Five Million And Counting, Chrysler's Jefferson Avenue North Plant Success Story

Five Million And Counting

Chrysler's Jefferson Avenue North Plant

Success Story Continues

By Rod Kackley

A Chrysler assembly plant that became iconic of the problems facing the Detroit auto industry in 2009 when workers were arrested for using drugs on their lunch breaks, and one worker killed another in 2012 before taking his own life, has now become a symbol of the reinvention of auto manufacturing in Michigan.

The five-millionth vehicle rolled off the assembly line inside Chrysler Group’s Jefferson North Assembly Plant in the heart of Detroit, August 13.

The 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland in Billet Silver rolled off the JNAP assembly line on Tuesday, Aug. 13 at 2:30 a.m. 


In addition to the standard Trenton, Mich.-built 3.6-liter Pentastar engine and Kokomo, Ind.-built eight-speed transmission, the vehicle has an 8.4-inch Touch Screen Radio, GPS navigation, Blind Spot and Rear Cross Path Detection, Adaptive Speed Control, leather heated and ventilated seating, Panoramic Sunroof and Quadra-Lift Air Ride Suspension.

Some 50 JNAP employees (pictured above), each with 30 or more years with the plant, were front-and- center as the 5 millionth vehicle, a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland, was driven into the staging area and parked right next to a 1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee.


Although the facility was nearly closed in the darkest days of the Great Recession, 1,100 new employees were added to the payroll in the three-million-square-foot factory in October 2012.

Nearly 4,500 people now work inside the plant every day. In 2012, they produced more than 291-thousand vehicles.

In addition to the Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jefferson North also produced the Jeep Commander from 2005-2010 and began production of the Dodge Durango in December 2010.

The former Jefferson Assembly Plant, built in 1907 by Chalmers Motor Car Company, was twice the size of the new plant's original footprint (3.6 million square feet compared to 1.75 million square feet, respectively) and produced a total of 8,310,107 vehicles in its 83-year history.

Restore The Roar: Manufacturing Renaissance is a five-part ebook essay series that tells the story of the fall and rise of the Detroit Three, and the twenty-first century entrepreneurs who are digging new revenue streams.
Restore The Roar: Manufacturing Renaissance is available through Amazon and Vook.com.
For free previews, please go to www.rodkackley.com.

Last Chance Mile: The Reinvention of an American Community tells the story of how the people of Grand Rapids created a new cluster of prosperity, Medical Mile, during the Great Recession. 
For a free previews and to order your autographed edition, please go to www.rodkackley.com

See The USA In Your Chevrolet, GM Division Posts Sales Record

GM Tech Center, Warren, Michigan

DETROIT – Chevrolet sold a record 2.5 million vehicles around the world in the first six months of 2013, up 1.4 percent over the same period in 2012, and achieved its 11^th straight quarter of increased sales on the strength of new products like the Onix subcompact car in Brazil, Impala full-size sedan in the U.S. and Colorado midsize pickup in Southeast Asia.

Overall, General Motors Co. posted sales of more than 4.85 million vehicles in the first half of 2013, an increase of nearly 4 percent over the same period in 2012.

The top five Chevrolet sales markets in the first six months of 2013 were:

Market	First Half of 2013	% Change
United States	1.02 million	5.6
China	322,000	6.1
Brazil	305,000	5.1
Mexico	91,000	15.7
Russia	80,200	(16.1)

GM first half 2013 sales in North America were up nearly 8 percent and nearly 7 percent throughout its International Operations. GM achieved a sales record in China with a 10.6 percent increase to 1,567,392 units.

“Chevrolet is in the midst of the most aggressive new product roll-out in the brand’s history,” said Alan Batey, senior vice president of Global Chevrolet. “The continued sales growth around the world is a result of a focused effort to strengthen Chevrolet’s presence in developing markets as well as its relationship with consumers by offering the right products, technologies, and world-class customer service.”

In the U.S., Chevrolet’s small car lineup continues to attract new customers to the brand. Sales of theSonic, Spark, Cruze and Volt combined were up nearly 25 percent in the first half of 2013.  Full-size truck sales also increased 23 percent over the same period and dealers are delivering the all-newSilverado to eager consumers at a rapid pace, averaging only 10 days on dealer lots.

