DUNDEE - Global Engine Manufacturing Alliance yesterday marked the recent opening of its second Dundee engine factory. The plant is helping build 1,700 four-cylinder engines a day for the Dodge Caliber, Jeep Compass, Chrysler Sebring, and upcoming Jeep Patriot.
The first of the two factories, which together have 563 employees including on-site suppliers, started production a year ago for the Dundee-based joint venture owned by DaimlerChrysler AG, Hyundai Motor Co., and Mitsubishi Motors Corp. The venture also has three plants in Asia building fuel-sipping aluminum 1.8-liter, 2.0-liter, and 2.4-liter engines.
After a year of testing and other preparations, the launch of the second Dundee factory has been even smoother than the first, said Bruce Coventry, president of Global Alliance.
"It's gone very well," he said yesterday, after Frank Ewasyshyn, Chrysler's vice president of manufacturing, and Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm helped employees celebrate.
The $800 million factories will produce 3,400 engines a day at full capacity after equipment for half of the second factory is installed.
Global Engine hasn't announced when that will happen, but interest in fuel economy is high and keeping the Dundee operation busy, Mr. Coventry said.
The largest of the Dundee engines gets 23 miles in the city and 26 on the highway when powering the Caliber. In the redesigned Sebring, the 2.4-liter engine will get 24 miles in the city and 32 on the highway. Dundee will also supply engines for an undisclosed Mitsubishi vehicle in 2008.
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