Mark ReussNorth America president of General Motors

General Motors North America President Mark Reuss will be in Bowling Green on Wednesday to cement the Bowling Green Assembly Plant’s future in Warren County.

Reuss, along with Gov. Steve Beshear and numerous state, federal and local officials, will make what is characterized in a press advisory as a “positive news announcement for Bowling Green Assembly and Corvette lovers everywhere.”

Eldon Renaud, president of Local 2164 of the United Auto Workers, said the mood at the plant is jubilant.

“I am assuming it will be the next generation Corvette that we will be making,” Renaud said. “At times we were on pins and needles about whether or not this plant would continue to build a car because the bar is constantly being raised.”

The C7 is scheduled to be a 2014 model, so production would begin in 2013.

“I’d say starting immediately they would make money available for improvements,” Renaud said.

“I don’t know if that’s the only vehicle we will produce, but with the goal of trying to make plants as efficient as possible, it would seem logical to bring in another vehicle,” he added. “I know they would like to have full production and more than one shift at the plant. It would take another product to bring that efficiency about. We had two shifts at one time in 1986.

“But we have a niche market and when you make enough vehicles for that market … production slows.”

In 2010, the plant produced 15,791 Corvettes, according to a fact sheet from the plant, which employs a total of 471 people – 374 are hourly employees. Their wages total $36.5 million a year and employees pay $7.75 million in annual payroll taxes, according to the plant. Property taxes amount to about $230,000 a year.

While employees had been nervous about the plant’s future, this isn’t the first time in recent years investments have been made locally. In 2005, GM spent $19 million to make a model change, $12 million for a new paint system, $3 million for a paint sludge handling system and another $5 million for other equipment. In 2007, GM spent $4.5 million to rearrange a conveyor belt system in the plant.

While no numbers have been released yet, paperwork filed with the state and approved last month showed GM expects to invest up to $131 million in the facility. Renaud wasn’t aware of the amount but believes it will be substantial.

The Corvette has received numerous J.D. Power Awards. In 2010 it was named one of the best cars of the decade by Kiplinger’s, named “best buy” by Consumer Digest and has received other honors.

About 50,000 people tour the plant each year.

Renaud said he looks forward to having Reuss at the plant Wednesday.

“That is a fantastic opportunity to showcase the plant and employees,” Renaud said.

It would be the second Reuss that Renaud will have met. Mark Reuss’ father, Lloyd Reuss, was president of GM in the early 1990s and visited the Bowling Green plant at the time, said Renaud, who has worked for GM since 1968. He started two weeks after graduating high school.

He has been through a lot of ups and downs in the auto industry.

“So many so that I don’t even remember them all,” he said. “That’s why I keep a lot of records. One day I will write a history.”

Renaud said the 40 people who have been laid off and others who have transferred to other GM plants temporarily will be among the first to be called back.

“They didn’t accept a transfer package and are anxious to get back because their families are still here,” he said.

In light of the announcement Sunday of Osama bin Laden’s death and the GM announcement Wednesday, Renaud said “the second part of this year is going to be better.”