Fight begins to try to save GM Moraine plant
Union workers have through June 10 for plan, which includes early retirement, departure buyout offers.
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Less than a day after General Motors Corp. announced that it would close its GM Moraine plant in 2010, state and local officials on Wednesday, June 4, began to plot their strategy to keep the factory open.
Phil Parker, president of the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce, said that local, state and federal officials, as well as business leaders, plan a conference call as early as Friday to discuss next steps for the region.
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While he wouldn't name those expected to participate, Parker said the list includes local officials who had been working to secure a new vehicle line for the plant well before GM's announcement.
"We don't want to take a defeatist attitude," Parker said. "I don't want to believe it's a done deal."
At the state level, Gov. Ted Strickland has asked Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher to be the state government's lead contact with GM, as well as freight carrier DHL, which has announced changes that could eliminate another 6,000 jobs at its Wilmington operation.
Fisher said Tuesday he is devoting the majority of his time to these matters and has made them his top priorities.
Michael Davis, Moraine's director of economic development, said city officials are providing information on work force development, quality of life, utilities and other subjects to GM so that, if it decides to invest somewhere, it will consider Moraine.
The Moraine plant, which makes mid-sized sport utility vehicles, was one of four targeted for closure in a restructuring announced Tuesday by GM. The Stroop Road facility employs 2,500.
Davis said Moraine's first choice would be to persuade GM to assign a new product to the existing plant. If GM ultimately says no to that, other options would include helping Moraine attract potential new employers and investment or even drawing GM customers or suppliers to set up shop in Moraine, Davis said.
David Cole, chairman of the Center for Automotive Research, said the impact from plant closings such as the one in Moraine can be "horrendous." He estimates that for every factory job lost, another nine could disappear in the community from suppliers and other businesses that depend on the plant.
But he said local officials should continue to look for ways to keep the plant running, if possible. Cole said the plant could still house production of a more popular product such as crossover vehicles. But such a move would require a re-tooling of the plant, Cole said.
