For years, the old General Motors plant in Moraine, Ohio sat as a monument to everything Americans fear about manufacturing. When GM shut the Moraine Assembly plant down in 2008, thousands of workers lost the jobs that had built their homes, raised their kids, and anchored an entire community. The parking lots emptied. The lights went dark. And a town that had defined itself by what it made was left wondering if it would ever make anything again.
This month, that question got an answer. The factory is coming back to life — and this time, it’s making potato chips.
A $100 Million Bet on a Town That Lost Its Plant
Shearer’s Foods, an Ohio-based snack maker founded in 1974, has invested roughly $100 million to transform part of that former GM plant into a state-of-the-art factory at 4100 Springboro Pike. On June 22, the company held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the moment — the same stretch of concrete that once rolled out SUVs is now being remodeled to turn out potato chips and baked snacks.
The new plant brings about 250 jobs to Moraine. For a community that watched its biggest employer walk away, those 250 paychecks are far more than a statistic. They’re proof that a town written off as part of the “Rust Belt” can write a new chapter.
From SUVs to Snacks — Same Building, New Life
There’s something deeply American about this story. The same walls that once echoed with the sound of an auto assembly line are being retooled for a fully automated packaging operation. The work has changed. The product has changed. But the meaning is the same: people are clocking in again where they once clocked out for the last time.
“We’re excited to celebrate this important milestone in Dayton,” Shearer’s CEO Bill Nictakis said in a statement, pointing to the company’s focus on growth and “creating new opportunities in the communities where we operate.” For Moraine, that opportunity is the difference between an empty shell and a working factory.
Who Is Shearer’s Foods?
If you’ve ever grabbed a bag of store-brand chips, there’s a good chance Shearer’s made them. The company is one of North America’s largest makers of salty snacks, employing more than 5,000 people across 17 facilities. Moraine marks its fourth location in Ohio — a deepening commitment to its home state at a time when plenty of companies are still chasing cheaper labor overseas.
Instead of building somewhere far away, Shearer’s chose to plant its flag in a community that knew exactly what it felt like to lose a factory. That choice matters. It’s the difference between a town that’s a footnote and a town that gets a second act.
More Than Chips — A Commitment to the Community
The company didn’t just cut a ribbon and call it a day. Shearer’s partnered with the Dayton Foodbank to co-host a food drive at the grand opening, asking attendees to bring non-perishable items for neighbors in need. It’s a small gesture, but it says something about how a company sees its place in a town: not as a tenant, but as a neighbor.
That’s the kind of story we love to tell here at the Buy American Campaign. We don’t just care about logos and headquarters. We care about whether American workers have somewhere to go in the morning, whether a community has a heartbeat, and whether the things we buy help keep that heartbeat going.
The Whistle Blows Again
Eighteen years ago, the last GM workers walked out of that Moraine plant carrying their toolboxes and their memories, unsure if anyone would ever build anything there again. Today, the lights are back on, the lines are being installed, and a new generation is about to clock in.
The next time you reach for a bag of chips, take a second to flip it over and see where it was made. Because somewhere in Ohio, a factory that everyone gave up on is humming again — and every American-made snack that rolls off that line is a reminder that comebacks are still possible in this country.
Whenever possible, choose Made in USA.
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