By Krystal Smalley
ksmalley@wbcowqel.com
Plant manager Matt Novak may have been bursting with joy to celebrate the great news coming out of the GE Bucyrus Lamp Plant but nothing could compare to the pride coming from the GE employees.
The signature blue GE shirts slowly filled up the seats at the Bucyrus Lamp Plant in anticipation of the arrival of Gov. John Kasich. Kasich, along with JobsOhio General Manager Mark Patton, State Representative Jeff McClain, Senator Dave Burke, and various city and county officials honored the hard work GE and its employees have put in during the company’s 70 years in Bucyrus.
GE announced at the end of August that it will be investing $20 million into the Bucyrus plant to increase demand for energy efficient light bulbs. That investment will include 70 new jobs at the plant. Fifty additional jobs will be added to the Circleville plant and another 30 new jobs at the plant in Mattoon, Illinois.
But it was the passion and history at the Bucyrus plant that impressed many of the officials in attendance at the Wednesday afternoon celebration.
Kasich, who had been raised within a blue-collar community, understood the passion and commitment that employees like those at the Bucyrus plant put into their work. He moved among the GE workers as he shared in their celebration.
“You know why they came here? Because they can make money,” Kasich answered matter-of-factly. “And you know why they can make money? Because of you.”
Kasich noted that there is a lot he is trying to accomplish while in office, chief among them being creating jobs. But there was one thing he felt especially strong about. “I want manufacturing back in America and I want manufacturing back in Ohio. It is coming back,” Kasich said to a round of applause.
Kasich said one thing they will have to do to increase the manufacturing sector will be to push vocational education by introducing skill training and encouraging students’ passion in building and manufacturing.
But before they can do that, Kasich said they have to continue to cultivate the strong relationship GE has with Ohio.
‘They (GE) believe in Ohio and they believe in you,” said Kasich.
Novak said the investment was a “testament to the hard work and effort you (the employees) put in to this plant. There are many other people who are energized about the work you do and the work that’s being done to the plant.”
Ron Wilson, the Bucyrus plant’s general manager of supply chain, noted that the addition to the plant was merely a reflection of the results that come from it.
“This plant has history,” said Wilson. He highlighted the steps the plant took to be competitive in the market through the years and its continued success today. “We had a choice at this plant: we could be the victim of the market and watch volume go down year after year, watch our employment shrink year after year, or we could say: we’re going to be different. We’re going to work together, the union, the management team. We’re going to work together to figure out how can we be competitive in the long haul.”
“That’s exactly what this plant did,” Wilson stressed. “We gave investment; this team delivered.”
“I fully anticipate that we will have the lowest cost, best quality, best service energy-efficient soft white of anyone in the world when we are done,” said Wilson. “What we have proved in Bucyrus, and what we are going to show the world again, is that U.S. manufacturing can be competitive globally and it can be competitive right here in the state of Ohio.”
GE Lighting President and CEO Maryrose Sylvester shared her excitement at being able to share the celebration with the Bucyrus GE employees. “We are so proud these products are competitively made here in the United States and this great state of Ohio. And we’re even more proud of the work you do on our behalf.”
Sylvester said as GE continues to grow in Bucyrus, it will continue to give back to the community. The Bucyrus Lamp Plant recently donated GE lamps and lighting fixtures to the Bucyrus City Schools Athletic Complex.
After the celebration GE employees were able to talk with Kasich. A sense of excitement permeated the plant.
“It’s nice to have Maryrose with us today, the CEO, and also Governor Kasich. It just speaks volumes of the way that they support us and the excitement that they have for us and just to join us in celebration today,” said Katina Smith, a four-year employee at GE. “There has been a lot of hard work put in but all the employees here and, I think, today kind of, you know, brings it all together and just having this great celebration.”
‘It’s very good for morale, it’s very good for the plant to have it here,” echoed GE employee Linda Pfeifer. She found Wednesday’s event to be very encouraging and inspiring.
“I could not be more proud of this plant,” said Novak.
GE had previously invested in the Bucyrus plant in 2010 when it added 130 new jobs with a $60 million investment to bring a T8 linear fluorescent bulb line to the plant. That expansion allowed the plant to export the T8 bulbs all over the world.
The newest expansion plan is part of agreement between Walmart and GE that will put U.S.-made GE Energy-Efficient Soft White light bulbs on the shelves of over 3,000 Walmart stores by the summer of 2014. The lines to produce the new light bulbs is currently under way.
