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Tonawanda GM plant celebrates 75 years

A festive mood is in the air at the GM Tonawanda Engine Plant Friday as the company and its employees are celebrating the River Road facility's 75th Anniversary with an open house. The plant faced an uncertain future in 2009 when GM filed for bankruptcy and employment dipped to about 600 workers.  Today, GM employs about 1,800 local residents.

"We really appreciate the faith that the American public put into the auto industry and giving us an opportunity to really show what we can do," Finch said. "Seventy-five years, great people, increased employment, new investment, I think that's what the American people want to believe is the right thing to do and it's a great opportunity for GM to show that we can get it done," says Steve Finch, the plant's manager.

Engines made in Tonawanda are shipped around the globe. Currently, Tonawanda Powertrain is building engines for the Chevrolet Malibu and the Cadillac ATS.

"A lot of times when we think about what is happening in the world globally in manufacturing, we think about all of the things that come to the U.S. from other countries. It's really great to know that we can do things the other way. We've had our products going over to China and Korea, being put into vehicles that get sold all across the world," Finch says.

Steve Finch says the key to the plant's success is its people.

"People really have an attention to quality. They care about the products that we build and they're excited to be here. If you go out into that plant, you'll see, that's the energy that makes everything go," he adds.

Since 1938, the GM plant has produced more than 70 million engines.
 

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