Lincoln Must Fight for Goodyear’s $550 Million Investment

“With over a half billion dollars at stake, Lincoln must demonstrate that we have the people, the ingenuity, the infrastructure and the type of city government that makes investment in our community fast, easy, and profitable, “ said Lincoln Mayoral candidate Chris Beutler in announcing how his administration would take advantage of Goodyear’s announcement that it would invest $550 million in it’s master plants.

In settling a recently concluded 86-day strike, Goodyear’s corporate office announced that it would invest over $550 million in its plants over the next three years. Beutler wants Lincoln to receive as much of that investment as possible.

“Goodyear’s plant is a key player in Lincoln’s economy. They pay good wages to over 500 of our people, creating a ripple through our economy, spurring growth and supporting our businesses. We need to keep those jobs and encourage new investment that will secure their future,” Beutler said.

Beutler believes that Lincoln can take steps to attract Goodyear’s investment dollars.

“First, the Mayor must sell to Goodyear the quality of the future workforce that Lincoln will provide. In a global economy where manufacturing can occur virtually anywhere, we have to let Goodyear Corporate know that we will continue to invest in our schools and provide employees who are both hardworking and possess the ingenuity to create an even more productive plant.

“Infrastructure is critical to manufacturing and Lincoln continues to fall behind on providing basic services such as roads, sewers, and water lines. My “New Roads to Good Jobs” plan, which would build new roads without raising taxes, is one effort among many that is necessary to convince Goodyear that we will hold up our end in building Lincoln’s capacity to expand its businesses.

“Perhaps most importantly, Lincoln’s reputation as a place where city government’s permitting process stifles investment will end under a Beutler administration. Major employers like Goodyear must know that their investment will not be bogged down in red tape by an uncooperative bureaucracy. All businesses should get the same response from the City that “Extreme Home Makeover” received earlier this year.

“With Goodyear’s announced intention to explore the sale of the Lincoln plant’s Engineered Products Division and the fact that nearly 40% of their Lincoln employees will be eligible for early retirement, it is especially important that Lincoln not miss this opportunity, “ Beutler said.

“If I were Mayor when Goodyear announced their investment, I would have taken the first plane to Akron, Ohio with an economic development quick response team to sell Lincoln and protect the future of those jobs,” Beutler concluded.