Belvidere Assembly Plant

Last updated

Belvidere Assembly Plant
Stellantis.svg
Belvidere Assembly Plant
Built1964–65 [1]
OperatedJuly 1965
Location Belvidere, Illinois, United States
Coordinates 42°14′10″N88°52′16″W / 42.236°N 88.871°W / 42.236; -88.871
Industry Automotive
Products Automobiles
Employees1,258 (2022) [1]
Area280 acres (1.1 km2)
Volume5,300,000 sq ft (490,000 m2)
Address3000 West Chrysler Drive
Owner(s)

The Belvidere Assembly Plant (BVAP) is an idled automobile production facility owned and operated by Stellantis North America. The factory opened in 1965 in Belvidere, Illinois, United States, and last assembled the Jeep Cherokee.

Contents

History

The factory was built in 1964 and 1965 in the south part of Belvidere, Illinois, adjacent to U.S. Route 20. The first production line vehicle was made on July 7, 1965, assembling the new Chrysler C platform vehicles. [2]

The Belvidere Assembly Plant is adjacent to the Chrysler-operated Belvidere Satellite Stamping Plant. The stamping plant produces sheet metal parts for the production line. [3] The factory has 5,300,000 square feet (490,000 m2) of floor space over 280 acres (1.1 km2) of land, and had produced 5.9 million vehicles by the end of the 1993 model year. [4]

In 2006, the factory became the first Chrysler plant to use a body shop consisting entirely of robotics. The 780 robots in the body shop could make necessary tool changes automatically, within a 47-second cycle time. The factory is capable of building three models of vehicles as well as test-building a fourth vehicle. [5]

The Simulation (SIM) Room comprises 38,000 square feet (3,500 m2) of the factory and is used to create a miniature production process and to test the layout of job stations, and creating standard work instructions. A two-foot grid is painted on the floor to measure dimensions and employee walk-time during simulated production and efficiency modeling. [6]

In October 2010, it was announced that $600 million were to be invested into the Belvidere Assembly Plant in preparation for 2012 model year vehicles to be built there. [7] The Dodge Dart (PF) was announced in December 2011 to be built at the plant.

On December 9, 2022, Stellantis announced that Belvidere Assembly would be placed into an "indefinite closure" effective February 28, 2023. [8] [9] The Belvidere site was a point of contention in 2023 United Auto Workers strike, with the United Auto Workers and Stellantis negotiating a future use for the site. [10] The resulting contract, announced on October 28, 2023, includes the reopening of the plant in early 2025, [11] reportedly to assemble a new mid-size Ram pickup truck. [12] A planned expansion would also add an electric vehicle battery plant, creating 1,100 new jobs at the facility. [13]

On November 9, 2023, President Joe Biden visited Belvidere and held a speech with local UAW leaders on the reopening of the plant. [14]

Labor

In 1985, there were around 4,000 employees working at the plant. [15] At the start of the Neon car production, there were 3,250 hourly and 250 salaried employees working as of 10 November 1993. [4]

2,650 employees were working at the factory at the start of 2007 model year Jeep Compass production, [5] up from 1,700 in 2005 when one shift of employees was in place. [6] However, the third shift, which was first instituted in 2006, was discontinued in 2008. [16] The plant was idled during the Chrysler bankruptcy filing and became a one-shift operation from July 2009. [17] A "temporary" second shift was added by October 2009. [18] In May 2019, Chrysler laid off 1,403 employees after the "C" shift was eliminated. [19]

Production of vehicles dropped from 263,521 in 2008 to 84,609 in 2009. [20]

The workforce is represented by the United Auto Workers, Local 1268 and 1761. There have been two UAW-ordered strikes in the plant's history. In 1973, there was a nine-day strike over the right to turn down overtime, pension funding, and health and safety measures. In 1981, there was a nine-day strike to receive pay parity with Ford and GM workers. Chrysler proposed eliminating several job classifications so workers could be required to perform more than one task. [15]

In 2009, the future of the plant was uncertain. [21] Haig Stoddard, a Global Insight analyst, cited the plant as one of three plants that had been considered in a plan to close one plant. [22]

