Officials react to GM news

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - The big General Motors news has City and County officials talking.

"You could have knocked me over with a feather," said Nelson Peters, (R) Allen County Commissioner.

Allen County Commissioner Nelson Peters.

"It means 700 good paying jobs and it means enhancing and building the community in a way that the City and the County look forward to doing," said Peters.

The hard work of officials from Allen County and Fort Wayne appears to have to paid off.

"Obviously with them bringing the new lines on and now with the third shift are just part of what we've been continuing discussions with them on," said John Urbahns, Fort Wayne Director of Community Development.

The City and County say the credit goes to the hard working people out at the Fort Wayne Assembly Plant.

"They have worked to become not only the number one truck producer in America but the number one plant in the world," said Peters.

"Because that plant is so flexible and productive they are able to take on these additional jobs," said Urbahns.

The Economic Development Alliance has pushed to make Fort Wayne Assembly the plant in the United States.

"We're there, there were only three plants in the entire United States where GM was bringing back the third shift and this is one of them," said Andi Udris, President of the Economic Development Alliance.

The Alliance's goal is to now build on GM's success.

"I would like to use this as a banner to have other companies bring manufacturing jobs here to Fort Wayne," said Udris. 

Economic Development Alliance President Andi Udris says he hopes to bring other truck divisions to the Fort Wayne plant.

Possibly, a medium truck division that was recently dropped.