GM LORDSTOWN | US Sen. Portman, 'Sad day for the Valley'

LORDSTOWN — U.S. Sen. Rob Portman said, “It’s a sad day for this Valley” with the last Chevrolet Cruze leaving the Lordstown General Motors assembly plant.

It’s the first time in about 96 years that GM is without an assembly plant in Ohio, the No. 2 auto-making state in the country, said Portman, a Cincinnati-area Republican.

GM says it will produce 20 new electric vehicles by 2023.

Portman said he’s “going to continue to press [GM] to put at least one of those vehicles in Lordstown.”

He said when the Cruze was a strong seller, GM “loved the plant,” and when the company was in trouble “the UAW and the community bent over backward to help GM. Everybody wants them to come back.”

Portman said there has been talk with other car companies “and there may be other options, but the best thing for the Valley is for General Motors to commit to that plant.”

U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson of Marietta, R-6th, said, “We all hoped that this week wouldn’t come at the General Motors facility in Lordstown, but here we are. However, we aren’t giving up. Many workers arrived this morning for what may be their last shift. Efforts remain focused on bringing a new product to the facility, and efforts like the ‘Drive it Home Ohio’ campaign are still active, letting General Motors know how important their investment is to Northeast Ohio. The bottom line is: the people of the Mahoning Valley and surrounding area want to find a solution that keeps Ohio’s premier, highly-skilled automotive workforce working.”