Danville Goodyear plant manager says this year a 'turning point' for the plant

DANVILLE (WSLS 10) - For the first time since Danville's Goodyear plant was handed more than $1 million in fines by the state for safety violations, we're hearing from the plant's manager.

Greg Kerr spoke Friday morning at a breakfast hosted by the Danville-Pittsylvania County Chamber to celebrate the plant's 50th anniversary.

In October, the plant was fined as a result of multiple months-long state safety investigations.

Those investigations began in April after the second death at the plant this year.

A third employee died in August, marking the fourth employee death at the plant in 12 months.

An employee died on the job in August of 2015.

"It's impacted everybody at this plant," Kerr emphasized, "but I see it as a pivotal turning point for the plant where we can focus on our safety systems, our people and our products."

After the breakfast, Kerr declined to comment further about the deaths or the fines.

The plant is contesting the fines.

Members of the Local 831 United Steel Workers Union, which represents the employees at the plant, were also at the breakfast but declined to comment.