U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown spoke to Cedar Point officials and union workers Tuesday as work on the new $30 million GateKeeper roller coaster nears completion.

“Cedar Point management hires union workers because they know the quality is so high,” he said. “They’ve really paid attention and they’ve hired locally.”

Brown commended park operators for hiring electricians from Sandusky, plumbers and pipe fitters from Fremont and cement contractors from from Oregon, among others.