Premium Guard Inc. Revives Historic Champion Labs Facility in Albion, Illinois, Bringing Nearly 200 Manufacturing Jobs Back to the Community
Albion facility reopening demonstrates PGI's commitment to American manufacturing and supply chain resiliency
MEMPHIS, Tenn., June 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Premium Guard Inc. (PGI), a pioneer and leading filter manufacturer and supplier, today announced plans to reopen the former Champion Laboratories facility in Albion, Illinois, initially restoring nearly 200 manufacturing and operational jobs to the region while reestablishing one of the most recognized names in the filtration industry.
PGI officially closed its acquisition of First Brands Group's Champion Labs assets along with related assets from the legacy Fram facility in Greenville, Ohio. This is a significant investment in American manufacturing, domestic supply chain capabilities, and the revitalization of a facility that has long served as an economic cornerstone for the Albion community.
Champion Labs was originally founded in West Salem, Illinois in 1955, and the facility ceased operations earlier this year, resulting in the loss of hundreds of local jobs, creating uncertainty across the region. With today's announcement, PGI is bringing manufacturing back to Albion and creating a renewed path forward for employees, families, and the broader community.
"Today is an important day for Albion and PGI," said Anan Bishara, CEO of PGI. "Our team is committed to this community, and our foremost priority is to resume production in Albion. In the last decade, trust was lost by a company that prioritized financial engineering over all else. Our philosophy is different — we are a customer, team, and product-focused company. We're proud to help bring jobs, R&D investment, and manufacturing back to a community that has played such an important role in the filtration industry for generations."
As part of the reopening effort, PGI is welcoming back several former Champion team members and industry veterans. The move reflects PGI's commitment to preserving the engineering and operational expertise, customer relationships, and manufacturing heritage that helped establish Champion as a respected name across the automotive aftermarket industry.
The Albion facility will serve as a key domestic manufacturing hub within PGI's growing global production network, which spans across nine countries. By reestablishing U.S.-based production capabilities, PGI is further strengthening supply chain resilience.
The facility's reopening is expected to have a meaningful economic impact throughout Southern Illinois, where Champion Labs historically ranked among the region's largest employers. Hiring efforts for manufacturing, operations, and support roles are expected to begin immediately. For more information on applying, click here.
About Premium Guard Inc. (PGI)
Premium Guard Inc. is a leading developer and supplier of premium automotive filtration solutions serving retail, traditional, quick lube, and e-commerce channels across North America. Beyond its Premium Guard® branded product line, PGI powers many of the industry's most successful private-label programs, delivering turnkey solutions in engineering, product design, packaging, marketing, logistics, and data management. Through relentless innovation, global sourcing excellence, and a customer-first mindset, PGI continues to raise the standard for quality, agility, and value in the automotive aftermarket.
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