Chrysler
Celebrates the Rich History of
the Jeep Brand in the Toledo Community
Toledo,
Ohio, Jun 18, 2007 - As
demolition of the former Jeep Parkway facility in Toledo draws to a
close, the Chrysler Group today announced plans to preserve one of the
three recognizable smokestacks on the site. The smokestacks have
been a well known part of the Toledo skyline since 1915.
Toledo's
Parkway Plant was the oldest
manufacturing facility in North America, churning out approximately 11
million vehicles in its 96-year history. Operations at the
site ceased in 2006, after 64 years of manufacturing Jeep brand
products, including military vehicles for World War II. Production of
the Jeep Wrangler and the new, four-door Unlimited
version of the Wrangler was relocated to the new, $2.1 billion
state-of-the-art Toledo Supplier Park last year.
"While
the Parkway facility no longer
served our manufacturing needs, the site holds a rich history and is
close to my heart," said Deb Morrisssett, Vice President - Regulatory
Affairs for the Chrysler Group. "We are invested in Toledo's past
and the city's future. We hope that the preserved smokestack
serves as a reminder to the citizens of Toledo of the important role
they played in history."
In
1909, the site became the
headquarters and main manufacturing facility for the Willys-Overland
Motor Company. Parkway began producing Jeep military vehicles in
the early 1940s before switching over to the Civilian Jeep (CJ) in
1945. In 1953, Kaiser Motors purchased Willys-Overland, and ten
years later Kaiser-Jeep Corporation took ownership and then sold it to
American Motors Corporation in 1970.
The
Chrysler Group also announced
plans for bricks from the two demolished smokestacks. "We're
inviting Toledo residents to own a piece of Jeep history by purchasing
the bricks from those smokestacks," said Frank Fountain, Senior Vice
President - External Affairs and Public Policy for the Chrysler
Group. "Proceeds from the sale will go to the Boys and Girls Club
of Toledo. In addition, the DaimlerChrysler Corporation Fund will
match the proceeds - doubling the benefit to this worthy cause. So in a
way, the two stacks will remain a part of this
community." The bricks will be available for $39.99. Details on the
brick sale can be found at
www.thescoop-cg.com/jeepbricks/.
The
Chrysler Group employs 7,941 in
the state of Ohio, generating $465 million in annual wages and
providing more than $26 million in taxable income to the state.
But the company's commitment to the city of Toledo and state of Ohio
goes beyond business. Chrysler also sponsors a wide variety of
community programs in Toledo, including the Art Tatum Jazz Heritage
Festival, the Toledo Urban League, City's Youth Entrepreneur Program,
Toledo Opera, the Toledo Museum of Art, Valentine Theatre and the
Diamante Awards.
The
Chrysler Group, headquartered in
Auburn Hills, Mich., produces Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and Mopar brand
vehicles and products. Total sales worldwide in 2006 were 2.7 million
vehicles. Sales outside of North America were the highest in a decade
with an increase of 15 percent over 2005. On the heels of the company’s
record product launch year (Chrysler Group launched 10 all-new vehicles
in 2006), the company plans to extend that streak with eight all-new
products in 2007. Its product lineup features some of the world's most
recognizable vehicles, including the Chrysler 300, Jeep Commander and
Dodge Charger. The DaimlerChrysler Corporation Fund, the Company's
philanthropic arm, gave $23.6 million in grants in 2006.