Belvidere Assembly
Encyclopedia
The Belvidere Assembly Plant is a Chrysler
factory in Belvidere, Illinois
, United States
that assembles vehicles. The factory opened in 1965.
The factory has 3300000 square feet (306,580 m²) of floor space over 280 acres (1.1 km²) of land. The factory had produced 5.9 million vehicles by the end of the 1993 model year.
In 2006, the factory became the first Chrysler plant to use a body shop consisting entirely of robotics. There are 780 robots in the body shop can make necessary tool changes automatically, within a 45-second cycle time. The factory is capable of building 3 models of vehicles as well as a test-building a fourth vehicle.
The Simulation (SIM) Room comprises 38000 square feet (3,530.3 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.
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 9 day strike over the right to turn down overtime, pension funding, and health and safety measures. In 1981, there was a 9 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.
Kurt Kavajecz is the plant manager.
American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine's (ACOEM) Corporate Health Achievement Award awarded to the Chrysler Group after a tour of Belvidere Assembly Plant.
National Safety Council 2004 Green Cross for Safety.
Union Pacific provides rail freight service to the plant.
in 1993. Neon production ended on September 23, 2005. The attached Belvidere Satellite Stamping facility opened that same year; it stamps out all sheet metal parts for the production line. Chrysler recalled 1,000 laid off factory workers on March 14, 2006, to begin production on the Dodge Caliber, Jeep Patriot and Jeep Compass.
Products:
The plant is located at 3000 West Chrysler Drive.
In October 2010, it was announced that $600 million is to be invested into the Belvidere Assembly Plant in preparation for 2012-model-year vehicles to be built there.
Chrysler
Chrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....
factory in Belvidere, Illinois
Belvidere, Illinois
Belvidere is a city in Boone County, Illinois, United States. The population was 25,585 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Boone County. Belvidere is part of the Rockford, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
that assembles vehicles. The factory opened in 1965.
History and facilities
The factory was completed in 1965 in the south part of Belvidere, Illinois adjacent to U.S. Route 20. The factory is designated the Belvidere Assembly Plant and is adjacent to the Chrysler operated Belvidere Satellite Stamping Plant. The stamping plant produces sheet metal parts for the production line.The factory has 3300000 square feet (306,580 m²) of floor space over 280 acres (1.1 km²) of land. The factory had produced 5.9 million vehicles by the end of the 1993 model year.
In 2006, the factory became the first Chrysler plant to use a body shop consisting entirely of robotics. There are 780 robots in the body shop can make necessary tool changes automatically, within a 45-second cycle time. The factory is capable of building 3 models of vehicles as well as a test-building a fourth vehicle.
The Simulation (SIM) Room comprises 38000 square feet (3,530.3 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.
Labor
4,000 employees worked at the plant in 1985. 3,250 hourly and 250 salaried employees worked at the factory on November 10, 1993, at the start of the Neon car production. 2,650 employees worked at the factory at the start of 2007 model year Jeep Compass production up from 1,700 in 2005 when one shift of employees was in place. However, the third shift, which was first instituted in 2006, was discontinued in 2008.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 9 day strike over the right to turn down overtime, pension funding, and health and safety measures. In 1981, there was a 9 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.
Kurt Kavajecz is the plant manager.
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.American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine's (ACOEM) Corporate Health Achievement Award awarded to the Chrysler Group after a tour of Belvidere Assembly Plant.
National Safety Council 2004 Green Cross for Safety.
Union Pacific provides rail freight service to the plant.
Production
It was converted to produce the NeonDodge Neon
The Plymouth/Dodge Neon, sold in Europe, Mexico, Canada, and elsewhere outside the United States as the Chrysler Neon, is a compact front wheel drive car introduced in January 1994 for the 1995 model year by Chrysler Corporation's Dodge and Plymouth brands...
in 1993. Neon production ended on September 23, 2005. The attached Belvidere Satellite Stamping facility opened that same year; it stamps out all sheet metal parts for the production line. Chrysler recalled 1,000 laid off factory workers on March 14, 2006, to begin production on the Dodge Caliber, Jeep Patriot and Jeep Compass.
Products:
- 1965–1973 Dodge Monaco, Plymouth Fury, Dodge Polara.
- 1974–1977 Dodge MonacoDodge MonacoThe Dodge Monaco was a full-size automobile built and sold by the Dodge division of the Chrysler Corporation between 1965 to 1978, and 1990 to 1992.-A Grand Prix competitor:...
, Plymouth Fury - 1978–1990 Dodge OmniDodge OmniThe Dodge Omni and the similar Plymouth Horizon were front wheel drive cars introduced by the Dodge and Plymouth divisions of the Chrysler Corporation in North America in 1978, and were based on a European Simca-based design of the same name...
