Friday, September 23, 2011
Lordstown has a winner
Consumers are respond- ing to the Chevy Cruze, which just celebrated its first year of production (“Lordstown’s Chevrolet Cruze turns 1,” Sept. 7). Reports have described it as attractive and comfortable, fuel-efficient, and stocked with safety features – which makes this father of a Cruze-driving daughter very relieved.
But beyond that, I think the most appealing feature of the Cruze is what this Made-in-Ohio car represents about the resurgence of the domestic auto industry and manufacturing jobs in our state.
Just a few short years ago, in the midst of a souring economy, companies like General Motors and Chrysler were on the verge of collapse. Though it was politically unpopular at the time, we made the tough decision to save the auto industry from disintegration, helping maintain millions of good-paying jobs. In Ohio alone, nearly 800,000 jobs are associated with the auto industry, with more than 120,000 Ohioans directly employed by automakers and supply-chain parts manufacturers.
The Cruze epitomizes how central the auto industry is to our state. Assembled in Lordstown, the Cruze features components made at plants all across Ohio: engine blocks manufactured in Defiance, transmissions assembled in Toledo, and parts stamped in Parma. Aluminum wheels for the high-mileage Chevy Cruze Eco are made in Cleveland.
Instead of padlocked gates, workers at Lordstown recently celebrated the one-year anniversary of making the country’s best-selling compact car. Thanks to the auto rescue, the U.S. auto industry is on the road to an even greater future.
U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, Washington, D.C.