pdxbubba
04-28-2006, 10:19 AM
It's official: Patriot coming to Belvidere
By Jim Mateja
Chrysler has confirmed what had been obvious for months: The Jeep Patriot will join the Jeep Compass and Dodge Caliber on the assembly line at Chrysler Group's Belvidere plant starting in September.
The Patriot and Compass compact sport-utilities and the Caliber crossover are built off the same platform. That cuts the cost of producing the vehicles and ensures the plant will stay at capacity to generate a profit.
Belvidere had built only the Dodge Neon until the switch to the Caliber for 2006. With Neon, 1,650 workers produced 130,000 cars on one shift last year. The plant has operated on one shift since 2000, when weak sales forced it to idle 1,000 workers.
With Caliber, a second shift and 1,000 workers were added March 14. The second shift puts Belvidere on target to build 260,000 vehicles this year.
Compass comes on line in May and Patriot in September.
Chrysler President and CEO Tom LaSorda long has said his goal is full employment and full capacity, three shifts and production of more than 300,000 units from Belvidere.
Chrysler spokesman Jason Vines said the plant could add 800 more workers by going to three shifts with the third vehicle, but no decision has been made on a third shift.
"We are talking with the union about it now," he said.
Belvidere has no workers left in the jobs bank, soChrysler would have to dip into the bank elsewhere or hire fresh to staff a full shift.
"With three shifts, we'd operate at over 100 capacity," Vines said...
...more at this link (http://www.chicagotribune.com/classified/automotive/promo/chi-0604080253apr09,1,1762613.story?coll=chi-classifiedcars-hed)
So how soon before we can start putting in our orders?
By Jim Mateja
Chrysler has confirmed what had been obvious for months: The Jeep Patriot will join the Jeep Compass and Dodge Caliber on the assembly line at Chrysler Group's Belvidere plant starting in September.
The Patriot and Compass compact sport-utilities and the Caliber crossover are built off the same platform. That cuts the cost of producing the vehicles and ensures the plant will stay at capacity to generate a profit.
Belvidere had built only the Dodge Neon until the switch to the Caliber for 2006. With Neon, 1,650 workers produced 130,000 cars on one shift last year. The plant has operated on one shift since 2000, when weak sales forced it to idle 1,000 workers.
With Caliber, a second shift and 1,000 workers were added March 14. The second shift puts Belvidere on target to build 260,000 vehicles this year.
Compass comes on line in May and Patriot in September.
Chrysler President and CEO Tom LaSorda long has said his goal is full employment and full capacity, three shifts and production of more than 300,000 units from Belvidere.
Chrysler spokesman Jason Vines said the plant could add 800 more workers by going to three shifts with the third vehicle, but no decision has been made on a third shift.
"We are talking with the union about it now," he said.
Belvidere has no workers left in the jobs bank, soChrysler would have to dip into the bank elsewhere or hire fresh to staff a full shift.
"With three shifts, we'd operate at over 100 capacity," Vines said...
...more at this link (http://www.chicagotribune.com/classified/automotive/promo/chi-0604080253apr09,1,1762613.story?coll=chi-classifiedcars-hed)
So how soon before we can start putting in our orders?