I want a Jeep!

Jeeps Jeeps Jeeps!

Powered by Genesis

Compass Production Ramping Up In May

Content provided from Daimler press release

The Chrysler Group is launching a second production shift at its Belvidere (Ill.) Assembly Plant starting today. The additional shift will double the plant’s production capacity. Production of the 2007 Dodge Caliber began in January 2006, while production of the all-new 2007 Jeep(R) Compass at the plant will begin in May.

“This is fantastic news for the Chrysler Group, the UAW, our dealers, the Belvidere community and also for our customers who will get more quality Dodge and Jeep vehicles to choose from,” said Belvidere Assembly Plant Manager Kurt Kavajecz. “The second shift and the plant’s implementation of new workplace methods are helping us better meet customer demand.”

The addition of the second shift will raise total employment at the facility from 1,650 to 2,650. All of the new jobs were filled with current Chrysler Group employees, many of whom were idled. Employees came from areas such as Newark, Del., Huntsville, Ala., Kokomo, Ind., and Toledo, Ohio. More than 360 of the employees were idled Belvidere plant employees who are now back at work.

To ramp up the second shift, new employees will work four hours on the day shift and then four hours on the night shift this week. The split shift will provide hands-on training before launching the full eight-hour afternoon shift next week.

The employees in the plant are working under a new workplace organizational model that includes a small-team based structure and new workplace practices that are designed to foster greater creativity and innovation on the plant floor. These elements will help provide a better, safer work environment and further support assembly line operators.

The Belvidere facility also was the first in the Chrysler Group’s system to launch a new flexible manufacturing process which can build derivative models on a single production line in lot size of one. The new process replaces hard tooling with flexible robotics that can automatically change their own tooling to build more than one model.

The 3.7 million square foot Belvidere Assembly Plant is home to United Auto Workers Locals 1268 and 1761.
Technorati Tags: Jeep, Jeep Compass

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Jeeps

  • Cherokee
  • CJ
  • Commander
  • Compass
  • concept
  • Concept Cars
  • FC
  • hurricance
  • liberty
  • Patriot
  • TJ
  • willys
  • Wrangler

Recent Comments

  • Timothy Turner on Jeep Wrangler YJ Wiring Diagram
  • David P McKinnon on Jeep Wrangler YJ Wiring Diagram
  • James Thomas on Dangerous Tendency in the Off-road World
  • Heather Miller on Jeep Wrangler YJ Wiring Diagram
  • Robert Wall on Jeep Wrangler YJ Wiring Diagram

Archives

  • August 2012
  • June 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • September 2010
  • July 2010
  • April 2010
  • March 2010
  • February 2010
  • January 2010
  • December 2009
  • November 2009
  • October 2009
  • April 2009
  • February 2009
  • January 2009
  • December 2008
  • November 2008
  • October 2008
  • September 2008
  • August 2008
  • July 2008
  • June 2008
  • May 2008
  • April 2008
  • March 2008
  • February 2008
  • January 2008
  • October 2007
  • September 2007
  • August 2007
  • July 2007
  • June 2007
  • May 2007
  • April 2007
  • March 2007
  • February 2007
  • January 2007
  • December 2006
  • November 2006
  • October 2006
  • September 2006
  • August 2006
  • July 2006
  • June 2006
  • May 2006
  • April 2006
  • March 2006
  • February 2006
  • January 2006
  • December 2005
  • November 2005
  • October 2005