Canadian company plans to build facility to make seats for GM

The seat maker estimates it will need fewer workers than Lear to supply GM.
& lt;a href=mailto:shilling@vindy.com & gt;By DON SHILLING & lt;/a & gt;
VINDICATOR BUSINESS EDITOR
VIENNA -- A Canadian-based company intends to build a new plant here to supply seats to the General Motors car assembly plant in Lordstown.
Intier Automotive told state officials it intends to employ 179 people.
It is to take over the work that has been done by Lear Corp. at a plant in Lordstown for the past 10 years.
Lear and United Auto Workers officials said last week that they are trying to find new work for the Bailey Road plant. About 360 union and salaried workers will continue working at Lear for now because it has a contract to supply seats to GM until its new small car, the Chevrolet Cobalt, debuts next fall.
Intier officials, however, said at a tax incentive hearing Monday in Columbus that they might hire Lear workers if Lear isn't able to find work for its Lordstown plant, said Reid Dulberger, executive vice president of the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber.
Intier officials could not be reached to comment.
Looking at Vienna sites
Dulberger said the company is looking at two sites in Vienna but declined to identify them.
Gary Newbrough, Trumbull County planning director, said he understands one of them is in Aeropark, an industrial park near the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport that is owned by the chamber. Documents submitted for a tax abatement request don't list a specific address.
Dulberger said Intier officials mentioned to state officials in Columbus that they could build in Pennsylvania but would prefer to be in Vienna. They said they were looking to build quickly because they were running out of time to get the building under way, he said.
The Ohio Department of Development said Intier intends to invest $7.4 million in the project, but Newbrough said company documents list spending of $4.1 million on the building and between $9 million and $12 million on machinery and equipment.
Intier intends to ask township and county officials to approve a 10-year, 60 percent abatement of new real estate and personal property taxes.
State tax abatement
In Columbus, the Ohio Tax Credit Authority approved a 70 percent tax credit on state withholding taxes for the company for nine years. The company is required to maintain operations at the site for 18 years. The state estimated the value to the company at $1.9 million over nine years.
Dulberger, who oversees economic development programs for Trumbull and Mahoning counties, said the state also is considering providing Intier with training assistance and a site development grant.
Intier was created in 2001 by another Canadian automotive supplier, Magna International. Shortly after, Intier became a separate, publicly held company.
It makes interior, door and latching components for a variety of automakers. GM makes up about 19 percent of its business.
Intier employs 22,000 people around the world and has annual sales of $3.9 billion.
& lt;a href=mailto:shilling@vindy.com & gt;shilling@vindy.com & lt;/a & gt;