April turned out to be a big win for Chrysler and the auto industry. Sales have stayed strong well into the new year, keeping the story about the comeback still going. That being said, success can have some problems. One of the problems that Chrysler is facing with this increase in demand for their vehicles is making sure they can produce sufficient quantities.
In order to keep production up, the Detroit Free Press is reporting that Chrysler will be keeping 4 plants that would normally have a two week summer shutdown open. Normally, the plants use this shut down period as a means to install equipment necessary for new models and for the companies to balance inventories with consumer demand. That’s a problem for Chrysler because they just don’t have the time to spare with the frantic pace of the industry at this point. Sales in 2012 are up by 33.4% from just last year. Chrysler needs to speed their production up.
The other reason they need to keep the plants working is that the new Dodge Dart will be starting production in the Belvidere plant. The workers have already been working on the framing the new compact car since Monday. The first of the Dart should be coming off the line either today or the following Monday. This is contrary to a report that some media outlets were putting out that the Dart was experiencing a delay due to electrical problems. Both Chrysler and a UAW official have stated that production is on schedule and there is no delay.
Success can have a price, but Chrysler is making sure that the demand is being met. After hearing for years of plants facing the opposite of situations, with closings and lay offs, it’s much nicer to finally see some talking about the extending of plant life rather than the shuttering of it. Be sure to check out the Chrysler line up on Bayside’s website. To stay up to date on Chrysler news, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
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