Four Chrysler Plants to Skip Summer Shutdown To Meet Sales Demand - Detroit Free Press

Chrysler said Wednesday that it will keep four plants running through July without observing the traditional two-week summer shutdown and has begun production of the Dodge Dart in Belvidere, Ill.

Belvidere, Toluca, Mexico, Toledo, and Jefferson North will stay open to keep up with demand, which for many Chrysler products continues running well ahead of the industry's overall selling pace.

The company announced earlier this week that Jefferson North in Detroit would build the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango SUVs without interruption in July.

In addition, plants in Sterling Heights and Saltillo, Mexico, will observe the summer shutdown only for one week, the company said.

Normally, the Detroit Three automakers and the UAW agree to halt production for two weeks in July because it enables the companies to balance their inventories with consumer demand and gives skilled-trades workers time to install equipment needed for new models.

But this year Chrysler needs to boost production to keep up. Its 2012 U.S. sales are up 33.4% through April from a year earlier, while industry sales have risen 10.3%.

Workers in Belvidere began framing the 2013 Dodge Dart compact car on Monday. Framing involves welding together the floor, sides and roof of a vehicle in a body shop. Chrysler invested $700 million to build a new 638,000-square-foot body shop at the factory in northwest Illinois.

Contrary to some news media reports, both Chrysler and a UAW official said production of the Dart is on schedule and is not delayed by electrical problems.

"That's not true," said George Welitschinsky, president of UAW Local 1268, when asked about possible electrical issues with the Dart. "The first Darts should start coming off of the line on Friday or Monday."

Chrysler is hiring an additional 1,800 workers at the plant, which will employ a total of about 4,500 by the end of this year. They have hired more than 600 of those 1,800, Welitschinsky said.

Reid Bigland, president and CEO of Dodge, said in March that Chrysler plans to build about 2,000 Dodge Darts this month and another 8,000 in June. Chrysler also builds the Jeep Compass and Patriot SUVs at the Illinois plant.

The other products made at the plants that will work through the shutdown are:Dodge Journey, Fiat 500 and Fiat Freemont -- Toluca Assembly Plant, Toluca, Mexico.

Jeep Wrangler and Jeep Wrangler Unlimited -- Toledo Supplier Park, Toledo, Ohio.

Chrysler 200, Dodge Avenger and Lancia Flavia -- Sterling Heights Assembly, Sterling Heights.

Ram light- and heavy-duty trucks -- Saltillo Truck Assembly Plant, Saltillo, Mexico.


By Brent Snavely Detroit Free Press




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