Toyota and Chrysler tied for most efficient assembly plant in NA
From the article: “Chrysler LLC has won bragging rights for the most efficient assembly plant in North America and tied with Toyota Motor Corp. as the most productive vehicle manufacturer, according to this year’s Harbour Report on auto plant productivity. Chrysler struggled with financial and market share losses in 2007, but it excelled in manufacturing. Its Chrysler Toledo South factory was named North America’s most productive assembly plant.”
Congrats to Frank Ewasyshyn, executive vice-president of manufacturing, and the rest of the Chrysler Toledo South team!!!!
Source: Auto News
June 5th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/05/chrysler-ties-toyota-for-most-efficient-manufacturer-in-north-am/
Here’s the AutoBlog version of this interesting story.
June 5th, 2008 at 5:21 pm
Thats great… we have efficient productive plants building vehicles that nobody really wants to buy. Now if we can only get J.D. Powers on the same page…
Come on fellas…… We need vehicles that are good looking, fuel efficient, and engineered properly. If we can build the Challenger and design a RAM (which is world class) that is leaps and bounds above the old design… we can surely come up with some new car designs….
June 5th, 2008 at 5:37 pm
This is a very positive award, and a good step.
Chrysler needs to be a world-class manufacturer.
I think Mr. LaSorda should also receive credit for this award.
June 5th, 2008 at 6:32 pm
what is use of producing crappy vehicles @ 1 vehicle / 30 hrs?? they have to spend more time on dealers lot.
rather build something with better quality and reliability with good design @ lower pace..
June 5th, 2008 at 10:21 pm
Very good news if they built vehicles people wanted!
June 6th, 2008 at 6:19 am
Chrysler needs to be efficient.
Now they can spend the money they are saving on production on quality and interior improvements.
This is good news, and Chrysler seems to have its act together in manufacturing—which is critical.
June 6th, 2008 at 7:25 am
MoPar your right about LaSorde he does deserve the credit for the efficient plants, he’s no CEO but he does know how to run a plant.
Product wise Chrysler is still operating out of the Daimler play book:Challenger and the new Ram are children of DaimlerChrysler with tweaks from the new Chrysler.
On the issue of product were beating a dead horse, it won’t be until 2010 or even 2011 until we see product designed by the New Chrysler.
It takes 36 months to bring a vehicle to market, you do the math.
June 6th, 2008 at 8:46 am
Agree Rich—but we won’t have to wait 36 months to see the interior improvements and change orders implemented by Mr. Press.
And let’s not forget the new Quality Guru from Nissan.
Hopefully we will start to see the impact of his help and improvements immediately.
Fresh, new Product Rules—I and you know that.
It doesn’t sound far off but 2010–2011 is a long time to wait for “New” Chrysler Product.
June 6th, 2008 at 10:20 am
Oil was up over $6.87 today,June 6th. Sales of Chryslers money makers (RAM) are going to keep going down.
I believe if gas doesnt stabilize that cerberus will start making the moves to sell off the company.
Launching a new Dodge Ram with gas over $4.00 is going to be devastating.
When is our government going to step in to help reduce these mind blowing gas and oil prices?
More layoffs, companies closing and filing bankruptcy will only get worse till something is fixed in a hurry!
June 6th, 2008 at 11:47 am
Anonymous
I don’t know how old you are, but Be Carefull what you wish fore.
A lot of us grew up during the 70’s the Jimmy Carter years and I remember what it was like when the government stepped in with price controls.
It put us into a recession.
Let the free market work what goes up most certainly will go down: Examples Stock Market Bubble and Housing Bubble.
June 7th, 2008 at 12:59 am
Im 28,bro.And when was the last time you watched oil go $11.00 a barrell?yes things moght get better but thousands of people will lose their jobs and suffer during the process.
Chrysler sales will continue to suffer untill the prices rebound which propbably will never happen.
Cereberus said if gas prices stay high that they will cut more shifts and vehicles.how many more vehicles does chrysler have left to cut?If running all chrylser plants on 1 shift is good news to you ,then be it.
The auto industry has never encountered what is going on right now, and it will be a miracle if chrysler makes it and never has to claim bankruptcy…
(A lot of us grew up during the 70’s the Jimmy Carter years and I remember what it was like when the government stepped in with price controls.)
Are youy kidding me?
June 7th, 2008 at 3:13 am
Anonymous…. quick question….. If Carter served from 1977-1981 and you are 28… tell us exactly what you remember from those days? You were 1. Nothing wrong with having an opinion….. but come on.. don’t talk about a time back in our history that you have no clue about.
