October 22, 2015

As the 11th FCA North American facility to receive bronze status, Kokomo Casting was awarded bronze after a two-day audit in which the plant earned a minimum of 50 points in 10 technical and 10 managerial pillars by demonstrating clear WCM know-how and competence through employee-conducted pillar presentations and a review of projects that have been implemented across the shop floor.
 
With Kokomo Casting’s award, there are now three Indiana plants in the bronze class. Indiana Transmission II and Kokomo Transmission each received the bronze designation in 2014. 
 
“It is appropriate that this honor comes as Kokomo Casting marks 50 years in operation because it recognizes the commitment of our workforce to building on the plant’s history and creating a global path for future success,” said Brian Harlow, Vice President – Manufacturing, FCA North America. “The Kokomo Casting employees have dedicated themselves to improving safety and quality while operating the world’s largest die cast facility and playing an integral role in our operations around the world. 
 
“WCM continues to be a vital part of this Company’s growth and could not have been achieved without the support of our UAW partners,” said Harlow. “Our hourly employees have demonstrated that they are committed to keeping FCA US competitive with the best manufacturing facilities in the world.”
 
One of five FCA US Indiana facilities, Kokomo Casting employs nearly 1,300 people who use nearly one million pounds of metal each day to cast aluminum parts for automotive components, transmission and transaxle cases, and engine blocks. The facility is best known for supporting the production of the eight- and nine-speed transmissions that can be found in one of the following vehicles: Jeep® Cherokee, Chrysler 200, Jeep Renegade, Ram ProMaster City, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger, Dodge Challenger, Dodge Durango and Ram 1500. More than a million of each transmission has been assembled and shipped from the nearby Kokomo and Tipton, Ind., manufacturing facilities. 
 
World Class Manufacturing is a methodology that focuses on reducing waste, increasing productivity and improving quality and safety in a systematic and organized way. WCM engages the workforce to provide and implement suggestions on how to improve their jobs and their plants, promoting a sense of ownership.

Source
Kokomo Herald