Chevrolet sales in China rose 6.1 percent to nearly 322,000 units, fueled by strong sales of the Sail, Cruze, Malibu and Captiva.

GM Renaissance Center, Detroit

Restore The Roar: Manufacturing Renaissance is a five-part ebook essay series detailing the fall and rise of Michigan manufacturers, telling the stories of some of the new entrepreneurs who are driving growth in the twenty-first century.

For a preview of the first essay, The Great Collapse please click here.

July 18, 2013: Detroit, Michigan files for Chapter 9 bankruptcy protection, trying to get out from under $20 billion in debt and 100,000 creditors. The Big Three: GM, Chrysler and Ford all issue statements of support.

Last Chance Mile: The Reinvention of an American Community tells the story of how the people of Grand Rapids, Michigan led by two of the richest families in the world, battled to keep their city from becoming the next Detroit.

Last Chance Mile: The Reinvention of an American Community is available wherever books are sold online including Abbott Press, as well as on the shelves of Barnes & Noble-Woodland Mall, Schuler Books & Music-28th Street and West Coast Coffee-Monroe Center

Personally autographed editions are available at www.rodkackley.com.

The Great Collapse: How Bad Was It?

Ford Motor Co River Rouge Plant by Andrew Moore

Michigan had never had it this bad. The Great Collapse was worse than most of us thought it was even when we were caught in the middle of it.

As CNBC reported June 25, 2013, "A report released last year by Information Technology & Innovation Foundation (ITIF) said that manufacturing in the U.S. declined more in the last decade than it did in the Great Depression."

The ITIF says that translates into some 5.7 million lost jobs in manufacturing- at an "average loss of 1,276 manufacturing jobs every day for the past 12 years."

However, we are in a better time now for manufacturing. CNBC also put this graph together showing that Michigan leads the nation of manufacturing job growth.

Restore The Roar: Manufacturing Renaissance, an ebook essay series, tells the story of the worst decade Michigan has ever seen, with a look at the problems that remain and what lies ahead.

For a free preview of all five essays, please click here.

Last Chance Mile: The Reinvention of an American Community tells the story of how the people of Grand Rapids, Michigan have changed the way the world sees their community and more importantly, the way they see the world.

To read preview chapters and order a personally autographed hardcover or softcover edition, please click here.

Autographed editions are also available at Barnes & Noble-Woodland Mall, Schuler Books & Music on 28th Street and West Coast Coffee on Monroe Center.

Last Chance Mile: The Reinvention of an American Community is also available wherever books are sold online, including Abbott Press. 

Tell Your Grandkids You Were There When....

You can tell your grandchildren you were there when the world started to change. You were there when the world started throwing off the shackles of petroleum-based fuel, when the world started moving to fuel-efficient vehicles, FEVs, because it just made sense.

Ford Motor Company told us June 27, 2013 that fuel-efficient products were driving their sales growth.


"Strong demand on the coasts lifts Ford's U.S. market share nearly a full percentage point to 16.2 percent through May, outpacing all competitors," according to  Ford press release.

Ford's overall growth spanned the full vehicle lineup; through May, U.S. overall car sales are up 12 percent, utility vehicle sales are up 18 percent, and truck sales are up 11 percent.

The story of a city that fell in love with beer. 
Quenching The Thirst, one of the Restore The Roar: Manufacturing Renaissance series of ebook articles and essays now available by clicking here.

"Our gains for the Ford brand in the U.S. are driven by our new products," said Joe Hinrichs, Ford president of The Americas. "We are absolutely committed to continuing the aggressive introduction of new products throughout our showroom."

Since the introduction of the new Fiesta three years ago, the Ford brand has achieved the fastest retail share growth of any automotive brand on the west and east coasts combined – up almost 2.5 percentage points compared with 2008 – based on Polk retail registration data. This year, the growth is largely based on share gains for the Ford Escape small utility vehicle and Ford Fusion midsize sedan.

"Ford vehicle technologies are helping to attract new customers and drive growth," said Raj Nair, group vice president, Global Product Development. "SYNC and MyFord Touch are also helping to deliver higher customer satisfaction." 