June 7th, 2008 at 9:40 am
Anonymous
At 28 years old you haven’t seen bad times like a lot of us have seen.
18% unemployment, I remember when you had to pay $500.00 to get a job that paid 8.00hr. You had to pay a job agency in order to just get an interview for a minimum wage job.
How about sitting in line for 3-4 hours waiting to buy 8 gallons of gas every other day and gas stations were closed on Sundays: Oh I forgot about gas rationing coupons.
What else, I killed a lot brain cells in the 70’s, because of all the great drugs that were available: A lot of us drink and drugged our way thru the 70’s, because things were so bad.
I remember, the Iran hostage crisis, the military went into rescue those poor bastards and crashed their helicopters on the way to the rescue. Very Sad!
The Air Force was so low on fuel that C5A cargo plane wings were falling off, because they were not designed to sit on the ground for long periods of times.
That’s what I want the Government that has done such a nice job with bankrupting Social Security in charge of socializing the oil industry.
You really stepped into it this time Anonymous: You are a part of that in titled generation that feels like everybody owes you something.
How many six place trophies have you received for participation?
Oh gas prices are too high Mr. Government please come in and fix it for me because I don’t like the free market, it hurts.
Yeah lets all Vote on Anonymous’s idea about going back to those wonderful 1970’s Jim Carter years.
I vote NO!
June 7th, 2008 at 11:32 am
I work at chrysler and there isnt any thing more i would rather want than for chrysler to become a top notch car company again.
Yes, i get frustrated with the economy and the gas prices right noe, because i dont want my or anybody elses pay and benefits to get cut.
I never said anybody ever owed me anything.I just want what i was told i was going to get.
And its just not the auto industry right now.Its hurting a lot of other companies too.And yes the friggin government or somebody needs to step in and figure out how in the hell gas prices can be raised $10.00 a friggin barrell.
To me this is almost like an terrorist attack.These gas prices are destroying peoples lives and careers.
And the president wonders why our friggin unemployment rate is so high.
If gas prices stay high, you will see a whole new united states of america!
AND IT WONT BE PRETTY!
June 7th, 2008 at 7:30 pm
Amen, Anonymous!
June 7th, 2008 at 8:28 pm
i agree with anonymous!
June 7th, 2008 at 8:52 pm
“To me this is almost like an terrorist attack.”
To me that is almost like a stupid comment.
Get fucking real. And learn how to type, dipshit.
June 8th, 2008 at 12:39 pm
Gas prices are destroying a lot of things right now!
Companies struggling and going out of business (Bankruptcy)….
People losing their jobs left and right…….
People cant afford to go on trips…..
Yes, it is somewhat like a terrorist attack
Terrorist sabotaged 2 oil fields last week in Iran
June 8th, 2008 at 8:30 pm
I just want what I was told I was going to get?
Anonymous what’s that all about.
You’d better hope that terrorists aren’t reading this bull shit.
Hell your 28years old, I’ve been lied too and cheated by your beloved Chrysler for over 30years.
Your generation sucks Anonymous and I stand by what I said most of you feel that you are in titled and shouldn’t have to go without.
Poor bastards had to miss an Eddie Vedder show because of the price of gas. BOO WHOOO!
June 8th, 2008 at 10:03 pm
Rich, you and mopar can suck my big fat cock.
I really dont care what you bitch ass car porters say on this forum! You guys dont know shit. And never will.
Either chrysler will survive or it wont. We will see in the near future.
June 9th, 2008 at 7:20 am
Know enough to call out a punk like you Anonymous.
June 9th, 2008 at 7:29 am
Anonymous,
I dont think the government should step in on the oil prices…THEY are the ones screwing us,for every dollar the oil company profits the government profits $2.75.And for people hoping Obama is going to lower the prices he is for the opposite by some accounts it will GO UP a minimum of $1.50 a gallon.The ONLY way to lower gas prices is for the U.S.A to drill and refine NOW everywhere it can…if China can drill 50 miles offshore of KeyWest and drilling diagonaly towards the U.S why doesnt the U.S get some balls and stop listening to the left wing environmental idiots and drill for oil everywhere..there is enough oil in the U.S to last hundreds of years….Remember everyone is laughing at the U.S for crying about high gas prices and we are sitting on tons of oil and we dont want to drill,so I guess people want the high gas prices because they are too stupid to realize drilling/refining oil in the U.S is the only way to reduce prices..I guess there is a reason people laugh when you say Im American..
