42°34′12″N83°01′52″W / 42.570°N 83.031°W /42.570; -83.031
Sterling Heights Assembly | |
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Operated | 1953–present |
Location | Sterling Heights, Michigan |
Coordinates | 42°34′N83°02′W / 42.57°N 83.03°W /42.57; -83.03 |
Industry | Automotive |
Products | Automobiles |
Employees | 7,008 (2022)[1] |
Area | 286 acres (1.16 km2) |
Volume | 5,000,000 sq ft (460,000 m2)[1] |
Address | 38111 Van Dyke |
Owner(s) |
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TheSterling Heights Assembly Plant (abbrevriatedSHAP), is a 5,000,000 sq ft (460,000 m2)automotive manufacturing factory inSterling Heights, Michigan currently operated byStellantis North America.[1]
The factory was opened by Chrysler under itsMissile Division in 1953 to produce missiles. The nearby "Sterling Stamping" opened in 1965. The plant was operated by theUS Army for a number of years and was purchased byVolkswagen of America in 1980.[2] VW entered a sales slump and never produced any vehicles at the plant. In 1983, the plant was sold to Chrysler to produce theDodge Shadow andPlymouth Sundance.
After the plant was modernized in 2006, the assembly line and tooling for the outgoing Stratus and Sebring were sold toOAO GAZ and shipped to that company's factory inNizhny Novgorod inRussia. GAZ continued to produce the Stratus under license there until 2010, marketed as theVolga Siber.[3]
In May 2009 it was announced that the Sterling Heights Assembly plant would close by December 2010,[4] with the adjacent stamping plant to remain open. A decision of the Chrysler board to make the new200 model allowed it to bring new life into the plant and saved it from being closed.
In 2010 Chrysler purchased the plant from Old Carco LLC forUSD$20 million. The plant will retain its current 1,200 employees.[5] Chrysler broke ground on a new paint shop at the plant in June 2011. This came after an announcement of an 850 million dollar investment in October 2010.[6]
When the Chrysler 200 was discontinued in December 2016, FCA announced that the Sterling Heights facility would receive a $1.49 billion investment to retool so it can build the next-generationRam 1500 pickup, which will be transferred from theWarren Truck Assembly so that it can build the all-new, full sizeJeep Wagoneer with a planned launch in 2018.[7]