/Plymouth Horizon, Plymouth Turismo, Dodge Shelby (1978–1987). - 1982–1984 Dodge RampageDodge RampageThe Dodge Rampage was a subcompact, unibody coupe utility based on Chrysler's L platform and manufactured from 1982-1984. First released as a 1982 model, the Rampage was later joined by its rebadged variant, the Plymouth Scamp....
- 1983 Plymouth ScampPlymouth ScampThere have been two small cars from Plymouth called the Scamp:* 1971–1976 RWD 2-door coupe, based on the Plymouth Valiant* 1983 FWD pickup truck, based on the Plymouth Horizon; see Dodge Rampage...
- 1983–1987 Dodge ChargerDodge Charger (L-body)The Dodge Charger was built by Dodge, a division of Chrysler Corporation. There have been a number of vehicles bearing the Charger nameplate, but the name has generally denoted a performance model in the Dodge range...
/Plymouth Turismo - 1986 Shelby ChargerShelby ChargerThe Shelby Charger was a modified 1980s Dodge Charger. Carroll Shelby had tuned the Dodge Omni-based Charger for Dodge from 1983 to 1987, with the resulting car sold as the Dodge Shelby Charger. When the Charger was discontinued, Shelby bought the last 1,000 and replaced the fuel intake and engine...
- 1986–1987 Shelby GLHSShelby GLHSThe Shelby GLHS was a limited production sport compact automobile from the mid 1980s. The main differentiator of these cars from their regular Dodge versions was their use of what would become the intercooled Turbo II engine as well as Shelby Centurian wheels and Koni Adjustable shocks/struts, and...
- 1988–1993 Chrysler New YorkerChrysler New YorkerThe Chrysler New Yorker was a premium automobile built by the Chrysler Corporation from 1939–1996, serving for several years as the brand's flagship model. A model named the "New York Special" first appeared in the 1930s...
- 1988–1993 Dodge DynastyDodge DynastyThe Dodge Dynasty was a front-wheel drive sedan that was introduced in 1987 as a 1988 model to replace the 600 as Dodge's mid-size car. The Dodge Dynasty was related to the Chrysler New Yorker; both car lines were built on the Chrysler C platform in Belvidere, Illinois.The Dynasty is also similar...
- 1990–1993 Chrysler New Yorker Fifth Avenue
- 1990–1993 Chrysler ImperialChrysler ImperialThe Chrysler Imperial, introduced in 1926, was the company's top of the range vehicle for much of its history. Models were produced with the Chrysler name until 1954, and again from 1990 to 1993. The company tried to position the cars as a prestige marque that would rival Cadillac and Lincoln...
- 1995–September 2005 Dodge NeonDodge NeonThe Plymouth/Dodge Neon, sold in Europe, Mexico, Canada, and elsewhere outside the United States as the Chrysler Neon, is a compact front wheel drive car introduced in January 1994 for the 1995 model year by Chrysler Corporation's Dodge and Plymouth brands...
/Plymouth Neon - 2003–2005 Dodge SRT-4Dodge SRT-4The Dodge SRT-4 is a sport compact car manufactured by Dodge from 2003-2005. A turbocharged variant of the Neon, the car was developed by DaimlerChrysler's in house PVO tuner group. PVO was officially renamed SRT in 2004. The "4" in the SRT-4's name denotes the number of cylinders of the engine...
- 2006–present Jeep CompassJeep CompassThe Jeep Compass is a compact crossover SUV introduced for the 2007 model year. The Jeep Compass, along with the Patriot both slot below the Jeep Wrangler as Jeep's entry-level sport utility vehicles, and is one of Jeep's first crossover SUVs....
- 2006–present Dodge CaliberDodge CaliberThe Dodge Caliber was a compact car produced by the Dodge division of Chrysler. It replaced the Neon, and it went on sale in the spring of 2006 as a 2007 model year vehicle...
- 2006–present Jeep PatriotJeep PatriotThe Jeep Patriot is a compact crossover SUV introduced in early 2007 for the 2007 model year by the Jeep marque of Chrysler. It debuted publicly in April 2006 at the New York Auto Show and slots between the Compass and Liberty in the Jeep lineup...
(production start 3Q 2006)
The plant is located at 3000 West Chrysler Drive.
Future of assembly plant
In 2009 the future of the plant was uncertain. Haig Stoddard, a Global Insight analyst, cited the plant as one of three plants that was being considered in a plan to close one plant.In October 2010, it was announced that $600 million is to be invested into the Belvidere Assembly Plant in preparation for 2012-model-year vehicles to be built there.