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Ohio GM Plant Hosts Last Holiday Open House

Hundreds of people have attended the last holiday party at General Motors’ Ohio stamping plant before the facility shuts down next month.

MANSFIELD, Ohio (AP) -- Hundreds of people have attended the last holiday party at a General Motors stamping plant shutting down next month.

More than 400 people signed the guest register, toured the plant and stopped at a buffet line at the Mansfield/Ontario Metal Center plant on Friday.

General Motors announced in May it would shutter the plant, which opened in 1955.

Since then about 600 workers have retired or taken buyouts and about 100 have accepted transfers to other GM facilities.

The factory still has about 420 hourly and salaried staffers, and 130 temporary workers.

Former plant employee Vanessa Hayes, who retired in July 2008 after 30 years, says it's sad that everything people worked for all those years is gone.

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