TWINSBURG, Ohio (AP) -- Officials in a northeast Ohio town that's
home to a large Chrysler factory say they're already looking for
ways to attract new jobs to the site of the plant.
Chrysler announced Friday that it plans to close its Twinsburg, Ohio, parts stamping plant next year. The factory, one of one of five more plants scheduled to close by the end of 2010, has about 1,200 workers.
Twinsburg Mayor Katherine Procop says city officials will contact President Barack Obama's auto task force for assistance in finding a new major employer.
Greater Akron Chamber vice president Rick Rebadow says there's plenty of time to find new business for the area and to look at other options for the facility and its employees.
-----Twinsburg Chrysler Plant Closing
NEW YORK (AP) -- Documents in Chrysler's bankruptcy case reveal the automaker's plans to close five more of its plants by the end of 2010, one of them is in Twinsburg.
The plants include the Sterling Heights and Conner Avenue assembly plants in Michigan, and the St. Louis North assembly plant in Missouri. Chrysler's Twinsburg, Ohio, stamping plant and Kenosha, Wis., engine plant would also close. The plants are among eight that would be left out of a deal for Italy's Fiat to buy the U.S. carmaker's most valuable assets in bankruptcy. Instead, the "new Chrysler" would lease the plants then shutter them by December 2010.
Two other plants on the list were idled at the end of last year. Those are the St. Louis South plant and an assembly plant in Newark, Del. Chrysler's Detroit Axle plant is already scheduled to be replaced by a new factory near Port Huron, Mich.
---LaTourette Released the Following Statement About Chrysler's Twinsburg Plant:
I am beyond disappointed and have been assured repeatedly that the Twinsburg plant would be spared, as recently as yesterday. I feel horrible for the workers, their families and the city of Twinsburg. This is simply wrong and you don't toy with people's lives and jobs like this.
I was briefed yesterday by top administration officials prior to the President's national address about the future of Chrysler. Members of Congress on the call were assured that there would be no permanent plant closings, but the idling of some plants for 30-60 days could be announced later in the day by Chrysler. We were also assured that no jobs would be lost.
I also had a conference call yesterday with Chrysler CEO Robert Nardelli, and he was asked specifically about plant closings in Ohio and Wisconsin, and the message was the same no plant closings, no job losses. This was one of many discussions I've had with Administration, Chrysler and Fiat officials in recent weeks.
Shortly after the Administration conference call, the President described the bankruptcy this way to the American people: "It will not disrupt the lives of the people who work at Chrysler or live in communities that depend on it." Less than 24 hours later, a bankruptcy filing indicates that Chrysler intends to close five plants, including the Twinsburg Stamping Plant in 2010, greatly harming the city and leaving 1,000 workers without jobs.
Chrysler announced Friday that it plans to close its Twinsburg, Ohio, parts stamping plant next year. The factory, one of one of five more plants scheduled to close by the end of 2010, has about 1,200 workers.
Twinsburg Mayor Katherine Procop says city officials will contact President Barack Obama's auto task force for assistance in finding a new major employer.
Greater Akron Chamber vice president Rick Rebadow says there's plenty of time to find new business for the area and to look at other options for the facility and its employees.
-----Twinsburg Chrysler Plant Closing
NEW YORK (AP) -- Documents in Chrysler's bankruptcy case reveal the automaker's plans to close five more of its plants by the end of 2010, one of them is in Twinsburg.
The plants include the Sterling Heights and Conner Avenue assembly plants in Michigan, and the St. Louis North assembly plant in Missouri. Chrysler's Twinsburg, Ohio, stamping plant and Kenosha, Wis., engine plant would also close. The plants are among eight that would be left out of a deal for Italy's Fiat to buy the U.S. carmaker's most valuable assets in bankruptcy. Instead, the "new Chrysler" would lease the plants then shutter them by December 2010.
Two other plants on the list were idled at the end of last year. Those are the St. Louis South plant and an assembly plant in Newark, Del. Chrysler's Detroit Axle plant is already scheduled to be replaced by a new factory near Port Huron, Mich.
---LaTourette Released the Following Statement About Chrysler's Twinsburg Plant:
I am beyond disappointed and have been assured repeatedly that the Twinsburg plant would be spared, as recently as yesterday. I feel horrible for the workers, their families and the city of Twinsburg. This is simply wrong and you don't toy with people's lives and jobs like this.
I was briefed yesterday by top administration officials prior to the President's national address about the future of Chrysler. Members of Congress on the call were assured that there would be no permanent plant closings, but the idling of some plants for 30-60 days could be announced later in the day by Chrysler. We were also assured that no jobs would be lost.
I also had a conference call yesterday with Chrysler CEO Robert Nardelli, and he was asked specifically about plant closings in Ohio and Wisconsin, and the message was the same no plant closings, no job losses. This was one of many discussions I've had with Administration, Chrysler and Fiat officials in recent weeks.
Shortly after the Administration conference call, the President described the bankruptcy this way to the American people: "It will not disrupt the lives of the people who work at Chrysler or live in communities that depend on it." Less than 24 hours later, a bankruptcy filing indicates that Chrysler intends to close five plants, including the Twinsburg Stamping Plant in 2010, greatly harming the city and leaving 1,000 workers without jobs.
