A company that delivers commercial vehicles may be forced to close its Springfield plant if it loses a major contract, the company said in a letter to state officials.

Auto Truck Transport Corp. said all 186 employees in Springfield would likely lose their jobs if the company fails to renew its contract with Navistar, a truck manufacturer. The current contract concludes at the end of the year.

“If the plant closing occurs, at the present time, it is expected that it would be permanent,” said Ed Cumbo, company president, in a letter to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

He said the letter was a “purely precautionary” measure, in line with the Ohio law that requires notice for large layoffs.

Clark County Commissioner David Hartley told the News-Sun on Friday, Nov. 27, that he was unaware of the company’s letter.

The Urbana Road plant, some of whose workers are represented by the International Association of Machinists union, prepares trucks for delivery. The trucks are attached together using methods known as stacking or decking, and then driven to their destination.

Auto Truck beat Active Transportation in 2004 for the contract to transport Navistar trucks to market.

The Teamsters Local 654 filed a lawsuit that year that Navistar and JHT Holdings — the Wisconsin company that owns both Active and Auto Truck — colluded to transfer the work because Auto Truck paid less in health benefits and pensions than Active.