There’s been no shortage of reports that FCA is looking to shift production of its next-generation Wrangler to a new plant, but Bruce Baumhower, President of UAW Local 12, says he is confident that the 2017 version of the iconic SUV will continue to be built in Toledo.
“I think the proactive approach that we’ve taken over on the shop floor and in our local government, I think it’s going to work out for us,” Baumhower said of keeping Wrangler production in Toledo, according to The Detroit News.
The city of Toledo and the state of Ohio have reportedly offered FCA incentive deals to keep Wrangler production at its current facility, but so far none of the parties involved have revealed the details of those talks.
FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne first sparked concerns of the Wrangler leaving Toledo late last year when he publicly stated that the Toledo Assembly Complex might not be the right location to build the next-generation of the rugged SUV, which could make use of lighter aluminum for its construction.
“If the solution is aluminum, then I think, unfortunately, that Toledo is the wrong place, the wrong setup to try and build a Wrangler because it requires a complete reconfiguring of the assets that would be cost-prohibitive,” Marchionne told Automotive News.
Jeep CEO Mike Manely didn’t do much to quell those concerns when he announced last week that the automaker was still deciding where to build the next-generation Wrangler, due out in 2017.
“There’s no set date for a decision, but obviously there’s a lot of pressure and interest to make a decision as soon as possible,” Manley told The Detroit News.
The Wrangler is an extremely popular product for Jeep, accounting for more than 23 percent of the brand’s global sales.
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