FCA US Keeping Key Facilities Open Through Summer To Meet Demand

Where can I earn $65K with an associates? I have a BA, so I can do better than that wherever this may be. And at $65K you can do a lot better than V6 Charger. Yuck.

@Corey Lewis I second CoreyDL, I'd be happy to know where one can earn 65K with an online associates' degree. Heck, I'd love to know where one can earn 65K with a BA...

@Roberto Esponja Maybe not a BA, but a BS in engineering can get you into the middle 60s before you're allowed to sit for the PE exam. Construction Managers with Bachelor degrees usually make more than junior engineers - although career trajectories can diverge over the long term.

@Corey Lewis "Where can I earn $65K with an associates? I have a BA, so I can do better than that wherever this may be." Get a trade? Be really good at what you do and managing people?

@Roberto Esponja TW5 said the "look" of a middle manager. And yes, there ARE middle managers with Associates degrees, but they're usually related to somebody higher up in the company, and they're making much less than $65,000. More to TW5's point - some of the drivers of V6 Chargers DO seem to be using them as penis extensions, but since it's a four door sedan, I've seen mostly guys in their late 50s to mid 60s behind the wheel.

@319583076 Well that's lame, it's too late for me to get a BS. I have a BA and lots of insurance designations.

@Lorenzo Middle managers earning less than 65K a yr? Where? At your local Best Buy?

@ CoreyDL Well, I'm assuming he's earning another $18K in untaxed health benefits for his wife and 2-3 kids. He probably gets 401K matching, too, but he's obviously not saving anything. Wife probably makes $35K working for an insurance agent. Pre-owned 2011 V6 Charger seems right up his alley.

@danio3834 "Get a trade? Be really good at what you do" That's the ticket. Its getting harder and harder to find competent skilled tradesman these days and if you are very good at what you do you get compensated very well.

@Roberto Esponja What... You haven't heard? You can work from home and earn up to $7,500 a month! Lol.

@TW5 "Sniff... 8 inches or less..."

@Lorenzo No hard and fast rule about that. Most employers have grown wary of the recent college grads, preferring to keep long-time employees on as long as possible, as a good many folks under the age of 40 wouldn't know a hard day's work if it bit them in the hindquarters.

This kind of behavior is typical for full size truck drivers. When I see one in the rear mirror I just let them pass me and leave me alone. I consider full size truck as a race car. Just cannot compete with them.

As was pointed out, Brampton (300, Charger, Challenger) will be shut down, and FCA's two biggest assembly plants, Windsor and Belvidere, are also shut, with Windsor being refitted for flex lines and the new vans. The Belvidere plant assembles the Dart and two Jeeps that will be discontinued, the Compass and Patriot. That's a big plant for just one product, and FCA's problem is a lack of new models, or the money to develop them. They're getting the most out of paid-for tooling in four assembly plants to keep the cash flow going, not because they're swamped.

@Lorenzo I guess you didn't read that last paragraph? "The break from the traditional two-week shutdown — meant for equipment repairs and changes to the assembly line for the upcoming model year — comes as the automaker continues its streak of rising sales on a year-over-year basis, currently standing at 61 months. The overall U.S. industry is set to sell 17 million units this year, a peak not seen since prior to the start of the Great Recession."

@GeneralMalaise Yes, I did read that last paragraph. FCA's big sales are in Jeeps and Ram trucks, and keeping plants open is a short term cash flow move, putting off required maintenance that can have long term consequences for the plants involved. Why do you think Sergio is looking for a merger? He doesn't have the money for new product, since those hot sales have cash on the hood that reduces net profits. Last year's $3.5 billion pre-tax profit is barely enough to pay for the massive revamping of the Windsor plant, and FCA will be back to old Chrysler's situation of needing a successful reveal of each new product, like its new vans, or it's in big trouble. The huge sales of existing models looks good, but not at the cost of major discounts that rob the company of capital to bring new models to market. Skipping plant maintenance is borrowing from the future, since it will be much more expensive to make it up later. Those are the things analysts look at to gauge the health of a company, and they're unlikely to see chasing discounted sales using deferred plant maintenance as good for the company's future.

@Lorenzo Your narrative indicates you don't understand the fundamental financials of this company. Probably best to stop talking out of your hat.

Jefferson North Assembly Plant; Detroit - Grand Cherokee, Durango Saltillo Van Assembly; Saltillo, Mexico - Ram 1500 Regular Cab, Ram 2500-5500 Toledo Assembly Complex; Toledo - Wrangler, Cherokee Toluca Assembly; Toluca, Mexico - Journey, Fiat 500 All these others are engine and component plants, although full-size ProMasters are built in Saltillo as well. Kokomo Casting; Kokomo, Indiana Kokomo Transmission; Kokomo, Indiana Dundee Engine Plant; Dundee Mack Avenue Engine; Detroit Saltillo Engine; Saltillo, Mexico Saltillo South Engine; Saltillo Mexico Trenton Engine Complex; Trenton

@Roberto Esponja So really the demand is for trucks and SUVs and not 300s, or am I not seeing the whole picture here. So is the Fiat 500 selling that well?