Optimism Persists in a Kentucky Town Where a Carmaker Brought Jobs

[groovedaddy]

GEORGETOWN, Ky. — Before Toyota arrived here more than two decades ago, Georgetown was a sleepy town of 10,000. Its population has since swelled to 25,000, and most of those people owe their livelihood to the sprawling Toyota plant outside of town on Cherry Blossom Way.

People here are eager to see the company’s recall problems blow over.

“I think they can get it worked out,” said Jeni Gruchow, co-owner of Fava’s restaurant in the heart of town. “It happens to other companies. It’s horrible that it’s happening to Toyota.”

In Georgetown, which is about 15 miles north of Lexington, and other cities where Toyota operates plants in the United States, life is starting to return a bit more to normal this week, as they resume full production after weeklong shutdowns to fix a problem with accelerator pedals.

In interviews, residents here expressed confidence that Toyota would thrive again. The town and the automaker are inextricably linked — the first Camry rolled off the line in 1988 — so it is of course in everyone’s interest to see Toyota out of the headlines.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/09/business/09georgetown.html?th&emc=th

[PVnRT]

1. Don't post this in GD

According to them, the people that work there are scum racist union-busters who deserve to put against the wall and shot.