Chrysler production to resume after hiatus

1/16/2009

Chrysler LLC will resume production after a one-month shutdown on Tuesday at its machining plant in Perrysburg Township and the following week at the Jeep assembly complex in North Toledo, a company spokesman said yesterday.

The moves are in keeping with a schedule announced Dec. 17 by the struggling automaker, which said it was temporarily suspending production at all 30 plants to reduce a backlog of unsold vehicles. The move affected 3,700 people at the machining plant as well as local factories that produce the Jeep Wrangler, Jeep Liberty, and Dodge Nitro. Employees of the Jeep complex will return Jan. 26, a company spokesman said.

The company said it would extend its month-long shutdown at three plants in Belvidere, Ill., Sterling Heights, Mich., and Toluca, Mexico, and was reviewing whether to reopen its other factories next week.