June 9th, 2008 at 9:47 am
I agree!
June 9th, 2008 at 9:27 pm
C,
It is the affluent and influential property owners along the coast of Florida, many of them Republicans, including a whole bunch of retired Big Three auto executives living in very expensive homes and playing lots of golf, that are the critical block that opposes offshore drilling.They don’t want their property devalued so that you can buy cheap gas for your Ram. And since you don’t give a damned about their property losing its value as long as you have enough cheap gas for your Ram—-or at least others have enough to keep Chrysler from discontinuing production of Rams—you ought to make a trip down to Tampa and meet with some of those folks. They are all very successful just like you, and I’m sure they’ll listen to your cogent and logical reasoning.
The 2008 edition of The Almanac of American Politics says this about U.S. Senator Mel Martinez (R-Florida) on page 392: “Martinez became the Senate’s dealmaker on offshore drilling…He worked with Pete Domenici, then- chairman of the Senate Energy committee, to reach a compromise on a bill that would open up a large section of the Gulf of Mexico to offsore oil and gas drilling. Concerned about Florida’s beaches and tourism industry Martinez negotiated a ban on drilling within 125 miles of the Floridan Panhandle and 235 miles of Tampa and Naples.”
You are so persuasive and logical that I’m confident you can talk those folks into inviting Exxon to drill near their beaches. Don’t forget to tell the CEOs of the big hotel chains how good that will be for the tourism industry in which they have many hundreds of millions of dollars invested.
June 10th, 2008 at 10:17 am
DaveS,
CHINA is drilling now !!!! You dont see the drilling equipment from your beloved ocean front property.Remember CHINA is DRILLING offshore NOW!!!I repeat ,They are DRILLING NOW!!I dont read nor hear about it ,but if the U.S was drilling probably all of the left wing morons would complain, they are not complaining because they dont have a clue CHINA is NOW DRILLING off shore of their beloved beach houses/resorts/golf courses…By the way I dont give a crap if its a Republican or a Democrat who ever wants or starts drilling or says so they have my vote!!Remember drilling/refining is the only way to lower prices …Remember,there is no magical fairy dust to sprinkle over your car to make it never run out of gas,sorry wind power wont work either..I dont like to pay high prices for fuel,but I firmlly believe drilling would cut costs down the road..even for you ,so it doesnt cost as much to bicker on this blog to each other.
Now,Why DaveS are you so negative on the Ram ? Why ? If people like them so what !! What the Hell is your problem ? Yes I love my Ram,so what? Why do you have to be all bitchy about it ? I never met a real Chrysler guy who bitches that I drive a Ram…NEVER !!! For your info I was driving my 71 Charger for the past week,and I know this will get your panties in a knot .. It uses 100 octane..oh ,oh what you say !!! Yep 12:1 comp 440 ,thanks for asking, Yes I did build it with help in 1994 and it still runs now !! I would offer to take you for a ride,but it sounds like you have it in for me for some odd reason..
June 10th, 2008 at 11:43 am
C,
(1) China is drilling off the coast of Castro’s Cuba at the invitation of the of the Cuban government. Both are communist dictatorships with command economies. Neither government is responsive to public pressure from its citizens and neither has an elected legislative branch or a system of checks and balances. The reason the USA doesn’t function like China and Cuba is a document known as the Constitution of the United States. It provides for a Congress elected by the people and separation of powers. Unlike Castro, the President of the U.S. just can’t order drilling for oil offshore. He has to get a bill through Congress. The Florida Congressional delegation’s constituents apparently do not share your set of priorities. They don’t care if you fuel your Ram with canola oil or run with rubber bands, but they aren’t going to vote for congressmen and senators who support drilling for oil within sight of their property. The Wall Street investment banks that loan money to Sheraton, Hilton, Disney and others in the travel and recreation business feel the same way. They don’t want their investments endangered so that C can buy cheap gas for his Ram.
(2) I’m for whatever makes money for Chrysler, and no company can make money selling trucks in this market when it has to pay anywhere from $3,500 to $10,000 to each customer. That’s what it takes to move a Ram off the dealers’ lots these days.
Enjoy yourself and your Ram all that you damned well please. But do so at your expense and not that of Chrysler LLC.
June 10th, 2008 at 8:25 pm
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080606/AUTO01/806060373/1148/rss25
Here’s the Detroit News’ June 6 follow-up article on this subject.
