24
MiMfg Magazine
May 2019
MFG
@ Work
What’s Happening
in Michigan
Manufacturing
FCA Commits $4.5B to
Michigan Manufacturing,
Create 6,500 New Jobs
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles
(FCA) announced plans last
month to invest a total of $4.5
billion in five existing Michigan
plants and develop a new assembly
plant in Detroit.
According to the MMA’s
member company’s press release,
the move would increase capacity
to meet growing demand for its
Jeep® and Ram brands, including FCA’s new Mack Avenue Assembly Complex, rendering pictured here,
will be a $1.6 billion investment capable of supporting 3,850 new jobs!
production of two new Jeep-
branded white space products,
as well as electrified models.
$1.5 billion for production of
Dow Separates
The proposed projects would
an all-new Jeep Wagoneer
from DowDuPont
create nearly 6,500 new jobs.
and Grand Wagoneer, and
MMA member company Dow
“Three years ago, FCA set a
the continued assembly of the
successfully
completed its separation
course to grow our profitability based
Ram 1500 Classic, requiring
from
DowDuPont
on 4/1/19,
on the strength of the Jeep and Ram
an additional 1,400 new jobs
positioning
the
company
to drive
brands by realigning our U.S.
• $900 million invested at Jefferson
revenue
growth
in
three
consumer-
manufacturing operations,” said
North to retool and modernize
driven segments: packaging,
Mike Manley, Chief Executive
the plant for continued production
infrastructure and consumer care.
Officer, FCA N.V. “Today’s
of Dodge Durango and next-
announcement represents the next
“Today marks the beginning
generation Jeep Grand Cherokee,
step in that strategy. It allows Jeep
of
a
new and exciting chapter for
anticipating 1,100 new jobs
to enter two white space segments
Dow,” said Jim Fitterling, Dow’s
• $400 million in total investment
that offer significant margin
chief executive officer. “The changes
to the Sterling Stamping and
opportunities and will enable new
we have made to Dow’s portfolio,
Warren Stamping plants to
electrified Jeep products, including
cost structure and mindset are
support additional production,
at least four plug-in hybrid vehicles
significant. The new Dow is a
potentially creating approximately
and the flexibility to produce fully
more focused and streamlined
80 new jobs
battery-electric vehicles.”
company with a clear playbook
to deliver long-term earnings
In the official announcement,
• A $119 million investment
growth and value creation for
the total investment included:
to relocate Pentastar engine
all stakeholders.”
production from Mack I to
• $1.6 billion to convert the
Fitterling continued, saying
the Dundee Engine Plant
Mack Avenue Engine Complex
that
“Team Dow is well positioned
into a manufacturing site for
Combined with previous
to
achieve
our ambition of becoming
the next-generation Jeep Grand
announcements, FCA’s total
the
most
innovative,
customer-
Cherokee and an all-new
committed investments in the
centric,
inclusive
and
sustainable
three-row full-size Jeep SUV,
U.S. grow to nearly $14.5 billion
materials
science
company.
We have
creating 3,850 new jobs
since 2009, with nearly 30,000
all the tools in place to innovate
jobs created to date.
• Increasing the existing 2017
more quickly, to operate more
Warren Truck investment to
productively, and to invest more