Chrysler LLC celebrated today the manufacturing launch of the all-new 2009 Dodge Ram at the Warren (Michigan) Truck Assembly Plant with an event involving approximately 1,000 attendees, including Jim Press, Chrysler LLC Vice Chairman and President; Frank Ewasyshyn, Executive Vice President - Manufacturing; Governor Jennifer Granholm for the State of Michigan; General Holiefield, UAW Vice President and Director, Chrysler Department; as well as Company employees and local dignitaries.
"The best way to compete in a business challenged by high gas prices and tight credit is to have the strongest pickup truck available in the marketplace," said Jim Press, Vice Chairman and President, Chrysler LLC. "With the launch today of the 2009 Dodge Ram, we have an opportunity to demonstrate what Chrysler can accomplish when we fully commit to meeting the needs of our customers. It is a very exciting, and important, launch for our organization and dealer body."
Approximately $220 million was invested in Warren Truck Assembly to prepare for production of the new Dodge Ram. The investment was supported by the Michigan Economic Development Council in multiple ways, including training funds to support the major plant and process transformation.
“Today’s launch of the all-new 2009 Dodge Ram demonstrates Michigan’s continued leadership in the global auto industry,” said Governor Jennifer M. Granholm. “We are proud to support Chrysler’s commitment to invest in Michigan and create jobs for Michigan workers.”
Uncompromised Quality and Manufacturing
Much has changed at Warren Truck Assembly in order to ensure a smooth launch. Supported by more than 150,000 hours of training over the past two years, the entire organizational structure of the plant was changed to help ensure a high quality launch. The training, with a focus on customer satisfaction and manufacturing quality, enabled the workforce to shift from a traditional plant-floor model to a system of small, self-directed teams in which assembly line workers are empowered to run their operations. Plant management assumes a supporting role. The re-structuring allows for five times more quality assurance team members on the floor.
“A great deal of effort from multiple fronts has come together to create a state-of-the-art manufacturing process which will produce one of our most important vehicles,” said Ewasyshyn, who is also a member of the Shingo Prize Academy for his accomplishments in manufacturing. “We continue to increase our focus on quality during our manufacturing launches and we are seeing the positive results of those efforts.”
Already, as a result of the new processes, the teams have identified and eliminated potential customer satisfaction issues. With a renewed emphasis on in-station quality, these teams are empowered to halt the assembly line, address a potential issue, and prevent defects from flowing downstream. Quality metrics since initial Dodge Ram production are showing improved quality results.
