Chrysler Tries New Line of Thinking for Plants

Sometime has passed since the bleaker days of Chrysler. It’s been 3 years since then and Chrysler has managed to dig their way out of the hole and back on top of things. A lot of that success seems to be by providing the public with some great new models that they want.

GMA news has a different thought behind what is the driving force behind the bounce back. Chrysler has been putting a lot of minor changes into their factories. These hundreds of changes in production have given the plants more flexibility and output. The employees even see this as breaking down barriers between the management and the floor workers.

Robert Figlioli, a tradesman at Chrysler’s Jefferson North plant in Detroit, is quoted as saying about the plant, “You wouldn’t believe this plant -four years ago it looked like a dungeon. Now it’s beautiful, clean.”

Much of the look has changed since the time before the bailout, when employees were seeing crisis mode all around them with wages being cut, workers laid off, and hours shortened. That’s not the case anymore as the plants are being cleaned up and given a much more high-tech look in order to boost employee moral and increase productivity. It’s a belief that Chrysler official Scott Tolmie holds to, that making a better working environment will help give motivation to the workers.

“The environment is important -to have a house that is clean with nice colors makes a difference,” he says. “We want that Apple store look -it makes people want to work here.”

Chrysler’s approach to improving the conditions to make the workers enjoy their work certainly seems to be working. It seems to be paying off in the quality of the products that they are giving to the world and I think it’s certainly paying off with the demand increasing across the board for their multiple brands and vehicles.

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Chrysler Plants Stay Open to Deal With Production Increases

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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