DaytonDailyNews.com

MORAINE — The news that GM plans to close the Moraine plant not only hit workers hard, but also businesses around the plant and city officials.

Sherry Gross, kitchen manager at the Upper Deck Tavern, said the tavern has already been affected by previous cut-back, such as when GM got rid of a shift and restricted certain workers from leaving the plant for lunch.

"If it closes up in 2010, I don't know what we're going to do," she said.

Gross said the workers are more than just customers.

"They're like our family," she said. Adding "these are people I've seen every day for lunch."

The 50-year-old, who grew up in West Carrollton, said it's upsetting.

"It's sad. It's a sad ending to something I grew up watching all of my life."

And for her and her sisters who have owned the tavern for 14 years there is also fear.

"It's scary. It is really, really scary."

Gross said her uncle worked at GM, as did lots of friends. "It's just hard to believe that it wouldn't be there someday."

Duane Isaacs, who has owned Treasure Island for 28 years, the closing will affect his business, especially the carry-out. But he worries about the workers.

"I feel bad for the people. A lot of those folks have been there a long time."

Isaacs said they may be able to get new jobs but probably not at the wages they were making.

"2,000 jobs is a lot of jobs to lose. You don't know where these folks are going to go."

A Treasure Island customer said he wasn't surprised.

On the closing announcement. "That was coming," said Carl Durbin of Centerville. "That was no secret" with no new vehicles planned at the plant.

"It was coming with their not announcing a platform for 2010."

Durbin said the company hasn't met the demand for more fuel-efficient vehicles, "GM has got to restructure their whole line."

Now, Durbin said, many suppliers and other secondary businesses will also be hurt. "It will

affect a lot of people before it's over. It's going to affect Moraine big time."

Moraine City Councilwoman Elaine Allison said the city was hoping Tuesday's announcement was going to be about a new product.

"This was not the anticipated outcome that we were hoping for," she said.

She did not have an exact dollar amount for the impact on the city, but said that this would also affect the services the city offers.

City officials will keep talking to GM

She said it was "hopefully not the end of an era, but time will tell us that."

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2057 or lgrieco@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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