Cooperation is again the key to survival of Lordstown

Once again the economic foundation of the Mahoning Valley is in jeopardy, and once again both management and unions at the General Motors Lordstown complex are cooperating to avert what would be a disaster.
They have time, they obviously have the interest; what remains to be seen is whether they have the means to convince General Motors that a new product should be assigned to Lordstown when the Cobalt completes its scheduled run in 2009.
There are encouraging signs, beyond the demonstrable cooperation of the local management and unions. GM invested more than a half billion dollars in retooling the Lordstown plant, which had produced various small cars on the J-chassis for nearly 25 years. The lion's share of that investment was in a state-of-the-art paint shop that would serve the company well in production of a new line.
Also, the plant is set up for small and mid-sized vehicles, which should be a growing market in the United States. GM presumably has sufficient production facilities for its popular trucks and SUVs.
Looking back
The history of the Lordstown plant has been rocky. Former plant manager Herman Maass arrived on the scene in 1996 and was soon told that the company planned to close the plant in 2000. Maass shared the information with Al Alli, the longtime shop chairman of United Auto Workers Local 1112, and suggested that neither had an interest in being remembered as the guys who shut down Lordstown. They began working together.
By 2000, GM was taking a new look at Lordstown. The J-car run was extended and a new product, the Chevrolet Cobalt, successor to the Cavalier, was assigned to the plant.
Alli has died and Maass retired. Today, two of the main players in fight to keep Lordstown in production are complex manager John Donahoe and Jim Graham, president of Local 1112.
There are encouraging signs on the national front. GM is emerging from a period of record losses. It is likely to report a profit for the fourth quarter of 2006. It announced 5-year, 100,000 mile drive train warranties on its 2007 models, designed to build buyer trust. And it is making a concerted effort to reduce its reliance on the rental car market. Rental sales make it easier to maintain production lines, but can cut into retail sales and profits.
Locally, Donahoe and Graham are united in their commitment to reduce costs, improve quality and convince General Motors that the Lordstown plant should remain a part of the company's future.
Taking a page from a book of a decade ago, it is safe to assume that neither has an interest in being remembered as the guys who closed Lordstown.