Chrysler Group's WCM Academy Honored with Manufacturing Leadership Award

WARREN, Mich., Feb. 21, 2013 /3BL Media /PRNewswire/ - Chrysler Group LLC's World Class Manufacturing (WCM) Academy was recognized today in the 2013 Manufacturing Leadership 100 (ML100) Awards, specifically in the New Workforce category, which identifies companies that involve education and training, knowledge management and transfer, and collaboration with educational institutions.

In its ninth year, the ML100 Awards honor those shaping the future of global manufacturing. The awards target projects and individual manufacturing leaders that demonstrate achievement across a wide variety of domains including sustainability, operational excellence, workforce development, innovation, entrepreneurship and industry advocacy.

"On behalf of all who contribute to the WCM Academy, we are humbled by this recognition in the 2013 Manufacturing Leadership 100 Awards," said Mauro Pino, Head of World Class Manufacturing, Chrysler Group LLC. "The human element is at the center of WCM and is a way of life for Chrysler Group workers. The Company's success depends on the involvement of its workers and we could not succeed in implementing WCM without the cooperation of the UAW and CAW; it's a team effort."

Frost & Sullivan's Manufacturing Leadership Council judged hundreds of nominations across 11 categories. Seven of the ML100 categories celebrate outstanding projects undertaken and completed by a manufacturing company while the four remaining categories recognize the achievements of individual manufacturing executives. Judges look for projects or individuals that set themselves apart from the competition by delivering clear and compelling value, and other tangible results. Chrysler Group's WCM Academy was one of seven to be recognized in the New Workforce category.

The WCM Academy opened its doors in January 2011 and occupies about 25,000-square-feet of the UAW-Chrysler Technology Training Center in Warren, Mich. The Academy was created to accelerate WCM implementation by combining classroom and laboratory sessions, with the emphasis on hands-on exercises in problem solving. With a mission to transfer WCM "know-how," the Academy trained more than 3,400 workers from across the Company's North American manufacturing facilities in its first year, far exceeding its goals. Those participating in Academy classes apply their learnings and begin making improvements as soon as they return to their plants, delivering real and measurable benefits for the Company.

"The Chrysler Group workforce understands that the Company's continued success is directly related to our ability to implement WCM quickly and thoroughly," said General Holiefield, UAW Vice President, Chrysler Department. "They have risen to the challenge and are helping change the culture within our facilities. The Academy is accelerating this progress as demonstrated by the involvement and commitment of this outstanding workforce."

First implemented by Fiat in 2006 and introduced to Chrysler Group as part of the alliance between the two companies in June 2009, WCM is a methodology that focuses on reducing waste, increasing productivity, and improving quality and safety in a systematic and organized way. WCM engages the workforce to provide and implement suggestions on how to improve their jobs and their plants. WCM has become the driving force behind the improvements in all of Chrysler Group's manufacturing plants with four facilities achieving Bronze status, a significant milestone in the WCM process, in 2012.

ML100 Award winners will be honored on May 15 at a celebration following the ninth annual Manufacturing Leadership Summit in Palm Beach, Fla.

About Chrysler Group LLC 
Chrysler Group LLC, formed in 2009 to establish a global strategic alliance with Fiat S.p.A., produces Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram, Mopar, SRT and Fiat vehicles and products. With the resources, technology and worldwide distribution network required to compete on a global scale, the alliance builds on Chrysler Group's culture of innovation, first established by Walter P. Chrysler in 1925, and Fiat's complementary technology that dates back to its founding in 1899.

Headquartered in Auburn Hills, Mich., Chrysler Group's product lineup features some of the world's most recognizable vehicles, including the Chrysler 300 and Town & Country, Jeep Wrangler, all-new Dodge Dart, Ram 1500, Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 and Fiat 500. Fiat contributes world-class technology, platforms and powertrains for small- and medium-size cars, allowing Chrysler Group to offer an expanded product line including environmentally friendly vehicles.