June 10th, 2008 at 8:35 pm
http://www.leanblog.org/2008/06/chrysler-matches-toyota-in-single-skew.html
This is critical commentary on the plant efficiency story from a former GM engineer at the California NUMMI (New United Motors Manufacturing, Inc.) plant that GM and Toyota jointly own. This guy’s obvious hostility toward Chrysler should not blind us to the serious issues that he discusses. Also, see the comment at the bottom of the page from the former Toledo North engineer.
June 11th, 2008 at 4:46 pm
Dave—
Not all Floridians live on the coast in million dollars homes.
Floridians are scared of losing tourists who visit the beaches.
Most Floridians—not just rich ones—are against drilling off of Florida’s coasts.
Nice theory….but try again.
June 11th, 2008 at 4:49 pm
Anon (aka Pencil Tool) the only thing fat in your body besides your head is your weak gut.
You couldn’t last a day on my lot.
Car Porters are hard working people. Our porters help us sell cars which keeps morons like you employed.
Instead of fighting with your dealers you should be trying to help them.
Mr. Press and the New Chrysler team gets it.
Clowns like you should be replaced by robots.
Ooops. Most of you have.
Next life try college first.
June 11th, 2008 at 9:38 pm
DaveS
Welcome to the world that the dealers live in.
Joe Smtih Motors Dodge Chrysler Jeep spent 30 million dollars on a new facility and saw an increase of 30% IN NEW VEHICLE SALES, they omit that he’s losing $500,000 Dollars amonth.
This is typical of what we are told at dealer meetings.
MoPar
HELL NO I’M NOT TAKING ANY HYBRID SUV OF ANY KIND OR SHAPE FROM CHRYSLER.
Who in their right mind would buy one of those abortions.
You wait all the District Managers will be driving them as company vehicles within the next 6 months, all of Chrysler Financials reps are driving all wheel drive 300’s: Chrysler’s got to protect their guys from that Black Ice in Southern California.
Chrysler’s not worried about paying for gas those all wheel drive 300’s get about 0 miles to the gallon.
MoPar
Why are you so high on Press he hasn’t done shit.
June 12th, 2008 at 12:02 am
LOL, i couldnt last washing cars and taking them to the gas station! You really are a funny guy.
Come to my plant and work on the trim line for a week.You would be crying to mommy.
I have went to college . Didnt care to much for it.After i found out what id be making once i graduated, i quit!
Remember that detailing and selling cars is a lot different than working on a assembly line building trucks all day!
June 12th, 2008 at 6:21 pm
Anon–I respect what you do. I’m sure it’s not easy working the assembly line. I only have responded when you have given cheap shots to people who work at dealerships.
I have no idea of what it is like to try and build/assemble a vehicle. Just like you probaly have no idea what it is like working at a car dealership.
Detailing a car is hard work too—and very necessary. It is almost an art. Without detailers we couldn’t sell cars.
Cars don’t sell themselves and selling them is hard work. Instead of looking down at the retail side be thankful that people are trying hard to sell the stuff you are assembling.
We don’t always do the best job selling and servicing them—but you have sent us a lot of suspect stuff over the years too.
We both need each other. And just because you quit college doesn’t mean you aren’t smarter than me or have to stop learning.
Think you could make it as a car salesperson?
Think of the pressure of only making money and surviving if you could sell today’s public into buying our fuel-inefficient vehicles.
It’s not easy bro.
June 12th, 2008 at 6:32 pm
Rich,
I do like Mr. Press.
Yes he is a cheerleader but I think he really knows retail.
I think his product line-up calls have been good.
(kill Pacifica, kill Magnum, kill PT Convt.)
He “fixed” 5 star and all the MSR crap and chasing scores.
He opened up CPOV to all dealers.
(when I say “he” it also means it happened under his watch)
He got rid of VPA
He restored the gas money (somewhat!)
He seems to moving forward aggressively with Genesis–Alpha.
He is leading the battle against “me–too” vehicles which has killed us for years.
Dart—Valiant
Spirit—Acclaim
Compass–Caliber
Nitro—Liberty
Caravan–Town & Country
etc, etc.
Without Press we would have a Chrysler Crew and Dodge Journey today.
He is pushing through the complexity reduction plan that Daimler left on his desk.
I think he has made excellent progress and is just starting.
He also brought Ms. Meyer from Lexus.
What don’t you like?
June 15th, 2008 at 11:53 am
I understand. I wish us all the best. I dont wish bad on anybody. I just get ticked off when i see people knocking chrysler all the time!
Im sure it isnt easy what you do. but at least we are both working……… Keep up the good work you do! We all need it!