Awards

In 2005, the factory was the recipient of Plant Engineering's Top Plant Award for efficient turnover in the changeover from Neon production to Caliber production. [23]

The Chrysler Group has been awarded the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine's (ACOEM) Corporate Health Achievement Award after a tour of the plant. [6]

The plant received a Green Cross for Safety award from the National Safety Council for 2004. [6]

The J.D. Power Award for Manufacturing Quality (Bronze rating) was given to the plant in 2020. [24]

Vehicles produced

Future

According to the 2023 UAW contract with Stellantis, a mid-size Ram pickup has been planned for production at this assembly plant in 2027.

Past

Some of the past models made at the plant included:

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belvidere, Illinois</span> City in Illinois, United States

Belvidere is a city in Boone County, settled on the Kishwaukee River in far northern Illinois, United States. Known as the 'City of Murals', Belvidere is home to several public art installations throughout the North and South State Street historic districts, which are on the national register of historic places. These historic districts are home to places like the Boone County Museum of History, The Funderburg Museum, several restaurants and bars, antique stores and Boutique stores. Popular festivities like Heritage Days are held yearly. The population was 25,339 as of the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Boone County. Belvidere is part of the Rockford, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Stellantis Canada is the wholly owned subsidiary of Stellantis through its North American division operating in Canada. Incorporated in 1925, the Chrysler Corporation of Canada acquired a Maxwell-Chalmers plant in Windsor, Ontario that had been used to manufacture some Chrysler models in the previous year. Initially called Chrysler Canada, Ltd, the name of the company changed to DaimlerChrysler Canada Inc. following the merger of the two parent automotive conglomerates. In August 2007, the company was renamed Chrysler Canada Incorporated when Cerberus Capital Management purchased 80.1% of its parent company Chrysler.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chrysler Neon</span> Compact car manufactured by Chryslers Dodge and Plymouth

The Chrysler/Dodge/Plymouth Neon is a front-engine, front-wheel drive compact car that was introduced in January 1994 for model year 1995 by Chrysler's Dodge and Plymouth divisions in two- and four-door body styles over two generations.

The Toledo Assembly Complex is a 3,640,000 sq ft (338,000 m2) automotive factory complex located in Toledo, Ohio. Now owned by Stellantis North America, sections of the facility have operated as an automobile assembly plant since 1910, originally for Willys-Overland. The Toledo complex has assembled Jeeps since the 1940s, and comprises two factories: Toledo North and Toledo South, which itself includes the Stickney Plant and the Parkway Annex.

Detroit Assembly Complex – Jefferson, previously known as the Jefferson North Assembly Plant is a Stellantis North America automobile assembly factory in Detroit, Michigan. The plant is located adjacent to the Detroit Assembly Complex – Mack plant. Located on East Jefferson Avenue 6 miles (9.7 km) northeast of Downtown Detroit, near Grosse Pointe Park, the factory opened in 1991 as a major commitment to the downtown Detroit area by Chrysler, and was expanded in 1999, bringing its area to 2,700,000 sq ft (250,000 m2) and expanded again in 2011, bringing its total to 3,000,000 sq ft (280,000 m2).

Detroit Assembly Complex – Mack, previously known as the Mack Avenue Engine Complex, is a Stellantis North America automobile assembly factory in Detroit, Michigan. The plant is located adjacent to the Detroit Assembly Complex – Jefferson plant.

Warren Truck Assembly is a Stellantis automobile factory in Warren, Michigan.

Brampton Assembly Plant is a Stellantis Canada automobile factory located at 2000 Williams Parkway East Brampton, Ontario, Canada. Originally built by American Motors Corporation (AMC) for US$260 million, in the former Bramalea area of Brampton, the manufacturing plant was specially designed for building the Eagle Premier. Its role since has primarily been to assemble full-sized Chrysler products.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Windsor Assembly</span> Automobile factory by FCA Canada

Windsor Assembly Plant (WAP) is a Stellantis Canada automobile factory in Windsor, Ontario. The factory opened in 1928 and Chrysler minivans production began in 1983. Windsor Assembly is Windsor's largest employer. The plant currently operates two shifts with over 4,200 employees.