But what about getting rid of our cars and trucks? Or at the very least, what about parking them much more than we do now. What if Ford, General Motors and Chrysler faded into the history e-books and holograms that were our fantasies in Star Wars but will be your grandchildren's reality in their classrooms, if they even have classrooms. 

Grand Rapids, Michigan is one of America's municipalities that want to be ready for bicycle commuters. There are hundreds now. Could be thousands before you know it.
Here's a link to a story I wrote about that for Crain's Detroit Business.

Grand Rapids is not the city it was when I bought my home here in 2000 and it is a long way from the city it was in 1990 when I moved into this West Michigan community. What happened? That's the story told in Last Chance Mile: The Reinvention of an American Community, available wherever books are sold including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes and Abbott Press.

Autographed editions are available at Schuler Books & Music and West Coast Coffee in Grand Rapids, or by going to www.rodkackley.com

Herman Miller's Living Office Sweeps Best Of NeoCon 2013 Showroom Recognition

Herman Miller's Canvas Office Landscape w/Mirra Chair

Herman Miller's Living Office at NeoCon 2013, which the West Michigan company describes as a holistic approach to creating more natural and desirable workplaces, swept the Best of NeoCon showroom design awards. In addition, five of its new designs garnered Best of NeoCon recognition.

The Herman Miller showroom and its execution of a Living Office were recognized in both Best of Competition for overall Showroom and Booth Design, and Best Large Showroom.

The annual Best of NeoCon awards for product are judged by interior design and facility management professionals who reviewed more than 350 entries this year.

Herman Miller earned an Innovation Award for the second straight year with the introduction of a brand new material application, expanded polypropelene (EPP), with a new expression of furniture, Metaform Portfolio™. Designed by Studio 7.5 in Berlin, Metaform delineates space and creates diverse sets of Living Office settings with the use of lightweight and intuitive modular blocks that can be easily configured and reconfigured –in the moment- by the people who use them.

Farm to Fork, part of the Restore The Roar: Manufacturing Renaissance series of ebook essays by Rod Kackley tells the story of West Michigan agricultural and food processing entrepreneurs.

Farm to Fork is available for immediate download by clicking here.







Herman Miller Collection’s new Eames Molded Wood Side chair earned a gold award for Guest Seating, and Locale™ added a silver in the Furniture Benching category. Geiger was also acknowledged with a gold in Casegoods for Catalyst Phase II.

Herman Miller Healthcare continues to be recognized as a leader in healing spaces and furniture as Nemschoff’s Terra™ was awarded the Silver Award in the Healthcare Furniture category. This marked the fourth consecutive year Herman Miller Healthcare has received an award.

The best of NeoCon awards, now in their 24th year, are sponsored and organized by Contract magazine, Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc., The International Interior Design Association (IIDA), The International Facility Management Association, and the McMorrow Report.

The office furniture industry made Grand Rapids, Michigan the "Furniture City" and is still a part of the  West Michigan community. However, the people of Grand Rapids are trying to change the way the world sees their neighborhoods, and in the process are changing the way they see the world.
That story is told in Last Chance Mile: The Reinvention of an American Community, available in hardcover, softcover and ebook editions by clicking here.





A new player is coming on to the office furniture stage. This player has money and is ready to invest. That story will be post tomorrow, as the reinvention and renaissance of manufacturing continue in Michigan.

Steelcase Wins Five Best Of NeoCon Awards At NeoCon 2013

Steelcase Gesture Chair

 The Steelcase family of brands won five Best of NeoCon Awards, which include four Gold awards and one Innovation award. Products recognized with a Best of NeoCon award include the Steelcase Gesture chair and V.I.A. architectural solution, Nurture's Regard™ modular seating, Coalesse's Lagunitas, a comprehensive seating and table collection, and Turnstone's Buoy stool. All products are currently on display at NeoCon 2013, North America's largest contract furnishings trade show.

The 24th annual Best of NeoCon awards, hosted by Contract Magazine, recognize the top new commercial interiors products introduced at NeoCon each year.

"Innovation is a critical issue for all organizations. Drawing on over 15 years of innovation research, Steelcase has created a portfolio of products that leverage technology to empower people," said Allan Smith, vice president of marketing at Steelcase. "We are pleased to be recognized by the Best of NeoCon competition for this achievement."

