Americans are riding a hurdy-gurdy – up today and down tomorrow. But in Freemont what is happening is exceptional. Last April this region humming with activities of immigrants despaired when New United Motor Manufacturing shut down its plant – Nummi. It manufactured Toyotas. It resulted in the loss of over 5,000 jobs in the automobile sector. The matter did not end there – it spilled over to hundreds of other related business enterprises.
But last week there was joyful news. Toyota said it had teamed up with Tesla to set up another car plant on the same site that would manufacture electric vehicles. Things would start operating from 2012.

The bad news also came last week when the city informed that all the employees in the public sector inclusive of the police and firefighting personnel would have to accept a six day lay off in the forthcoming year to help close the budget deficit of $11.4 million.

Last Wednesday 26th May, Fremont got a booster shot when President Obama flew in to cheer a solar manufacturing plant that would be built with funds coming from the federal stimulus package. Freemont too would make its own contribution. The city would now become the focus of new green technology. Obama said, “The future is here!”

The residents of Freemont are keeping their fingers crossed. Apart from the Nummi loss this suburban region of the Silicon Valley that had once been a Mecca for malls has undergone its share of pain from the recession – foreclosures, falling real estate prices, lay offs, programme cuts, half completed business enterprises, empty shops and schools. But optimists say that if any place can rejuvenate itself – it is Freemont.

Once upon a time Freemont was the capital of the film industry. Charlie Chaplin had filmed many of his movies here – one being The Tramp. The film world moved away but Freemont went ahead.

During the middle of the 20th century Freemont welcomed with open arms General Motors. It was the biggest employer. Thousands made it their home and a new middle class grew up. In 1984 General Motors joined hands with Toyota to inaugurate Nummi.

Obama warned that it would take time for Fremont to climb out of the hole. Many of the former workers who had been with the car world for over two decades agree with him. They sigh that never will they be able to make as much money as before. Some of them are now facing foreclosure and are making plans to exit and move on elsewhere in search of greener pastures.

Related tags

Nobody landed on this page from a search engine, yet!

We suggest you to read about: