Warren

Chrysler to add third shift, 1,000 jobs in Warren

By Brian Louwers
C & G Staff Writer

A third shift and 1,000 jobs are coming to Chrysler Group LLC’s Warren Truck Assembly Plant in March, the company’s top executive confirmed Nov. 15.

In a press release issued after an event at the company’s engine plant on Mack in Detroit, Chrysler Group CEO Sergio Marchionne announced a list of investments in Michigan to accommodate stepped-up production of a variety of components and products, including the Pentastar V-6 and Tigershark I-4 engines and the Dodge Ram 1500.

Marchionne said the new commitments would become part of a $4.75 billion investment that added nearly 6,000 jobs in the United States since Chrysler Group was formed in 2009.

“Today is another important milestone in living up to the commitment we made more than 3 1/2 years ago to our employees, this city, this region and our country to transform this company,” Marchionne said in the prepared statement.

“All of these investments are the direct result of a lot of people who have battled courageously to bring Chrysler back to a state of growth. It is our contribution toward helping southeastern Michigan get back on its feet.”

Beginning in March 2013, Chrysler will add a third crew and 1,000 jobs to accommodate production of the Ram 1500 truck in Warren. The Warren Truck Assembly Plant will become the third Chrysler facility to add a third shift, joining the Jefferson North Assembly Plant in Detroit and the Belvidere Assembly Plant in northern Illinois.

Chrysler also announced plans to create jobs and invest millions at its facilities on Mack in Detroit and in Trenton.

Warren Mayor Jim Fouts, who attended the event in Detroit where the announcement was made, later applauded the investments. He also credited efforts to support the U.S. auto industry backed by President Barack Obama.

“It’s a major boost to the area, a major boost to Warren,” Fouts said. “It’s a big shot in the arm.”

The announcement from Warren’s second-largest corporate taxpayer comes less than two months after its largest, General Motors Co., revealed plans to add 1,500 tech jobs and a new IT facility at its Tech Center campus.

In September, GM announced plans to invest $325 million at its Warren transmission plant — just north of Chrysler’s Warren Truck Assembly Plant — to support the production of electric vehicle components.

You can reach C & G Staff Writer Brian Louwers at brianlouwers@candgnews.com or at (586)498-1089.