Letters to Ron Bloom, Chair of the President’s Auto Task Force

The Mansfield Makes Sense for the New GM Committee sent letters yesterday to GM President and CEO Frederick “Fritz” Henderson and to the Chair of the President’s Auto Task Force, Ron Bloom, urgently requesting meetings to review GM’s own data that proves the Mansfield-Ontario Metal Center is the best positioned for the New GM. On June 1st, General Motors announced it plans to close the Mansfield-Ontario Metal Center in 2010 despite the fact that it is GM’s #1 performing stamping plant. (Please see the attached letter)

In the letter to GM & Taskforce officials, the committee expressed the need for a meeting to review the evaluation criteria, stating, “We need your help in getting an explanation of what appears to be GM’s poor business decision to close this plant. We strongly believe that Mansfield Makes Sense for the New GM and that this plant is best-positioned to help the company succeed. We are requesting that you meet with us to review the material that we have compiled – data that comes from GM itself – that clearly demonstrates and validates the value of the plant to the company’s future.”

The Mansfield Makes Sense for the New GM Committee realizes that time for GM to reverse its decision is quickly running out. Committee leaders are also sending letters requesting additional support to numerous elected officials, including: Governor Ted Strickland, Lt. Governor Lee Fisher, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown, U.S. Senator George Voinovich, Congressman Jim Jordan, Ohio Senate President Bill Harris, Representative Jay Goyal and Representative Margaret Ruhl, among others.

The Mansfield Makes Sense for the New GM Committee is led by three Richland County officials –Ontario Mayor Ken Bender, Mansfield Mayor Donald Culliver and Richland County Commissioner Gary Utt – and was organized to save the Mansfield-Ontario Metal Center. The group wants to delay the implementation of GM’s plans to close the plant and stimulate more careful consideration by highlighting the reasons why the Mansfield-Ontario Metal Center should remain in operation. The committee’s website is www.mansfieldmakessense.org