Kenosha Engine
| Built | 1902 |
|---|---|
| Location | Kenosha, Wisconsin |
| Coordinates | 42°35′03″N 87°50′33″W / 42.5842°N 87.8424°W |
| Industry | Automotive |
| Area |
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| Address |
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| Defunct | October 2010 |
Kenosha Engine was an automobile and engine factory in Kenosha, Wisconsin. First opened for automobile production in 1902 by the Thomas B. Jeffery Company and later operated by American Motors, the Kenosha Engine Plant saw all operations halted by Chrysler and it was permanently closed in October 2010 and demolished in 2013.
The factory was opened in 1902 by the Thomas B. Jeffery Company that evolved into Nash Motors in 1916, American Motors Corporation (AMC) in 1954, and was acquired by Chrysler in 1987.
The last year in which the plant produced cars was in 1988. These were the subcompact Dodge Omni and Plymouth Horizon FWD models, as well as the M-body RWD sedans, but the facility continued to manufacture engines .
The opening of the 3.5-liter engine line, in 2002, came after the company invested $624 million in a 450,000-square-foot (42,000 m2) expansion of the plant.
In 2006, the Kenosha Engine factory employed 1,300 people.
Kenosha Engine was one of Chrysler Group's Powertrain plants that scored at the top of their segment, according to the 2007 Harbour Report North America report, a broadly accepted measure of productivity in the automotive industry.
Significantly, Chrysler excluded employees of the Kenosha plant from its February 2, 2009 buyout offer for hourly workers. In May 2009, approximately 800 workers were employed at the plant.
On May 1, 2009, Chrysler announced that the Kenosha Engine plant was to close by the end of 2010 as a result of Chrysler's bankruptcy and restructuring plan.
In response to news about closing the Kenosha Engine plant, hundreds of auto workers held a rally in May 2009, and appealed to Obama administration officials, and to executives at both Fiat and Chrysler, to reverse the decision to shut down the facility. After Chrysler assets were transferred to a new corporation operated by Fiat as part of emerging from Chrysler Chapter 11 reorganization on June 10, 2009, the Kenosha Engine plant was restarted.
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