CR Industries
Chicago Rawhide opened its Springfield plant in 1974. The long-established manufacturer celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2003. CR manufactures oil seals for a wide variety of markets including automotive, off-highway, mass transit, rail transport and aerospace. When opening in Springfield in 1974, about 30 employees worked at the plant. Today, more than 200 area people are employed at CR working one of three shifts around the clock. Bucking the trend for a small rural Midwestern town, the Springfield community has at least four employers with shifts spanning 24 hours attracting workers from a 60-mile radius.