Was it politics or economics? How did Right-To-Work become the law of the land in Michigan? The answers are in Outrage in Michigan, available now for just 99 cents by clicking here.









Steelcase won a Gold award for V.I.A., vertical intelligent architecture, which was designed to create spaces that help fuel the innovation process. V.I.A. not only defines space, but redefines the role vertical real estate plays in an interconnected workplace. It hosts the latest large-scale video and display technologies, offers unprecedented acoustic privacy, and easily reconfigures to support rapid change.

The Gesture chair from Steelcase also won a Gold award. Gesture is the first chair designed to support our interactions with today's technologies. It was inspired by the movement of the human body and created for the way we work today, with today's most prevalent devices such as smart phones and tablets.

Nurture by Steelcase won a Gold award for Regard™, a new customizable system solution that can adapt to a variety of healthcare spaces. Designed with healthcare environments in mind, Regard™ solves for transition times in a patient's healthcare journey that are typically not productive and commonly referred to as "waiting". Regard™ directly addresses issues of comfort, privacy and the need to connect.

Coalesse won a Gold award for Lagunitas, a comprehensive seating and table collection. Lagunitas creates a "third place" anywhere while offering multi-modal support and varying degrees of privacy through high and low panels. With a unique articulating back cushion, Lagunitas adapts to changing work styles and shifting work postures and allows for toggling between both lean forward and lean back postures.

Finally, Buoy by Turnstone received an Innovation Award. This stool that wobbles and spins and encourages movement thanks to a curved based, just like a buoy. Buoy's innovative, customizable design encourages self-expression among young, active people and boosts performance by keeping the body in motion and the mind active. It's seating that bucks the trend of sedentary lifestyles and work styles.

The Best of NeoCon 2013 awards were selected from approximately 325 entries in 39 different product categories.

Herman Miller has a good NeoCon, too. That story will be posted tomorrow.

~~ LCP~~ 

Like many other cities in the United States, Grand Rapids, Michigan has struggled with redeveloping its economic identity after the devastation of the Great Recession of 2008. Last Chance Mile: The Reinvention of an American Community demonstrates how Grand Rapids has been redefined as a hub for the greatest scientific minds in the world by developing what has come to be called the “Medical Mile.” 

Last Chance Mile: The Reinvention of an American Community is available in hardcover, softcover or ebook formats by clicking here.

Detroit's Comeback Continues, Companies Plan To Hire

Detroit CFOs Report Third-Quarter Hiring Plans

Survey Finds Majority of Companies Optimistic About Business Growth During Quarter

DETROIT, June 10, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Twelve percent of chief financial officers (CFOs) in the Detroit area expect to add new professional-level positions in the third quarter, according to the Detroit Professional Employment Forecast from Robert Half . Ten percent of respondents will not be hiring, even to fill an open position, and 7 percent plan to reduce staff levels. Another 70 percent said they will hire for roles that open during the next three months.

Most executives are optimistic about their business prospects for the third quarter. More than nine in 10 (93 percent) CFOs expressed confidence in their company's growth potential for the quarter, with 38 percent of respondents saying they are very confident.

The survey suggests, however, organizations looking to expand and add staff may face difficulties. The majority of the CFOs surveyed, 59 percent, said it is at least somewhat challenging to find skilled candidates for professional-level positions today.

Detroit is fighting its way out of the Decade From Hell, as former Governor Jennifer Granholm put it. The story begins in The Great Collapse by Rod Kackley

This ebook essay is available now for just 99 cents. Click here for immediate download.

"With business confidence high in the Detroit area, companies will need to add people to their teams as they grow," said Robin Ankton, regional vice president for Robert Half in Detroit. "The demand for skilled, professional-level talent is strong in Southeast Michigan, and only companies that offer the most competitive compensation and benefits packages, as well as career growth opportunities, will attract and win the best candidates."

The Professional Employment Forecast was developed by Robert Half, the world's first and largest specialized staffing firm, and conducted by an independent research firm. The local results reflect a two-quarter rolling average based on interviews with 200 CFOs from a stratified random sample of companies in the Detroit area with 20 or more employees.

