AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Oct. 31, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

• Warren Stamping becomes seventh North American Plant to earn bronze
• Ranking rewards improvements in safety, quality and productivity
•  WCM implementation has saved the Company more than $1 billion since June 2009

Chrysler Group LLC's Warren Stamping Plant (WSP) has been awarded bronze status for its results in implementing World Class Manufacturing (WCM). The Warren, Mich., stamping plant becomes Chrysler Group's first stamping plant and the seventh North American facility to achieve the WCM award milestone.WSP, which has been stamping sheet metal into vehicle body panels for 65 years, received the bronze designation just over four years after adopting the WCM operating system following a two-day audit Oct. 30-31, 2014. Bronze is awarded after earning a minimum of 50 points in 10 technical and 10 managerial pillars by demonstrating clear WCM know-how and competence through employee-conducted pillar presentations and a review of projects that have been expanded across the shop floor. WSP earned a score of 51. 

"The employees at Warren Stamping are to be commended for their commitment to implementing World Class Manufacturing and taking an active role in supporting the plant's goal of achieving bronze," said Brian Harlow, Vice President and Head of NAFTA Manufacturing, Chrysler Group LLC. "Employee involvement is vital to the success of WCM, so having our UAW partners at both the local and international level fully engaged in this effort has been critical in making Chrysler Group's manufacturing facilities among the best in the world."

World Class Manufacturing is a methodology that focuses on reducing waste, increasing productivity, and improving quality and safety in a systematic and organized way. WCM engages the workforce to provide and implement suggestions on how to improve their jobs and their plants. WCM was first implemented by Fiat in 2006 and introduced to Chrysler Group as part of the alliance between the two companies in June 2009. Since that time, the Company has saved more than $1 billion in controllable manufacturing costs as a result of the implementation of WCM. 

During an audit, zero to five points are awarded for each of the 10 technical pillars, which include safety, workplace organization, logistics and the environment, and for each of the 10 managerial pillars such as management commitment, clarity of objectives, allocation of people, motivation of operators and commitment of the organization. Award milestones for WCM include a minimum of 50 points for bronze, 60 for silver, 70 for gold and 85 for world class.

In addition to WSP, five other facilities currently hold bronze awards - Toledo Assembly Complex (Ohio), Saltillo Truck Assembly Plant (Mex.), Dundee Engine Plant (Mich.), Trenton Engine Complex (Mich.) and Indiana Transmission Plant II (Ind.), which was awarded bronze on Oct. 29, 2014. The Windsor Assembly Plant (Ont.), which earned its bronze designation in 2012, was awarded silver in March 2014, making it the Chrysler Group's highest ranking plant in North America.

WSP was built in 1948 and began production the following year. After several major expansions over the years, Chrysler Group announced on June 25, 2014, that it would invest $63 million to expand capacity at the facility. The investment will be used to purchase and install the latest high-speed Servo Tandem Press technology (a 180-inch press line). The new press line will increase capacity by up to 12,000 hits per day or approximately 3.6 million parts per year. WSP currently employs nearly 2,000 people.

About Chrysler Group LLC
Chrysler Group LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. (FCA), designs, engineers, manufactures, distributes and sells vehicles under the Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram and FIAT brands, and the SRT performance vehicle designation. The Company also distributes the Alfa Romeo 4C and Mopar products. With the resources, technology and worldwide distribution network required to compete on a global scale, FCA builds on Chrysler Group's culture of innovation, first established by Walter P. Chrysler in 1925, and Fiat's complementary technology that dates back to its founding in 1899.  

FCA, the seventh-largest automaker in the world based on total vehicle sales in 2013, is an international automotive group engaged in designing, engineering, manufacturing, distributing and selling vehicles and components and production systems. FCA is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and on the Mercato Telematico Azionario under the symbol "FCAU."

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SOURCE Chrysler Group LLC