President Donald Trump's call for General Motors to build breathing machines for coronavirus patients included a suggestion that it reopen its former assembly plant in Ohio.
But it turns out GM sold that plant last year.
Trump on Friday issued an order seeking to force GM to produce ventilators under the Defense Production Act.
Earlier in the day, he blasted the automaker and said it wasn't moving fast enough. He wrote in a tweet that GM should reopen the now-closed factory in Lordstown, Ohio, or some other facility to build ventilators.
GM sold the Lordstown plant last November to a company that plans to make electric commercial vehicles there.
In a statement, GM said it has been working around the clock for more than a week with Ventec Life Systems and parts suppliers to build more ventilators. GM says it will be building critical care ventilators at its Kokomo, Indiana manufacturing facility. The company says that the FDA-cleared ventilators will be scheduled to ship as soon as next month.
GM will deploy an estimated 1,000 workers to scale production of critical care ventilators and the company has also worked with the UAW to bring back employees from GM’s Kokomo and Marion facilities.
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