CFOs were asked, "What are your company's hiring plans for full-time professional-level employees in the third quarter?" Their responses:

	Third Quarter	Second Quarter
Expanding -- adding new positions	12%	12%
Maintaining -- only filling vacated positions	70%	77%
Freezing -- not filling vacated positions or creating new ones	10%	8%
Reducing -- eliminating positions	7%	1%
Don't know/no answer	2%	2%
	101%*	100%
*Numbers do not total 100 percent due to rounding Grand Rapids, Michigan avoided the worst of the worst decade in Michigan's history. But it wasn't easy. The story of how the people of Grand Rapids are changing the way the world sees their community is told in Last Chance Mile: The Reinvention of an American Community, available in  hardcover, softcover and ebook editions by clicking here. The hiring outlook may be improving in Detroit, but that does not mean the reinvention of this American community will be easy. Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr, appointed by Gov. Rick Snyder, told an audience Monday evening the city has to "break its addiction to debt." He also said that municipal bankruptcy is an option.

General Motors: Best Month Since September 2008

It seems that the worst is over. General Motors did better in May 2013 than the company has done since September 2008 when the bottom fell out of the Detroit auto industry.

DETROIT – General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM) sold 252,894 vehicles in the United States in May, up 3 percent compared with a year ago. Retail sales increased 9 percent, fleet sales were down 10 percent and the fleet mix was 26 percent of total sales.

“Cadillac is growing faster than it has in almost 40 years, the pickup rebound is in full swing and we’re seeing strong retail demand for our crossovers” said Kurt McNeil, vice president of U.S. sales operations. “These are all powerful signs that the gradual recovery in the economy is becoming more broad-based. That’s great news for the auto industry and General Motors.”

GM’s trucks sales were up 15 percent versus a year ago, including a 23 percent increase for large pickups and a 30 percent increase for large SUVs.

Crossover sales were up 3 percent. Compact crossover sales were up 10 percent and set a monthly record behind the Chevrolet Equinox, which had its best month ever. The Equinox has now posted 17 consecutive monthly sales increases.

Retail passenger car sales were up 2 percent while total sales were down 6 percent. Lower fleet sales were due primarily to the timing of customer deliveries.

May 2013 Sales	Total Sales	YOY Change	Retail Sales	YOY Change
Chevrolet	179,510	0.9%	124,897	5.4%
GMC	41,594	7.0%	33,814	11.5%
Buick	17,982	(3.1)%	15,897	9.9%
Cadillac	13,808	39.9%	13,050	36.6%
Total GM	252,894	3.1%	187,658	8.6%

May Highlights (vs. 2012)

• Cadillac’s 40 percent sales increase marked its best May since 2007.
• Chevrolet had its best retail sales month since August 2009.
• Retail sales of GM’s redesigned medium crossovers were very strong: the Chevrolet Traverse was up 14 percent, and GMC Acadia and Buick Enclave were up 15 percent and 19 percent, respectively.

May Highlights (vs. 2012) - continued

• Strong Chevrolet Spark sales and double-digit increases for the Buick Verano, Chevrolet Sonic and Cruze drove a 27 percent increase in sales of mini, small and compact cars.
• The Chevrolet Cruze had its best May sales ever, and the Sonic had its best month ever.
• Chevrolet dealers delivered more than 2,350 all-new 2014 Impalas.

Calendar Year-to-Date

CYTD Sales	Total Sales	YOY Change	Retail Sales	YOY Change
Chevrolet	821,674	5.1%	559,991	6.6%
GMC	181,320	11.0%	154,874	12.7%
Buick	82,759	16.0%	74,113	16.9%
Cadillac	69,750	37.6%	62,937	28.6%
Total GM	1,155,503	8.3%	851,915	9.9%

Calendar Year-to-Date Highlights (vs. 2012)

• The last time Cadillac delivered a larger year-to-date sales increase was in 1976.
• Buick retail sales have increased for 13 consecutive months.
• Truck sales were up 12 percent, including a 22 percent increase in sales of large pickups and a 23 percent increase for large SUVs.
• Crossover sales were up 17 percent and car sales were essentially equal to a year ago.
• GM’s fleet mix was 26 percent, which is in line with the company’s full-year strategy.

