Officials in Ohio appear to be somewhat relieved after a meeting with Fiat Chsyler Automobiles CEO Sergio Marchionne in Auburn Hills
DETROIT, MI - Remarks at the Paris Motor Show by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles CEO Sergio Marchionne that the iconic Jeep Wrangler may no longer be built in Toledo raised some eyebrows in the Buckeye state this week.
But officials there appear to be somewhat relieved after a meeting with the auto exec in Auburn Hills, according to the Detroit Free Press.
The Freep reports that Ohio Gov. John Kasich's chief of staff Beth Hansen and Toledo Mayor Michael Collins were reassured by Marchionne that even if production of the Wrangler leaves the assembly plant in Toledo, workers there would remain unaffected as FCA replaces it with production of other cars.
There are 5,078 employees at Chrysler's Toledo Assembly Complex, where it builds the Wrangler and the Jeep Cherokee.
Marchionne said in Paris last week that the 2017 model-year Wrangler could be made out of aluminum to meet fuel-efficiency standards, and that the facility where it has been built for 70 years in Toledo may not be able to accommodate such production. There is, however, capacity and capability at Chrysler's plant in Sterling Heights, as well as at a site in Belvidere, Ill.
Ohio officials said they did not offer any tax incentives to keep Wrangler production in Toledo, though they indicated that may be the next step, according to the Freep.