Chrysler temporarily closing four plants in February

The Detroit Free Press is reporting the Chrysler LLC will close four of its assembly plants from February 9-13 due to "economic conditions". The four plants to be idled are in Brampton, Ontario; Sterling Heights, MI.; Belvidere, IL and Detroit. The Brampton plant builds the Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger and Dodge Challenger, while Sterling Heights Assembly handles the Dodge Avenger and Chrysler Sebring. The plant in Belvidere builds the Dodge Caliber, Jeep Compass and Patriot, and the Detroit plant builds just the Viper. These four, along with the rest of Chrysler's assembly plants, were also idled from December 19th through January 19th during an extended shut down period over the holiday break. Apparently they weren't shut down long enough, as falling sales as rising inventory are still hurting the company. Last month, Chrysler LLC sales were down 54.8% by volume compared to January 2008. More temporary plant closings would not be surprising, as Chrysler reportedly reviews its production schedule on a weekly basis.

[Source: Detroit Free Press]