FCA US Sterling Stamping Plant Earns World Class Manufacturing Bronze Award

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Dec 16, 2015, 04:18 ET

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Dec. 16, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

Michigan stamping plant becomes the 12th FCA North American facility to achieve milestone award
Award recognizes improvements in safety, quality and productivity
Plant benefits from $166 million investment to increase capacity
Achievement comes as plant marks 50 years of production

The FCA US Sterling Stamping Plant has been awarded bronze status for its efforts to improve in World Class Manufacturing (WCM) and becomes the 12th North American facility to receive this designation.

The Sterling Heights, Mich., plant, which celebrated 50 years of production in 2015, earned bronze after a two-day audit on Dec. 15 and 16 during which it earned 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 implemented across the shop floor.

In July, the Company announced that it would invest more than $166 million in three new press lines at the plant to meet increased product demand. The new press lines are expected to be at full production in the first half of 2016. Sterling Stamping is the largest stamping plant in the world and ships to customers in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Venezuela.

"Being awarded bronze after 50 years of service and in the middle of a significant expansion is a remarkable achievement," said Brian Harlow, Vice President – Manufacturing, FCA North America. "The bronze designation recognizes the focus, dedication and commitment of our workforce to building on the achievements of the past while laying a solid foundation for the future."

"As the industry returns to pre-recession volumes, WCM has been a key factor in driving efficiencies throughout our operations, which have allowed us to meet that demand," said Harlow. "The Company's growth could not have been achieved without the support of our UAW partners. Our hourly employees have demonstrated that they are committed to keeping FCA US competitive with the best manufacturing facilities in the world."

World Class Manufacturing is a methodology that focuses on eliminating 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, promoting a sense of ownership. 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.

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. A score of 100 would indicate World Class.

Two WCM-certified auditors from FCA – the Vice President of Manufacturing for CNH Industrial – IVECO and the Unit Manager at the CNH Industrial – IVECO Valladolid Plant – performed the audit. In addition to Sterling Stamping, there are nine other facilities that currently hold the WCM bronze designation:

Saltillo Truck Assembly Plant (Mexico)
Saltillo South Engine Plant (Mexico)
Trenton Engine Complex (Mich.)
Warren Stamping (Mich.)
Indiana Transmission Plant II (Ind.)
Kokomo Transmission Plant (Ind.)
Kokomo Casting (Mich.)
Toledo (Ohio) Assembly Complex
Toluca Assembly Plant (Mexico)

Windsor Assembly Plant (Ont.) and Dundee Engine Plant (Mich.) received the WCM Silver designation in March 2014 and May 2015, respectively.

Sterling Stamping provides stampings and assemblies, including hoods, roofs, liftgates, side apertures, fenders and floor pans for the Dodge Grand Caravan, Dodge Dart, Dodge Durango, Chrysler Town & Country, Chrysler 200, Jeep® Grand Cherokee, Jeep Cherokee, Jeep Compass, Jeep Patriot and Ram Truck. In operation since 1965, the plant employs nearly 2,300 people.

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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