Rebirth of America's dead factories

A Ford (F) transmission plant that closed in 2008 got a new lease on life after a Finnish company bought half of the space last year.

Huhtamaki, which makes paper products, acquired 900,000 square feet, making it the company's biggest manufacturing facility in the world, said spokesman Wess Hudelson.

Hudelson said the U.S. is Huhtamaki's largest market, and the Batavia location lets them "reach two-thirds of the U.S. within a day's drive."

Production is already up and running. "We've added 150 local jobs and expect to reach 225 new jobs by the end of the year," said Hudelson.

Lichter said IRG, which sold the space to Huhtamaki, has added other tenants for the rest of the space, including an aluminum scrap processor and a manufacturer of mobile communications systems.

The plant also houses a nursing program affiliated with the University of Cincinnati-Clermont.