This SBJ photo from Nov. 21, 1983, shows a full lot of cars as laid-off Zenith workers returned to work. In 1991, Zenith sent 1,500 local jobs to Mexico.
No. 6 Zenith closing
Chris Wrinkle
Posted online
Zenith was one of the original post-World War II factories to open in Springfield and its closing in the 1990s did more than ship 1,500 workers to Mexico in 1992. For many, it ended a way of life.
The local plant was Zenith’s last facility in the United States, and even though Zenith had a few jobs in Springfield as late as 1994, and the decision to ship those jobs abroad resulted in the largest layoff in Springfield’s history.
Bass Pro Shops eventually bought the 2-million-square-foot building and converted the property into what is now Sportsman’s Park, a sprawling corporate headquarters for the outdoor goods retailer.
The plant’s closing prompted two positive steps in the Springfield business scene: the formation of Partnership Industrial Center, a master-planned industrial park in northeast Springfield and increased training available at Ozarks Technical Community College, which at the time was in its infancy.
Zenith – maker of the first portable radio and the first TV remote control – is now a subsidiary of South Korea’s LG Electronics. LGE purchased a majority share in the company in 1995 and the rest in 1999 following Zenith’s fall into bankruptcy.