Toledo Pushes to Keep Wrangler Production in City – Miami Lakes Automall Jeep

Whether they were sent to a Miami Jeep dealership or a small lot in Arkansas, Wranglers have always been made at the same plant in Toledo, Ohio. Yet that could all change very soon.

Demand for the Wrangler has been growing around the globe, as has demand for Jeeps in general. Last year, Jeep had a record year and sold 1 million units. Jeep expects sales to continue to increase, and its Toledo plant has been struggling to keep up. Sergio Marchionne, the chief executive of Fiat Chrysler, has said that the Toledo plant would have to undergo significant renovations to meet the demands for producing the next generation Jeep Wrangler, and it is unlikely that the plant will continue to produce this top-selling Jeep.

Toledo is now pulling out all the stops to try to keep Wrangler production at the historic plant, including creating a tax incentive package, purchasing land adjacent to the plant for an expansion, and unveiling a marketing campaign that includes city rallies and banners around town.

City officials delivered its incentive package offer to Fiat Chrysler on Friday, but they would not reveal information about the incentives, including the total dollar value.

Several other states are competing for the chance to build the new Jeep Wrangler, which is expected to have an aluminum body. No information is available on what other states are in the running or what they are offering to win Jeep’s business.

Neither Toledo officials nor Jeep executives indicated when an answer might be given to the incentives package offer or when a decision will be made on the future home of the Jeep Wrangler.

However, Marchionne said that even if the Wrangler is moved to another plant, the Toledo plant will stay in business with production of another Jeep model. Currently, 5,000 people work at the Toledo plant that builds the Wrangler, as well as an adjacent plant that builds the Jeep Cherokee. Machionne said that the company is committed to maintaining the same number of workers at the two plants even if the production lineup changes.

Last year, the Toledo plant produced 511,455 vehicles, which was a record for the facility. However, as demand increases for Jeep vehicles, officials will expect the plant to also increase production, which would strain the currently available resources and workforce.

Fiat Chrysler plans to open plants in Brazil and China this year to expand its global presence, as well. It is possible that the Wrangler could be moved to one of those new plants.

Wherever the Jeep Wrangler ends up, we’ll still continue to see it at Miami Jeep dealerships and at dealerships around the country. However, it is essential that Jeep picks the right home for its iconic vehicle to keep up with demand and the high quality of production. We can’t wait to hear what happens with the Wrangler and to learn about all the other exciting changes Jeep has in store this year.

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