Create a free Manufacturing.net account to continue

Chinese Biz To Put Plant At Former Ohio GM Site

Gov. John Kasich and company and site officials planned to officially sign an accord and discuss details in Columbus on Friday. The new plant would be on land where General Motors idled an assembly plant in 2008 in the south Dayton suburb of Moraine. There were 1,100 workers at the time.

MORAINE, Ohio (AP) -- Ohio and local development officials say they have an agreement with a Chinese auto parts producer to operate a plant near Dayton that could bring up to 800 jobs.

Gov. John Kasich and company and site officials planned to officially sign an accord and discuss details in Columbus on Friday. The new plant would be on land where General Motors idled an assembly plant in 2008 in the south Dayton suburb of Moraine. There were 1,100 workers at the time.

The Dayton Daily News reports (https://bit.ly/19WWm29 ) that Fuyao Glass Industry Group Co. plans to buy more than 1 million square feet of space in a $200 million investment. The state's private development arm, JobsOhio, says Fuyao expects to begin operations in late 2015. The company supplies parts to GM and other automakers.

Late last year, the city of Moraine sought funding from Montgomery County for a project also involving JobsOhio. Dayton Development Coalition chief Jeff Hoagland called the effort to attract the Chinese company "an outstanding team effort" that also got help from the state's congressional delegation and coalition staff.

Kristi Tanner, a JobsOhio managing director, couldn't offer details about incentives offered to the company and also couldn't say what wages employees likely will receive.

Industrial Realty Group acquired the former GM plant site in 2011 and renamed it "Progress Park." Smaller companies already are operating there.

The General Motors plant that produced sport utility vehicles had employed more than 4,000 people before its decline and end while the U.S. auto industry struggled in the last decade. An HBO documentary short about the Moraine plant called "The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant" was nominated for an Oscar.

More in Automotive