June 02, 2010
“For 45 years the employees at the Belvidere Assembly Plant and the Belvidere Satellite Stamping Plant have produced top quality vehicles for Chrysler. I was very pleased to hear that you share my assessment that the employees at Belvidere are some of the most skilled, efficient, and productive employees in the company,” wrote Durbin. “As Chrysler makes plans to grow its market share by introducing new and innovative products, I urge the company to strongly consider expanding its current operations at the Belvidere Assembly Plant."
Durbin met with Marchionne in Washington, D.C. on May 13, 2010 to discuss the progress Chrysler has made and the company’s plan for the future. Last year, Chrysler’s Belvedere plant had substantially scaled back production and laid off hundreds of employees when, in September, the company announced that due to a dramatic increase in demand for fuel-efficient vehicles – spurred in part by President Obama’s Cash for Clunkers program – they would be hiring 850 old and new employees.
Text of the letter appears below:
June 2, 2010
Mr. Sergio Marchionne
Chief Executive Officer
Chrysler Group LLC
P.O. Box 21-8004
Auburn Hills, MI 48321-8004
Dear Mr. Marchionne:
I am pleased that we had an opportunity to meet to discuss the progress Chrysler has made and the company’s plans for the future. As Chrysler emerges from its reorganization and works to regain its status as a leading automobile manufacturer, I urge you to strongly consider selecting Belvidere, Illinois, as the location for Chrysler’s planned operational expansion.
For 45 years the employees at the Belvidere Assembly Plant and the Belvidere Satellite Stamping Plant have produced top quality vehicles for Chrysler. I was very pleased to hear that you share my assessment that the employees at Belvidere are some of the most skilled, efficient, and productive employees in the company.
As you know, the Belvidere Assembly Plant has reinvented itself many times over the years. Initially, its employees produced the two-door Plymouth and Dodge vehicles that were popular in the 1960s and 1970s. Today, after hundreds of millions of dollars were spent on renovation, the 2,315 employees at Belvidere’s facility produce the popular Jeep Compass, Jeep Patriot, and Dodge Caliber. More than 850 of these employees were welcomed to Belvidere’s assembly lines after demand for the Compass, Patriot, and Caliber increased due to the Cash for Clunkers program that passed Congress last year.
As Chrysler makes plans to grow its market share by introducing new and innovative products, I urge the company to strongly consider expanding its current operations at the Belvidere Assembly Plant. By all accounts, the 280-acre Belvidere facility is a prime location with a world-class workforce.
I know that Chrysler still has significant challenges to overcome. As we discussed, my colleagues and I share the concerns of our constituents and are anxious to see the federal investment in Chrysler fully repaid as soon as possible. The company’s first quarter operating profit and planned launch of new vehicles earlier than anticipated is encouraging news. We look forward to working with you to ensure that Chrysler is developing and implementing a plan that will promote economic growth and protect the taxpayers who gave Chrysler this opportunity to rebuild.
Belvidere can play an important role in the company’s expansion plans. I urge you to give the Belvidere facility every fair consideration as you move forward.
Sincerely,
Richard J. Durbin
United States Senator
Durbin Urges Chrysler to Expand in Belvidere
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today urged Chrysler to consider selecting Belvidere, Illinois as the location for the company’s planned operational expansion. In a letter to the CEO of Chrysler, Sergio Marchionne, Durbin touted the quality workforce and expertise at the Belvidere Assembly Plant which has reinvented itself many times over the years.“For 45 years the employees at the Belvidere Assembly Plant and the Belvidere Satellite Stamping Plant have produced top quality vehicles for Chrysler. I was very pleased to hear that you share my assessment that the employees at Belvidere are some of the most skilled, efficient, and productive employees in the company,” wrote Durbin. “As Chrysler makes plans to grow its market share by introducing new and innovative products, I urge the company to strongly consider expanding its current operations at the Belvidere Assembly Plant."
Durbin met with Marchionne in Washington, D.C. on May 13, 2010 to discuss the progress Chrysler has made and the company’s plan for the future. Last year, Chrysler’s Belvedere plant had substantially scaled back production and laid off hundreds of employees when, in September, the company announced that due to a dramatic increase in demand for fuel-efficient vehicles – spurred in part by President Obama’s Cash for Clunkers program – they would be hiring 850 old and new employees.
Text of the letter appears below:
June 2, 2010
Mr. Sergio Marchionne
Chief Executive Officer
Chrysler Group LLC
P.O. Box 21-8004
Auburn Hills, MI 48321-8004
Dear Mr. Marchionne:
I am pleased that we had an opportunity to meet to discuss the progress Chrysler has made and the company’s plans for the future. As Chrysler emerges from its reorganization and works to regain its status as a leading automobile manufacturer, I urge you to strongly consider selecting Belvidere, Illinois, as the location for Chrysler’s planned operational expansion.
For 45 years the employees at the Belvidere Assembly Plant and the Belvidere Satellite Stamping Plant have produced top quality vehicles for Chrysler. I was very pleased to hear that you share my assessment that the employees at Belvidere are some of the most skilled, efficient, and productive employees in the company.
As you know, the Belvidere Assembly Plant has reinvented itself many times over the years. Initially, its employees produced the two-door Plymouth and Dodge vehicles that were popular in the 1960s and 1970s. Today, after hundreds of millions of dollars were spent on renovation, the 2,315 employees at Belvidere’s facility produce the popular Jeep Compass, Jeep Patriot, and Dodge Caliber. More than 850 of these employees were welcomed to Belvidere’s assembly lines after demand for the Compass, Patriot, and Caliber increased due to the Cash for Clunkers program that passed Congress last year.
As Chrysler makes plans to grow its market share by introducing new and innovative products, I urge the company to strongly consider expanding its current operations at the Belvidere Assembly Plant. By all accounts, the 280-acre Belvidere facility is a prime location with a world-class workforce.
I know that Chrysler still has significant challenges to overcome. As we discussed, my colleagues and I share the concerns of our constituents and are anxious to see the federal investment in Chrysler fully repaid as soon as possible. The company’s first quarter operating profit and planned launch of new vehicles earlier than anticipated is encouraging news. We look forward to working with you to ensure that Chrysler is developing and implementing a plan that will promote economic growth and protect the taxpayers who gave Chrysler this opportunity to rebuild.
Belvidere can play an important role in the company’s expansion plans. I urge you to give the Belvidere facility every fair consideration as you move forward.
Sincerely,
Richard J. Durbin
United States Senator