SALTILLO, Coahuila, Mexico – Chrysler Group Chairman and CEO Sergio Marchionne confirmed investments totaling $1.249 billion in two Saltillo facilities and the creation of 1,570 jobs during a dedication event at the new Van Assembly Plant yesterday with President of Mexico Enrique Peña and Minister of Economy Ildefonso Guajardo.
Of the total investment, $1.085 billion was invested in the construction of a new van assembly plant to produce the Ram ProMaster commercial vehicle. The additional $164 million will add a new production line to assemble Tigershark engines at the Saltillo North Engine Plant.
The Van Assembly Plant, which began production in July 2013, will result in a total of more than 1,100 new jobs by December. The new investment at the North Engine Plant will create 470 new jobs. With this announcement, employment in Saltillo will grow to nearly 6,500. Both the Ram ProMaster and the Tigershark engine will be exported to different markets, based on Free Trade Agreements that Mexico has with several countries.
The Ram ProMaster assembled in the new plant will be sold in Mexico, the U.S. and Canada. It is the only vehicle of its kind to be produced in Mexico and joins the full line of products offered by the Ram brand.
Currently, Chrysler Group’s North and South Engine Plants assemble a new engine every 17 seconds. The automaker says this new production line will strengthen the role that Mexico plays as a strategic powertrain manufacturing site.