The Warren Stamping Plant is a Stellantis North America automotive factory in Warren, Michigan that produces auto parts for Chrysler vehicles. The factory was completed in 1948 and began production in 1949. The nearby Chrysler facilities are the Warren Truck Assembly and the Mack Engine Complex. The Mound Road Engine plant closed in the early 2000s; the site is now a vehicle storage lot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ram Trucks</span> American brand of light to mid-weight commercial vehicles, a division of Stellantis

Ram Trucks, stylized as RAM and formerly known as the Ram Truck Division, is an American brand of light to mid-weight trucks and other commercial vehicles, and a division of Stellantis. It was established in a spin-off from Dodge in 2010 using the name of the Ram pickup line of trucks. Ram Trucks' logo was originally used as Dodge's logo. Ram 1500 "Classic" trucks are made at the Warren Truck Plant in Warren, Michigan, United States, and at the Saltillo plant in Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico. New series Ram 1500 pickups are made at Sterling Heights Assembly in Sterling Heights, Michigan. Since its inception, the brand has used the slogan "Guts. Glory. Ram."

Volkswagen Westmoreland Assembly was a manufacturing complex located 35 miles (56 km) southeast of Pittsburgh in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, near New Stanton — and noted for manufacturing 1.15 million Volkswagens from 1978 until 1987. When VWoA began manufacturing in the unfinished Chrysler plant, it became the first foreign automobile company to build cars in the US since Rolls-Royce manufactured cars in Springfield, Massachusetts, from 1921 to 1931.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeep Cherokee (KL)</span> Motor vehicle

The Jeep Cherokee(KL) was a compact crossover SUV manufactured and marketed by the Jeep marque of Stellantis North America. Introduced for model year 2014 at the 2013 New York International Auto Show, sales began in November 2013. It occupied a position between the smaller Compass and the larger Grand Cherokee in Jeep's global lineup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fiat Chrysler Automobiles</span> Multinational automotive manufacturing conglomerate

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. (FCA), now part of Stellantis, was an Italian-American multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles, commercial vehicles, auto parts and production systems. At the time it was the world's eighth largest automobile maker. The group was established in 2014 through the merger of Chrysler Group and Fiat S.p.A. Its corporate headquarters were domiciled in Amsterdam and its financial headquarters were in London. The holding company was listed on the New York Stock Exchange and Milan's Borsa Italiana. Exor, an Italian investment group controlled by the Agnelli family, owned 29% of FCA and controlled 44% through a loyalty voting mechanism, the largest block of shares.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chrysler Auto Strike</span> 1939 labor action in the US

The Chrysler Auto Strike began in October 1939 at the Dodge Main Plant in Detroit, Michigan, as a struggle between the Chrysler Auto manufacturer and the International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, better known as the United Auto Workers (UAW).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeep Cherokee</span> Line of American vehicles sold by Jeep under various vehicle classes

The Jeep Cherokee is a line of SUVs manufactured and marketed by Jeep over five generations. Originally marketed as a variant of the Jeep Wagoneer, the Cherokee has evolved from a full-size SUV to one of the first compact SUVs and into its current generation as a crossover SUV. Named after the Cherokee tribe of North American Indians, Jeep has used the nameplate in some capacity since 1974.

Stellantis N.V. is a multinational automotive manufacturing corporation formed from the merger of the Italian–American conglomerate Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) and the French PSA Group. The company is headquartered in Amsterdam. As of 2022, Stellantis was the fourth-largest automaker by sales, behind Toyota, Volkswagen Group, and Hyundai Motor Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 United Auto Workers strike</span> US automaker labor dispute

The 2023 United Auto Workers strike was a labor strike involving automobile workers in the labor union United Auto Workers (UAW) and the three unionized automakers in the United States—Ford Motor Company, General Motors, and Stellantis. These three automakers' factories combined employ about 145,000 UAW members and produce about 50 percent of the vehicles manufactured annually in the US, accounting for 1.5 percent of US GDP. The strike began on September 15, 2023, when the union was unable to reach a deal with the three automakers. It was the first trilateral strike against the three automakers in the union's history.

