Chrysler's Belvidere plant ranks as nation's fourth most efficient

By Alex Gary

BusinessRockford.com

Chrysler LLC’s Belvidere assembly plant was one of four Chrysler plants on a list of the 10 most efficient in the United States, according to this year’s Harbour Report on auto productivity.

According to the annual report, which has been published since 1989 and tracks how many hours it takes to build a new car or truck company by company and plant by plant, the Belvidere plant was No. 4 in 2007 with workers taking an average of 17.09 hours to turn out Dodge Calibers, Jeep Compasses and Jeep Patriots. It was the plant’s highest ranking since 2004, when it finished third with one shift of workers building Dodge Neons.

The No. 1 plant on the list was Chrysler’s Toledo, Ohio, South plant, where workers completed Jeep Wranglers every 13.57 hours.

In fact, Chrysler shaved 7.7 percent from its total manufacturing labor hours to finish in a tie with Toyota as North America’s most efficient automaker. The two companies needed 30.37 labor hours per vehicle at their assembly, stamping, engine and transmission operations.

Ford Motor Co. improved its productivity by 3.7 percent, to 33.88 labor hours per vehicle, and General Motors Corp. improved by 0.2 percent to 32.29 hours.

In 2007, the more than 3,700 workers then working at the Belvidere plant turned out 333,077 Calibers, Compasses and Patriots. It was the second highest production level in plant history. Back in 1986, Belvidere workers completed 335,298 Dodge Omnis and Plymouth Horizons.

Chrysler has cut back on production this year, eliminating a shift in March and 1,100 jobs. The plant now employs about 2,700. Ironically, the company cut workers in Belvidere as gas prices nationally began to soar. And as prices have risen, so have sales of the Caliber, Compass and Patriot, each of which is capable of getting 28 mpg. In May, when gasoline hit $4 a gallon, dealers in the U.S. sold 24,169 of the Belvidere trio, the best month yet since the line was launched in January 2006.

Assistant Business Editor Alex Gary may be reached at agary@rrstar.com or at 815-987-1339.