Toledo Complex
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The Toledo Complex is an automobile factory in Toledo, Ohio. It is currently owned by DaimlerChrysler, but has been in operation as an automobile assembly plant since 1910, originally for Willys-Overland vehicles, and is the site for Jeep assembly since the 1940s. It comprises two factories: Toledo North and Toledo South.
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[edit] Toledo South
The Toledo South Assembly Plant is the original Jeep CJ assembly factory. It is currently being rebuilt to construct the new JK Wrangler for Jeep, starting on August 28, 2006. It consists of two units, the Stickney Plant at 4000 Stickney Ave, and the Parkway Annex at 1000 Jeep Parkway. The Parkway site will no longer be used starting with the 2007 Wrangler. The Stickney site is the first North American operation to have three major assembly plant facilities (Body Shop, Paint Shop and Chassis Assembly) to be owned and operated by suppliers.
[edit] Stickney
The Stickney Plant was opened in 1942 by Autolite and sold to Kaiser-Jeep in 1964. It was used as a machining and engine plant until 1981 when it was converted for vehicle production. It began producing the Jeep Grand Wagoneer that year through 1991 when final assembly of the Wrangler was moved there.
[edit] Parkway
The Parkway Annex was opened in 1904 as a bicycle factory. Its use as an automobile assembly plant dates from 1910, when it was purchased by Willys-Overland. The plant began producing the Jeep in the 1940s and was renamed the Toledo Assembly Plant when Chrysler purchased American Motors in 1987. Basic assembly and painting of the Wrangler body was done at the Parkway plant through 2006, when it was closed. At that time, it was the oldest operating automotive assembly plant in the United States.
The Parkway plant includes landmark smokestacks spelling out "Overland" in bricks. It was home to military Jeep production as well as the Jeep museum. One third of the plant was demolished in 2002, including the former museum, and the remainder is being demolished as of October 2006. [1]
[edit] Toledo North
The Toledo North Assembly Plant was opened in 2001 building the unibody Jeep Liberty. The plant is located at 4400 Chrysler Drive and construction began in 1997. DaimlerChrysler invested $600,000,000 to retool the plant to built the Dodge Nitro starting in 2006.
A third Chrysler plant is located in nearby Perrysburg, Ohio. The Toledo Machining Plant opened in 1967 and is located at 8000 Chrysler Drive. This plant was owned and operated by Chrysler before the acquisition of Jeep by DaimlerChrysler.
[edit] References
- ^ Landmark Jeep plant to shut doors. Detroit News. Retrieved on June 27, 2006.; Part of Toledo's Automotive History Falling. Toledo Blade. Retrieved on October 27, 2006.
