including multiple closures in Brownsville, Texas, and one in Tennessee.
What is First Brands?
First Brands Group is a major supplier of automotive aftermarket parts. It produces and markets premium products for commercial fleets, passenger vehicles, and repair shops nationwide.
The company portfolio includes several well-known automotive brands:
- FRAM (oil and air filters)
- Autolite (spark plugs)
- Michelin (wiper blades)
- Philips (licensed aftermarket lighting)
- Raybestos (complete brake solutions)
According to the company website, it currently has 24 companies under its portfolio, offering technological and engineering capabilities to its customers.
The company made headlines after announcing bankruptcy in September 2025, especially amid fears about private credit and how such liabilities affect banks.
In relation to the case and the surrounding fraud, a renowned player in leveraged lending, Jefferies, is now also facing scrutiny over its investment practices and risk appetite, Reuters reported.
First Brands owes Jefferies’ asset management about $715 million in receivables, and now investors are suing the firm for fraud, alleging it invested in a fund linked to the now-bankrupt First Brands. Jefferies has denied the allegations.
First Brands’ Texas and Tennessee plants shut down
New Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) submitted to Texas shows that First Brands will close several facilities in Brownsville, resulting in hundreds of layoffs.
The largest shutdown will be at its Brownsville manufacturing facility, located at 1995 Billy Mitchell Blvd., where 345 positions will be eliminated when the plant closes on April 30.
Workers at this plant include technicians, supervisors, machine operators, and quality specialists, among others.
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Another nearby facility, the ASC operation at 1990 Billy Mitchell Blvd., will also permanently shut down, affecting 43 employees.
In addition, the company is closing its Titan Distribution Center in Brownsville at Paredes Line Rd. and Quality Lane, further impacting 183 employees. Positions removed here include warehouse clerks and supply chain staff.
The total number of jobs impacted in Texas is thus 571, with the closure of three facilities.
Additionally, First Brands is closing its Toledo Modling & Die (TMD) facility in Fayetteville, Tenn., effective April 30, as it has done in Texas. This closure will impact the jobs of 333 employees.
The workers do not have union representation, and, according to the WARN filing, workforce agencies are already coordinating services with the employer and affected employees.
First Brands faces uncertain future
The list of positions permanently closed by First Brands continues to grow as the company navigates a financial crisis marked by Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings and fraud charges against former executives, including Founder Patrick James.
The moves are not limited to Texas and Tennessee; these are simply the latest official filings from the automotive parts seller. This past month, First Brands has laid off employees in Ohio, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Illinois, South Carolina, and California.
During a bankruptcy process, parts of the business are sold or restructured, but with a lack of credible backers for First Brands, the company risks closing more facilities in the future.
