For immediate release Contact: Mark Wickersham
January 18, 2013 260-356-5688
Huntington represented at new Corvette Stingray unveiling
Brooks Fetters, Mayor of the City of Huntington, and Mark Wickersham, executive director, Huntington County Economic Development, attended the Industry Preview of the
North American International Auto Show on Wednesday, January 16, 2013. The show featured the official unveiling of the new Chevy Corvette Stingray and the new Lincoln MKS, featuring exterior body panels manufactured by the
Continental Structural Plastics Company (CSP) in Huntington.
As invited guests of the
Center for Automotive Research (CAR), Automotive Communities Partnership, Fetters and Wickersham attended a morning conference showcasing economists and senior management members from General Motors, economic development and community partners from throughout the Midwest. The Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership, of which Huntington County is a member, is a member of the CAR organization and extended this opportunity to membership counties in northeast Indiana.
"This trip helped bring an economic development project 'full circle,'" said Mark Wickersham, executive director, Huntington County Economic Development. "A couple of years ago, the building in Huntington that now houses CSP was a vacant hulk. No jobs, no tax base, just a liability. CSP redeveloped the plant, now employs nearly 300 people and has a newly created tax base for the City. If that wasn't a wonderful story in and of itself, CSP is now a world leader in lightweight automotive body panels featured on some of the most legendary vehicles ever made by the North American auto industry."
"The economists at the CAR meetings were very encouraging about the automotive industry outlook," Wickersham continued. "When our economy was at its weakest, the U.S. auto industry produced approximately 10 million vehicles a year. In 2013, CAR economists predict the industry will produce nearly 15.1 million vehicles. This is a very encouraging sign for the supply chain in Huntington County."
Mayor Fetters expressed his congratulations to CSP by saying, "The workforce in Huntington is producing the highest profile parts for the greatest American icon of a sportscar! Everyone in Huntington should take pride in that and thank the workers at CSP!"