Two years ago, the U.S. auto industry was on the verge of collapse. General Motors Corp. (GM) had filed for bankruptcy and had just begun to reorganize with $30 billion from the government’s Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). Chrysler, also with TARP support, reached a partnership deal with Fiat and began its climb from bankruptcy.

Just last week, Chrysler repaid the last of its $8.5 billion in loans the Obama administration made to the troubled carmaker and GM posted its biggest profit since 2000. Since both firms emerged from bankruptcy, car companies have added 115,000 jobs.

A new White House report—”The Resurgence of the American Automotive Industry“—highlights the jobs created in the auto industry and its supply chain, the turnaround of the companies that are now profitable and how entire communities have been revitalized by a strengthened auto industry.

The report says that the decision to save Chrysler and GM “was about more than those two companies.”

It was about standing behind the countless workers, communities, and businesses—large and small—that depend on the automotive industry.

The report also examines the impact of Chrysler’s survival on Kokomo, Ind., where a quarter of all workers are tied to the auto industry and Sterling Heights, Mich., where Chrysler is the city’s largest taxpayer and third largest employer.

In Kokomo, Chrysler committed upwards of $1 billion in three new factories to retain more than 2,250 jobs and that spurred other investments.

As Kokomo’s automotive industry rebounded, several businesses decided to invest in new operations in the city, including manufacturers Westwind Wood Specialties, Delphi Electronics and Safety, Electronic Support Services, engineering firm Neupath, as well as Federal Express and others.

In Sterling Heights, a $1 billion upgrade at Chrysler’s plant there added 900 second shift jobs.

Beyond autoworkers, the resurgence is boosting businesses across the community with automotive parts manufacturers expected to add nearly 500 new jobs.

Says Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner:

What happens next for Chrysler and GM is up to their executives, managers and workers—just as with any other company. We cannot guarantee their success, and at some point they may stumble. But we’ve given them a better shot. The choice to stop the American automobile industry from unraveling was the right one.

Click here for the full report.