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Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine to visit Detroit this week to discuss Lordstown GM closure

The new governor is crossing state lines in search of a solution
General Motors' Lordstown, Ohio complex recently added a third shift and 1,200 employees to support the September rollout of the new Chevrolet Cruze.

DETROIT — Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine will visit Detroit this Wednesday and Thursday to meet with General Motors CEO Mary Barra to discuss the closure of the company's Lordstown plant.

According to a spokesperson for DeWine, topics of discussion include the possibility of adding a new line to the factory and selling the site to a different car manufacturer. 

GM made the decision to close its Lordstown plant in November, announcing that operations would halt in March. 

RELATED: General Motors to close Lordstown plant next year

The plant, which manufactures the Chevrolet Cruze, had already lost two of its three shifts and 3,000 union jobs since 2017. 

GM said it's restructuring to cut costs and focus more on autonomous and electric vehicles. Sales for the Chevrolet Cruze have also suffered, dropping 50 percent since its height in 2014. 

DeWine previously said he planned to hold talks with GM once he took office.

Ohio senators Sherrod Brown and Rob Portman had reportedly expressed concerns for the plant months before its announced closure. The Cincinnati Enquirer reported both had reached out to Barra seeking answers, but were met with silence.

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