FCA US Auburn Hills, Mich., Campus Recognized for Landscaping Aesthetics and Wildlife Conservation

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Apr 21, 2015, 02:48 ET

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., April 21, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

Company awarded top honors for landscape management
Site celebrates Wildlife at Work Certification
Maintains 150 acres of lawn and 200,000 square feet of landscape beds
Over 5,000 trees surround property
Natural wetlands provide habitat for great blue herons
Pollinator garden and Monarch waystation established on grounds

As spring begins to bloom around the Chrysler World Headquarters and Technology Center (CTC) campus, employees and visitors alike can begin appreciating the beauty of the grounds surrounding the vast complex and the variety of wildlife that make it home.

FCA US, formerly the Chrysler Group, has been recognized by two organizations – the Michigan Nursery and Landscape Association (MNLA) and the Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) – for its efforts to maintain and enhance the property for the benefit of its employees and the environment. The MNLA awarded FCA US and its partner Brickman Group of Taylor, Mich., top honors in the landscape management category. WHC recognized the Company for its leadership in corporate conservation with the Wildlife at Work certification.

"Maintaining and preserving the natural environment of the FCA US headquarters complex was part of the master plan when this facility was first conceived," said Brian Harlow, Vice President – Manufacturing, FCA North America. "Caring for this campus is something we all take great pride in and we are honored to be acknowledged for our efforts."

Sitting on 504 acres in Auburn Hills, Mich., about 30 miles outside of Detroit, CTC is the only automotive facility that brings together cutting-edge scientific research, industry-leading creative design, vehicle development, engineering, manufacturing, marketing and corporate leadership all under one roof. With 5.4 million square feet of office space, the FCA US complex is the second-largest building in the U.S. in floor space (all under one roof) and is the workplace home to more than 15,000 people each day.

Of the total acreage, the Company maintains 150 acres of lawn and more than 200,000 square feet of landscape beds, which includes weekly mowing, pruning, fertilization, and disease and insect control. Each year, more than 3,200 cubic yards of mulch is spread in beds across the site.

In addition to the natural wooded areas that surround the property, the campus is home to over 5,000 ornamental, shade and evergreen trees. It also includes a 4.3-mile nature trail, as well as an activities area with a softball field, basketball courts, volleyball courts and picnic tables.

In addition to regular site maintenance, the Company is continuously enhancing the aesthetics of the property. Many of the entry ways have been renovated to include river cobble, and a combination of evergreen and flowering shrubs mixed with perennials to enhance the visual appeal of the property.

The CTC grounds are a habitat for a wide variety of wildlife species, including great blue herons, double-crested cormorants, wood ducks, cottontail rabbits and Blanding's turtles. There are four natural wetlands on the property, comprising approximately 17 acres. The wetlands are an important habitat for great blue herons, which have formed a rookery (nesting colony) on the property.

The campus is also home to a pollinator garden, which promotes the important pollination activities of bees, butterflies, moths, hummingbirds and bats. Fifteen different species of native plants were planted to provide a food source from spring through fall, and cover in the winter. A Monarch butterfly waystation and bat boxes (made from used pallets) have also been installed at CTC, furthering the Company's commitment to caring for the environment.

About FCA US LLC

FCA US LLC is a North American automaker with a new name and a long history. Headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, FCA US is a member of the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. (FCA) family of companies. FCA US designs, engineers, manufactures and sells vehicles under the Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram and FIAT brands as well as the SRT performance vehicle designation. The company also distributes the Alfa Romeo 4C model and Mopar products. FCA US is building upon the historic foundations of Chrysler, the innovative American automaker first established by Walter P. Chrysler in 1925; and Fiat, founded in Italy in 1899 by pioneering entrepreneurs, including Giovanni Agnelli.

FCA, the seventh-largest automaker in the world based on total annual vehicle sales, is an international automotive group. FCA is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "FCAU" and on the Mercato Telematico Azionario under the symbol "FCA."

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