Newark Assembly

Newark Assembly was a Chrysler (DaimlerChrysler from 1998-2007) automobile factory in Newark, Delaware.

History

The factory opened in 1951 as a tank plant and was converted for the production of Plymouth and Dodge automobiles in 1957.

A variety of Chrysler, Dodge, and Plymouth models were produced at this facility over the years, totaling nearly 7 million cars.

To prepare the Newark plant for production of the 1997 Dodge Durango, a sport utility vehicle (SUV) the company invested US$623 million that included a new training facility, production simulation building, a paint shop, as well as upgrades to the 1.2-mile (2 km) test track, a new material handling fleet, and new controls on the assembly line.

On February 14, 2007, DaimlerChrysler announced that the plant would lose one working shift in 2007, and that it would be scheduled to be shut down completely in 2009.

In October 2008, the company announced that the closure would be moved up to the end of 2008 citing a slowdown in both the economy and demand for large vehicles. The neighboring Mopar parts distribution center also closed in 2008.