Technology wows visitors at GM’s open house

By Karl Henkel

khenkel@vindy.com

LORDSTOWN

Irma Locke’s husband and two sons have worked at the General Motors Co. Lordstown facility, but until Thursday, she never had a chance to visit their home away from home.

GM Lordstown Open House

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General Motors, Lordstown

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Locke, 85, who now lives in Estero, Fla., finally got her opportunity as part of GM’s Thank You America open house at Lordstown’s east and west complexes.

“It’s fantastic,” said Locke, who visited with her daughter, Nancy, 49, of North Jackson.

“I didn’t realize there was so much work put into a car.”

Irma was amazed by not only the human power involved in manufacturing a car, but also the technology that has inundated car plants.

“I didn’t know they had all this automatic stuff,” said Irma, who owns a 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt, the car built in Lordstown before the best-selling Cruze took over last fall. “I’m from the old school.”

Irma was one of about 9,000 who toured the plant and one of the first in line by 9 a.m., a full hour before tours were scheduled to start.

So was Stephen Kaufman, 42, of Mesopotamia. The vehicle assembly plant opened in 1966; it was Kaufman’s first visit since he was a child.

Kaufman, who toured both plants, said he didn’t remember much from the first time he visited, but said he was fascinated by the car-building process.

“There’s a lot of technology here,” he said.

It was the first open house at Lordstown since 1986, said Tom Mock, plant spokesman.

United Auto Workers Local 1112 President Jim Graham said he was thrilled to have a chance to show off the plant and its blue-collar staff of nearly 4,500, which produces the

No. 1 selling car in America, the Cruze.

Increased demand has caused the plant to escalate production. GM Lordstown currently works all three shifts plus most Saturdays.

“They put their heart and soul into this product,” Graham said. “That’s why we’re the No. 1 car, and that’s why General Motors is going to be No. 1 in the world again.”

The main attraction was the east complex, which assembles and puts finishing touches on the Cruzes, but the west complex, headed up by UAW Local 1714 President Dave Green, also got its fair share of attention.

The west plant is responsible for stamping before being shipped to its east brother.

“Our members work extremely hard every day,” Green said. “They work tirelessly to make sure the customer has a quality product.”

About 1,400 of the 4,500 employees work at the west complex.

The GM Foundation also provided $10,000 to five local causes: The Warren Family Mission, The Youngstown State University Foundation, Oh Wow! children’s museum, Earth Force and K-16 Educational Partnerships. Local 1714 presented Toys for Kids with a $3,000 check.

The open house is one of 54 scheduled nationwide by GM to thank America. The federal government, using taxpayer money, bailed out the Detroit automaker with $50 billion, including $7 billion in loans which has since been repaid.