Inventory	Units @ May 31	Days Supply (selling day adjusted)	Units @ April 30	Days Supply (selling day adjusted)
All Vehicles	708,939	73	720,699	76
Full-size Pickups	220,466	93	228,524	103

Industry Sales	May SAAR (est.)	Calendar Year (est.)	GM Full Year Forecast
Light Vehicles	15.4 million range	15.2 million	15.0 – 15.5 million range

Restore The Roar: Manufacturing Renaissance, a five-part ebook essay series that begins with the Great Collapse, is available wherever books are sold online, including Amazon and Vook.com.

Last Chance Mile: The Reinvention of an American Community tells the story of how the people of Grand Rapids, Michigan are changing their community.

Last Chance Mile: The Reinvention of an American Community is available wherever books are sold. Autographed editions are available through www.rodkackley.com

Ford Breaks Annual Record, It Only Took Five Months

* Ford surpassed its previous full-year hybrid sales record set in 2010 of 35,496 vehicles in just the first five months of 2013

* Ford is projected to sell approximately 37,000 hybrid vehicles through May, for around a 375 percent increase over the same period last year

* Ford Fusion Hybrid is projected to deliver its best May sales ever; Ford Fusion Energi is also projected to achieve its best sales month since its introduction in February

* Ford C-MAX Hybrid and Ford Fusion Hybrid continue to draw new customers to the Ford brand, with conquest rates at 64 percent and 67 percent, respectively; Toyota is the top competitive conquest brand.

Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) bested its previous full-year hybrid sales record in just the first five months of 2013, driven by the product strength of its new electrified vehicle lineup including Ford C-MAX Hybrid, Ford C-MAX Energi, Ford Fusion Hybrid and Ford Fusion Energi, as well as Lincoln MKZ Hybrid.

Ford beat its previous full-year hybrid sales record of 35,496 vehicles in 2010 with projected sales of 37,000 through May, an increase of more than 375 percent over the same period last year. Ford is now second only to Toyota in the number of hybrid vehicles it sells in the United States with its market share continuing to grow, up from 3 percent last year to an all-time-high 15.5 percent through April 2013.

"We're working tirelessly to get as many hybrids to the market as we can right now to meet this unprecedented customer demand for our electrified vehicles," said Erich Merkle, Ford U.S. sales analyst. "The success we are experiencing with hybrids is energizing the whole company."

Ford C-MAX Hybrid and Ford Fusion Hybrid continue to draw new customers to the Ford brand, with conquest rates remaining highest in the Ford showroom since the launch of both vehicle lines. Fusion Hybrid conquest sales are holding steady at 67 percent, with C-MAX Hybrid at 63 percent. The new lineup continues to draw new customers from Toyota and Honda, with most conquest sales coming from Toyota.

Ford Fusion Hybrid continues to fly off dealer lots, attaining some of the highest turn rates in the Ford showroom. Fusion Hybrid is turning in just 14 days on average as customers are drawn to the all-new car's fuel economy, styling and design. This turn rate is even higher in key markets like Los Angeles, at just 10 days. Fusion Hybrid represents an all-time-high percentage of overall Fusion sales, at 15 percent.

Ford Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid – the newest addition to Ford's electrified vehicle lineup – is also expected to achieve its best sales month ever since its launch in February.

"Our all-new electrified vehicle lineup is drawing new customers to the Ford brand," said C.J. O'Donnell, Ford electrification group marketing manager. "We're hearing from our dealers they literally can't keep our hybrids in stock."

~ LCP ~

Restore The Roar: Manufacturing Renaissance, a five-part ebook essay series, beginning with the Great Collapse, tells the story of entrepreneurs who are bringing factories back to life in Michigan and putting blue collars back to work.

Restore The Roar: Manufacturing Renaissance is available through Amazon and Vook.com.

Last Chance Mile: The Reinvention of an American Community tells the story of how the people of Grand Rapids, Michigan are working to change the way the world sees their community, the way they see the world, and the way the community sees itself.

Last Chance Mile is available wherever books are sold online including Abbott Press. Autographed editions are available through www.rodkackley.com

Last Chance Mile: The Reinvention of an American Community is also available at Schuler Books & Music on 28th Street and West Coast Coffee on Monroe Center in Grand Rapids.