References

  1. 1 2 Belvidere Assembly Plant and Belvidere Satellite Stamping Plant on Stellantis
  2. 1 2 "Belvidere Assembly & Stamping Plant". American Auto Worker. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
  3. ↑ "Chrysler Group Plant Fact Sheet". Plant Union Data. Archived from the original on 24 August 2013. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  4. 1 2 "Chrysler factories, offices, and testing grounds, 1925-2015". Allpar. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  5. 1 2 "Gov. Blagojevich Celebrates Launch of the Dodge Caliber at the Chrysler Group's Newly Retooled Belvidere Assembly Plant" (Press release). State of Illinois. 1 February 2006. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Smith, Jack, Building cars, building teams (page 10), Plant Engineering, 1 December 2005. Retrieved 1 February 2009.[ dead link ]
  7. ↑ "Chrysler Group LLC Announces $600 million Investment in its Belvidere (Ill.) Assembly Plant" (Press release). Chrysler Group. 28 October 2010. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  8. ↑ Boudette, Neal E.; Chiarito, Robert (23 December 2022). "Jeep Plant Shutdown Imperils Illinois Town and 1,350 Workers". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  9. ↑ "History and Facts about Belvidere, IL". Ci.belvidere.il.us. Archived from the original on 11 February 2008. Retrieved 2 October 2009.
  10. ↑ Wayland, Michael (18 September 2023). "Stellantis could close 18 facilities under UAW deal — here are the full details of its latest offer". CNBC. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  11. ↑ Ferretti, Anthony (28 October 2023). "AP: Belvidere Stellantis Plant to reopen with new model following UAW agreement". www.wifr.com. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
  12. ↑ "Stellantis-UAW agreement brings new midsize truck to Illinois". Autoblog. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
  13. ↑ Tracy, David (29 October 2023). "'We Have Saved Belvidere' Assembly Plant: Here Are The Pay Increases And Jobs Saved By The UAW's Record Deal With Stellantis". The Autopian. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
  14. ↑ Friedman, Lisa; Boudette, Neal E. (9 November 2023). "Biden Bolsters Union Support in Illinois". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 10 November 2023.
  15. 1 2 Belvidere workers not part of short-lived UAW strike [ permanent dead link ], Associated Press / Businessrockford, 11 October 2007. Retrieved 1 February 2009.[ dead link ]
  16. ↑ "Chrysler cuts 'will be a big letdown'". Rockford Register Star. 3 January 2008. Archived from the original on 9 September 2012. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  17. ↑ "Belvidere Chrysler plant staying open, but cutting jobs". WREX - Channel 13. 27 May 2009. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  18. ↑ Barr, Alice (4 September 2009). "Second Shift Returning to Belvidere Chrysler". WIFR - Channel 23. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  19. ↑ "More layoffs coming at Belvidere Chrysler after 'C' shift eliminated (Ill.) Assembly Plant" (Press release). Wifir. 6 May 2019. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
  20. ↑ Gary, Alex (12 February 2010). "Belvidere-built Chrysler products need global buying spree". Rockford Register Star. Archived from the original on 14 September 2012. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  21. ↑ Merrick, Amy; Thurow, Roger (7 February 2009). "Mayor of Illinois City Hopes Against Hope for U.S. Funds". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
  22. ↑ Terlep, Sharon; Linebaugh, Kate; Bennett, Jeff (7 February 2009). "More Car Plants at Risk". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
  23. ↑ Smith, Jack. "Building cars, building teams". Plant Engineering, 1 December 2005. Retrieved 1 February 2009. [ dead link ]
  24. ↑ "FCA's Toluca and Belvidere assembly plants earn J.D. Power Awards". www.thefabricator.com. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
  25. ↑ Mateja, Jim (9 April 2006). "It's official: Patriot coming to Belvidere". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.