Jeep plans on moving MFG to China...?

#1
Pulling out of the US after an $85Million dollar bailout

http://washingtonexaminer.com/jeep-...duction-to-china/article/2511703#.UIl4z0bCz8B



Jeep, an Obama favorite, looks to shift production to China
October 25, 2012 | 1:19 pm

Paul Bedard
Washington Secrets
The Washington Examiner

In another potential blow for the president's Ohio reelection campaign, Jeep, the rugged brand President Obama once said symbolized American freedom, is considering giving up on the United States and shifting production to China.

Such a move would crash the economy in towns like Toledo, Ohio, where Jeeps are made and supplied, and rob the community of the economic security they thought Obama's auto bailout assured them.

Obama is such a fan of Jeep that he included a picture of himself speaking at the Toledo plant in his newly released second term agenda binder. In his address to the plant in 2011, Obama said, "I just took a short tour of the plant and watched some of you putting the finishing touches on the Wrangler. Now, as somebody reminded, I need to call it the 'iconic' Wrangler. And that's appropriate because when you think about what Wrangler has always symbolized. It symbolized freedom, adventure, hitting the open road, never looking back."

Well it appears that the taxpayer bailed-out Chrysler is looking back and now considering cutting costs by shifting production of all Jeeps to China, which has a strong desire for Jeeps.

In a Bloomberg interview, Jeep's president said the automaker plans to restore Jeep production in China, suspended in 2009, and is considering making all Jeeps in China. "Fiat SpA, majority owner of Chrysler Group LLC, plans to return Jeep output to China and may eventually make all of its models in that country, according to the head of both automakers' operations in the region," reported the business wire service.

Mike Manley, chief operating officer of Fiat and Chrysler in Asia and president of the Jeep brand, told Bloomberg, "We're reviewing the opportunities within existing capacity" as well as "should we be localizing the entire Jeep portfolio or some of the Jeep portfolio" to China.

Chrysler builds Jeep SUV models at plants in Michigan, Illinois and Ohio. Manley said the firm is in talks with China's Guangzhou Automobile Group Co.
 

WolfGT

LIFETIME
SUPPORTER
#3
That would be highly disappointing, but wouldn't surprise me. I heard last year that we should look for Jeep to be a much larger brand in the coming years due to increased dealerships in other countries that Jeep has never been in before. The articles I was reading at the time was asking questions like "why don't you see Jeeps in other countries, why do you always see Landrovers?". The answer was lack of support, dealerships, parts. Jeep has set out to remedy that situation. Opening production back up in China would help support that movement. And if they gear up production there for that, once it's rolling full steam it wouldn't take much to move there all together. Wouldn't happen in the next couple years, but you can bet they are at least considering it.
 
#8
Ah yes. Because China is known for its high quality products it produces...OH WAIT.

China is gobbling up American made cars. Buick is huge over there so Chrysler probably thinks they can make a killing (bet they will, wonder how many they export over there now). I bet the unions are giving them crap so they wanted to say something to make them freak out. Threatening to put them all out of work by moving out of the country would be huge leverage against them.
 
0

01tj

Guest
#14
From the article..
Mitt Romney has rightfully criticized the Obama Administration for handing over Chrysler to the Italians and now leaving the fate of American workers in the hands of Fiat management.
How does the Obama Administration do this?? Naggers...
 

WolfGT

LIFETIME
SUPPORTER
#15
All political BS. Any and all large corporations analyze all possibilities when it comes to making them money. Moving plants, closing plants, hiring and firing, blah blah blah. Just go pic one of their reports that suits your goal and run with it and you can make any story of it you want. It's been big news that Ohio is supposed to decide this election. Romney is just trying to sway voters.
 
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