Governor assured GM Lordstown future is secure

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Ohio Governor Ted Strickland (D-Lisbon)

Gov. Ted Strickland emerged from a meeting with a top General Motors official feeling like the future of the Lordstown car plant is secure.

Strickland said Gary Cowger, GM global group vice president, spoke like the company’s commitment to Lordstown was an “accomplished fact, not something that was even in question.”

“I left the meeting with Gary feeling like the Lordstown was a viable part of their future, and there was not a reason to be concerned,” Strickland said this afternoon.

He spoke by phone from Detroit, where he was meeting separately with top officials from Ford and GM.

GM hasn’t commented on the future of Lordstown, but the United Auto Workers said the company plans to bring two new mid-size models and a subcompact model to Lordstown, starting in 2009. Production of the Chevrolet Cobalt is scheduled to end that year.

Strickland said he and Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher made the trip to build relationships with top executives. He said one or both of them plan to meet with the automakers four times a year.

For more on this story, see Friday’s Vindicator or www.vindy.com.