DaimlerChrysler has announced a $US419 million investment in its Belvidere (Illinois) Assembly Plant, along with the addition of a second shift and up to 1,000 jobs.
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“Since Chrysler Group opened the doors at Belvidere Assembly almost 40 years ago, the plant has been a key player in our manufacturing portfolio and product offensive,” said Chrysler manufacturing chief Frank Ewasyshyn.
The investment will be used to overhaul the plant’s body shop as well as modify the paint shop and final assembly area to enable greater manufacturing flexibility.
The plant will also be readied for new products which Chrysler, did not reveal – these are expected to include a fully redesigned replacement for the ageing Dodge Neon sedan, developed jointly with Mitsubishi and Hyundai, and sharing engines and its platform with other new models those automakers will build.
Blelvidere production is scheduled to begin in early 2006.
The body shop will be retooled, utilising a combination of new, robotics and existing plant equipment. New processes will also broaden allow the plant to assemble a wider variety of vehicles. The paint shop and final assembly areas will undergo technology upgrades, in order to achieve new levels of efficiency and quality.
Once up and running, the plant will have be able to build multiple vehicle models while simultaneously running pilot production of a new model, minimising production losses and down time.
Team structure supports line operators
A new agreement with the local union will allow new manufacturing practices to be introduced – Chrysler sees these as key to closing the competitive gap with other ‘benchmark’ assembly plants.
The new labour plan provides for concepts such as work teams, self-designed work stations, a framework of minimal and flexible job classifications, extensive employee training, and other elements that will provide a better work environment for the assembly line operators.
“Implementing a small team work structure and streamlining each line operator’s activities will result in a safer, ergonomically friendly plant environment,” a union official noted.
Continuous improvement
In a statement, Chrysler said Belvidere Assembly was chosen for the investment, due to years of continuous performance improvements, especially in the areas of safety, efficiency and quality. The National Safety Council awarded the facility with the “significant improvement” award for achieving at least a 20% reduction in lost-work time injuries in 2003 compared to the prior year.
A key automotive indicator in efficiency, The 2004 Harbour Report, named Belvidere Assembly the third most productive plant in its vehicle segment and it was the Chrysler Group’s most efficient assembly plant.
Belvidere’s Stamping facility is also the only stamping facility in North America to receive Harbour Consulting’s ‘2004 Harbour Award’ for manufacturing excellence. Chrysler said the plant continues to see quality gains due to safety and efficiency improvements.
Belvidere Assembly Plant now employs about 2,100 workers and produces the Dodge Neon for North America and the Chrysler Neon for export. The Neon, first launched in the 1990s and last redesigned at the end of the decade, is sold in 25 countries.
