WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) applauded the announcement that Fuyao Glass Industry Group Co. – a producer of auto safety glass – has finalized its agreement to purchase the former General Motors (GM) plant in Moraine. Since 2008, Brown has been a steadfast advocate for the redevelopment of the former automotive plant and has worked with local, state, and federal officials to secure more than $25 million in federal resources to aid in the clean-up and redevelopment of the site.
“Fuyao’s commitment to repurposing the plant is great news for the City of Moraine and the residents of the Miami Valley,” Brown said. “Since 2009, I have worked with community leaders and the federal government to ensure the site was primed for redevelopment. With one in eight jobs in Ohio connected to the auto industry, Fuyao’s decision to locate here underscores the strength of Ohio’s manufacturing sector and the unbeatable quality of our workforce.”
Following the plant’s closure in 2008, Brown helped secure more than $187,000 in Economic Development Administration (EDA) funds for the City of Moraine. In April 2009, Brown announced more than $8.3 million in National Emergency Grant (NEG) assistance from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to Ohio auto communities including Moraine. In May 2010, the Obama Administration announced more than $25.8 million in environmental clean-up funds for Moraine. Those initial funding sources helped prime the site for redevelopment efforts.
In October 2010, Brown sent a letter to Al Koch, CEO of Motors Liquidation Company (MLC), urging MLC to work with local and state officials on the sale of the plant to a developer seeking to breathe new life into the facility and generate jobs. That request set in motion the purchase of the site by Stu Lichter, founder and principal of Industrial Realty Group.
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