Filed under: SUV, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Plants/Manufacturing, Chrysler, Jeep



New car sales have been on the upswing, and few vehicles have experienced more success than the Jeep Wrangler. The iconic off-roader set an all-time May sales record with 14,454 units sold, and its total sales are up 34 percent on the year.

That's good news for Chrysler, and it could lead to more high-wage manufacturing jobs in northern Ohio. Automotive News reports that Team Pentastar plans to add an unspecified number of jobs to its Toledo Jeep plant in the fourth quarter of 2012. The move should help Chrysler satiate demand for the perpetually hot Wrangler and Wrangler Unlimited, and it could help international sales, as well. CEO Sergio Marchionne is on record saying that he'd like the Wrangler to spur Jeep sales across the pond.

That said, there is a chance that this decision won't lead to many new hires in the near term. The Toledo, Ohio complex also builds the Jeep Liberty until August, when the plant will receive a makeover that will result in an additional 300,000 square feet of production space. It seems likely that the Wrangler jobs could come from the neighboring plant (the whole complex uses two facilities), but when production picks up at the renovated building, new jobs would have to be added. Chrysler has previously announced that up to 1,100 new positions will be available at the complex by the end of 2013.Chrysler adding jobs at Toledo Jeep plant to boost Wrangler production originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 Jun 2012 13:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.



Permalink | Email this | Comments

More...