Stacy94PGT

Ohio offers incentives to keep Ford plant open

Associated Press

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ford Motor Co. has been offered millions of dollars in incentives in an effort by state and other officials to get the automaker to change its mind about closing a plant in Maumee, Lt. Gov. Bruce Johnson said Friday.

The governor's office said Johnson and Gov. Bob Taft will meet with Joseph R. Hinrichs, Ford's vice president for North America manufacturing, on Monday to discuss how to keep open the Maumee stamping plant and another plant in Ohio.

Ford plans to shut down a transmission plant in Batavia near Cincinnati and the plant in Maumee, which is close to Toledo. The two plants are part of nine facilities that Ford plans to idle through 2008, the company has said.

The state worked with Maumee officials, Lucas County officials, the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority and the United Auto Workers to offer Ford a $15.7 million incentive package to keep the Maumee plant open, Johnson said.

Ford received a copy of the offer Thursday and company officials will review it, said Anne Marie Gattari, a Ford spokeswoman.

"It's very important to understand that we have a business plan to turn around our North American automotive operations and that plan does call for, unfortunately, the idling of several plants, and we don't expect that plan to change," she said.

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Stacy94PGT
My first car was a 67 Mustang Coupe, 2nd one was a 67 Cougar XR-7, 3rd one was a 66 Mustang Coupe. Why did I get rid of these cars for ? I know why, because I'm stupid, stupid, stupid.

My next Ford.....