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GM To Upgrade Lordstown Plant For Future Production

General Motors says it will built the next generation of the Chevy Cruze at its plant in Lordstown.Kabir Bhatia of Ohio Public Radio member station WKSU in Kent reports. 

Lordstown was rewarded with the Cruze—and thousands of jobs – in 2009.  It’s the fourth best-selling compact car this year, even after sales cooled as Japanese automakers recovered from last year’s tsunami. 

The announcement that the next generation Cruze will be built here bodes well for more than 4,000 jobs at the plant and its suppliers in Northeast Ohio.

Democratic State Rep. Ron Gerberry of Austintown says it’s also a good sign for the Mahoning Valley.

“Young people, they can look down and say, ‘You know what?  I don’t have to move.  There’s going to be opportunities at V&M… with Turning Technologies and the things happening downtown.  I think we’re going to have people moving here to get jobs.  But more importantly, I think that young people who are here know now that they can stay here, and they can find a job.”

The announcement also includes $220 million to upgrade the Lordstown assembly plant and Parma Metal Center, which together employ about 5,000 people.  

Jim has been with WCBE since 1996. Before that he worked as a reporter at another Columbus radio station, and for three newspapers in Southwest Florida.