by Emily Canning-Dean
Reporter
Reduction in demand and a lack of capital has devastated auto parts manufacturers across the country, but U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) said he believes a new bill he is sponsoring could help these industries retool for clean energy jobs.
The bill, which Brown announced on a conference call June 17, would create a $30 billion revolving loan program to benefit small and mid-sized manufacturers.
The Twinsburg Stamping Plant likely will not be helped by the funding, local officials say.
Although the focus is on auto parts suppliers, Brown said any manufacturer with 500 employees or less could be eligible for the loan. Brown said the federal funds could benefit 3,000 Ohio manufacturers employing 250,000 workers.
Manufacturers would be able to use the funding in two ways, according to the U.S. lawmaker. Funds could be used to retool plants for clean energy jobs, such as the manufacturing of wind turbines or solar panels, or they could be used to renovate plants to make them more energy efficient.
"We can revive Ohio manufacturing through investments in clean energy," Brown said. "Ohio has the manufacturing base and skilled workers to become the Silicon Valley of clean energy manufacturing."
Brown said he is uncertain of a timeline for the availability of funds if the bill is approved.
Although he admits the bill could be helpful for some auto parts manufacturers, Twinsburg Director of Development and Community Planning Larry Finch said the city's Chrysler Stamping Plant would not benefit from the proposed bill.
"There are probably other manufacturers in the area that would benefit, but this would not keep the stamping plant from closing," Finch said.
The plant's 600-plus workers are still on idle, but United Auto Workers officials said last week they expect workers to be back to the plant by early to mid-July for the rest of the year.
Chrysler Group LLC announced it would resume making vehicles at seven of its North American factories, starting June 29. All the company's factories were shut down May 4, shortly after it went into Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
The company confirmed that factories in Sterling Heights and Warren, Mich.; St. Louis; Toledo; Brampton and Windsor, Ontario; and Toluca, Mexico, would restart operations. Production at a Detroit factory resumed June 15.
Most of Chrysler's assets were sold to a new company led by Italian automaker Fiat Group SpA. The new company emerged from bankruptcy protection June 10.
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