State should recruit GM to sell Valley to Boeing

We have no doubt that executives at Boeing Corp., the world's leading commercial aircraft manufacturer, and General Motors Corp., the world's leading automobile manufacturer, speak the same language when it comes to figuring out where to locate a plant for a new product.
Last August, GM decided that its new compact models would be produced in its Lordstown assembly facility. The Mahoning Valley beat out several other regions around the country that were competing for this economic gem. General Motors is investing more than $500 million to create a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility at its Lordstown complex.
Why the Valley? There are myriad reasons, the foremost being the labor force. Workers of the region know how to build things of superior quality. But just as important as the labor force was the state of Ohio's commitment to making sure that the region did not lose its competitive edge. The state thus developed an economic incentive package for GM that established Ohio as a major economic development player.
Solid bet
In announcing the decision to build the successor to the top selling Chevrolet Cavalier at the Lordstown complex, company officials made special mention of the role the administrations of Gov. Bob Taft and former Gov. George V. Voinovich played in convincing them to invest in Ohio, in general, and the Valley, in particular. Taft replaced Voinovich as governor and picked up where his Republican colleague had left off in terms of negotiating the incentive package. Voinovich is now a U.S. senator. Throughout the long and arduous talks, both men spoke with one voice: Ohio will top any incentives offered by other states.
They were true to their word. But that should come as no surprise. Five years earlier, the Voinovich administration sold Chrysler Corp. on the idea of building its new Jeep plant in Toledo by assembling an economic package that other states couldn't top.
It is against this backdrop that we propose the following: Gov. Taft should invite the chief executive officer of General Motors and other high-ranking officials to accompany him to Boeing Corp.'s headquarters in Chicago to press the case for its new manufacturing plant being built on land adjacent to the Youngstown/Warren Regional Airport.
Indeed, state development officials should dust off the videotape of the GM announcement ceremonies last year in Lordstown at which company officials sang the praises of the Valley and the state.
What's good for GM would certainly be good for Boeing.
The world's leading commercial airplane manufacturer has invited states to submit possible sites for a plant to produce a new passenger plane. The facility would employ up to 1,200 people.
Some states, including Washington, have already developed incentive packages worth billions of dollars, even though Boeing has not formally requested them. But such initiatives are necessary when there's so much at stake.
Voicing concern
As a group of congressmen from Ohio, including the Valley's Tim Ryan, D-Niles, and Ted Strickland, D-Lisbon, pointed out in a recent letter to the governor, Ohio may be missing out by not following the example of the other states.
Given the success in luring General Motors and Chrysler, we have no doubt that the Ohio Department of Development is up to the challenge of focusing Boeing's attention on the Mahoning Valley.
As for Taft's leading a delegation to Boeing's headquarters, we are confident that both Ohio senators, Voinovich and Mike DeWine, also a Republican, would relish the chance to be a part of the group. Their presence would lend credence to Taft's contention that the Mahoning Valley has the full faith and confidence of state government when it comes to being a great manufacturing center.
Why should the governor and senators favor this region over others in Ohio vying for the Boeing plant? Because over the years, all three have pledged to make the Valley a priority in terms of job-creation. And because an industrial park adjacent to a fully equiped airport is a perfect fit for Boeing.