By ALEX P. KELLOGG
Chrysler Group LLC will have all of its North American assembly plants up and running by late July, according to a schedule provided to the company’s suppliers Friday.
Production at a truck plant in Mexico will begin July 6, according to the schedule, while three other idle plants Illinois, Michigan and Ohio that primarily build Jeeps will resume production July 27.
Chrysler idled all of its plants during its bankruptcy process, which began April 30. The shutdown, along with cutting 789 dealers, helped it reduce its inventory of cars and pickup trucks.
The bulk of the company exited bankruptcy earlier this month. Last week, it inked a long-anticipated partnership with Italy’s Fiat SpA.
But only one of Chrysler’s 12 North American assembly plants is running at the moment. The company announced earlier this week that seven others will begin production by the last week in June.
The Saltillo Assembly plant in the northern Mexican state of Coahuila will be the first of the remaining unnamed plants to reopen. The Belvidere Assembly plant in Illinois, Jefferson North Assembly in Michigan and Toledo North in Ohio will reopen simultaneously in late July, according to the schedule.
In Saltillo, Chrysler builds the Dodge Ram and engines such as the HEMI; in Belvidere, the Dodge Caliber, Jeep Compass and Jeep Patriot; and in Toledo, the Jeep Liberty.
Chrysler resumed production at its Detroit Conner Avenue plant Monday. The plant, which makes the Dodge Viper, was the first it restarted.
Plants that will resume production later this month include Michigan’s Sterling Heights Assembly plant, home to the Chrysler Sebring and Dodge Avenger; Warren Truck Assembly, which produces the Dodge Ram and Dodge Dakota pickups and is also in Michigan; and St. Louis North Assembly, another plant where Dodge Rams are built.
Chrysler will continue its traditional two-week summer shutdown and idle all plants that restart during the weeks of July 13 and July 20.
The production schedule Chrysler provided to suppliers Friday indicated eight of its 12 assembly plants will work one shift, while four will work two. Those include the Windsor plant and a Brampton, Ontario one that builds the Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger and Dodge Challenger.
In a letter to suppliers also sent out this week, senior vice president of purchasing Scott Garberding reassured suppliers that the schedule it is providing is the company’s “plan of record.”
He also assured them the company will continue production through 2009, and complete all 2010 model year vehicles in time for “launches later this year.”
He did not specify what vehicles the company will launch, but Chrysler has announced it will introduce an electric vehicle this year.
“Chrysler is grateful for your patience during the Bankruptcy period,” said Garberding in the letter. “I simply ask that you work with us.”
Chrysler’s efforts to get its plants up and running come just as the company announced more changes up high. The company named new leaders in manufacturing, engineering and product design Friday.
Led by Fiat and Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne, the company had earlier named new heads of each of its three brands – Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep. It has also put a new face on its parts-and-services business, for example, and has shown a number of top, longtime executives the door.
Write to Alex P. Kellogg at alex.kellogg@wsj.com
