Updated: 2:15 p.m.
In a series of tweets, President Trump has announced the Loveland company Workhorse is buying GM's idled Lordstown plant and will start manufacturing electric trucks there.
The President wasted no time in getting out a series of tweets Wednesday, writing:
"GREAT NEWS FOR OHIO! Just spoke to Mary Barra, CEO of General Motors, who informed me that, subject to a UAW agreement etc., GM will be selling their beautiful Lordstown Plant to Workhorse, where they plan to build Electric Trucks. GM will also be spending $700,000,000 in Ohio... in 3 separate locations, creating another 450 jobs. I have been working nicely with GM to get this done. Thank you to Mary B, your GREAT Governor, and Senator Rob Portman. With all the car companies coming back, and much more, THE USA IS BOOMING!"
....in 3 separate locations, creating another 450 jobs. I have been working nicely with GM to get this done. Thank you to Mary B, your GREAT Governor, and Senator Rob Portman. With all the car companies coming back, and much more, THE USA IS BOOMING!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 8, 2019
Workhorse makes high-performance battery electric vehicles including trucks, aircraft and drones. An affiliated company, SureFly, is designing personal helicopters.
Ohio Senator Rob Portman reacted to the news, saying on Twitter, "Optimistic about the news today for the #Lordstown community. I've worked with Workhorse and look forward to further developments and news from @GM. #Ohio"
Optimistic about the news today for the #Lordstown community. I've worked with Workhorse and look forward to further developments and news from @GM. #Ohio
— Rob Portman (@senrobportman) May 8, 2019
He also issued the following statement Wednesday afternoon:
"I just spoke with GM CEO Mary Barra who told me GM would invest an additional $700 million in Ohio at its Toledo, Parma and Moraine plants, which would create 450 new jobs. She also told me that GM, subject to the approval of the UAW, is in negotiations to sell the Lordstown plant to the Workhorse Group to make commercial electric trucks. I also spoke with Dave Green, UAW Local 1112 president, about the news. My message to GM all along has been either to bring a new GM vehicle to the plant or to find a partner that will use this world-class facility so people can get back to work. I look forward to hearing more from Workhorse about its plans to bring jobs to Lordstown, and I’m hopeful that this news will benefit the workers there. I want to thank President Trump for his help in finding a positive solution for Lordstown. I will continue to work with GM, the UAW, and other key stakeholders on this matter in the coming weeks and months."
Meanwhile, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine says he spoke with Barra, who confirmed the sale, but he expressed reservation about the news to a reporter from the Ohio State House News Bureau.
"I'm just by nature a cautious person and until I know all of the facts, it sounds like good news," DeWine said.
The Lordstown plant closed in March 2019 after the last Chevy Cruze came off the assembly line, leaving 1,400 people without jobs.
GM says it will release more information about the Workhorse deal later on Wednesday.
