Chrysler Group LLC's Toledo Assembly Complex Third Facility to Achieve World Class Manufacturing Milestone; Ties Dundee as Highest Ranking Facility

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., July 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

• Toledo Assembly Complex awarded bronze status
• Follows Dundee Engine and Windsor Assembly awards
• Audit score ties Dundee plant, making it one of the highest ranking North American manufacturing facilities
• Ranking rewards improvements in safety, quality and productivity 

The Toledo Assembly Complex (Ohio) is the third Chrysler Group LLC facility to be awarded bronze status for its efforts in implementing World Class Manufacturing (WCM) and is now one of the highest ranking of all the Company's North American manufacturing facilities. In April, the Dundee Engine Plant (Dundee, Mich.) and Windsor Assembly Plant (Ont.) achieved bronze status.

The Toledo facility received the bronze designation 27 months after adopting the WCM operating system following an audit on July 19 and 20, 2012. Bronze is awarded after earning a minimum of 50 points in 10 technical and 10 managerial pillars by demonstrating clear WCM know-how and competence through pillar presentations and shop-floor project reviews. The Toledo facility scored 52 points, which ties the score received by the Dundee plant earlier this year.

"The Toledo employees have dedicated themselves to accelerating the rate of improvement in their plant in order to achieve bronze. To equal or surpass two other exceptional facilities is a remarkable achievement and we are very proud of their hard work," said Scott Garberding, Senior Vice President and Head of Manufacturing/WCM, Chrysler Group LLC. "Together with our UAW partners, Chrysler Group is demonstrating its commitment to making our manufacturing facilities among the best in the world."

World Class Manufacturing is a methodology that focuses on reducing waste, increasing productivity, and improving quality and safety in a systematic and organized way. WCM engages the workforce to provide and implement suggestions on how to improve their jobs and their plants.

WCM was first implemented by Fiat in 2006 and introduced to Chrysler Group as part of the alliance between the two companies in June 2009.

WCM certified auditors from Fiat including the Head of WCM for Europe, Middle East and Africa, and the Plant Manager of Fiat's Sevel (Italy) Assembly Plant performed the audit. The Toledo plant will be officially recognized for their achievements at a WCM award ceremony in November in Europe.

The Toledo Assembly Complex, which employs over 1,900, produces the Jeep_® Liberty, Jeep Wrangler and Jeep Wrangler Unlimited. In November 2011, Chrysler Group announced that it would invest $500 million in the facility for a 260,000-square-foot expansion of the existing body shop and upgrades to all other areas of the assembly plant. In addition, Chrysler will add a state-of-the-art, 26,000-square-foot Metrology Center, which will help improve vehicle quality by verifying key measurements to ensure accurate fit and finish. The Company also announced that it will add a second shift of production or about 1,100 jobs in the third quarter of 2013, bringing total employment at the complex to over 2,800.

About Chrysler Group LLC

Chrysler Group LLC, formed in 2009 to establish a global strategic alliance with Fiat S.p.A., produces Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram, Mopar, SRT and Fiat vehicles and products. With the resources, technology and worldwide distribution network required to compete on a global scale, the alliance builds on Chrysler Group's culture of innovation, first established by Walter P. Chrysler in 1925, and Fiat's complementary technology that dates back to its founding in 1899.

Headquartered in Auburn Hills, Mich., Chrysler Group's product lineup features some of the world's most recognizable vehicles, including the Chrysler 300 and Town & Country, Jeep Wrangler, all-new Dodge Dart, Ram 1500, Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 and Fiat 500. Fiat contributes world-class technology, platforms and powertrains for small- and medium-size cars, allowing Chrysler Group to offer an expanded product line including environmentally friendly vehicles.

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SOURCE Chrysler Group LLC