The new Fiat-led Chrysler Group is to permanently shut the St. Louis North Assembly Plant, which produces the Dodge Ram pick-up, towards the middle of next month, ending a four decade long manufacturing association with Fenton, Missouri, as St. Louis South recently shut. Chrysler had expected to shut the plant during the third quarter of this year but weak demand for the Dodge Ram will now see it closing earlier than expected.

"Based on current volume projections, Chrysler Group LLC will implement an early idling of the St. Louis North Assembly Plant, effective Friday, July 10, 2009," read a statement issued by Chrysler yesterday. "Chrysler is committed to working with the UAW to address the manpower  implications in a socially-responsible manner. As we have done in the past, affected employees will be offered an Incentive Program for Retirement, Special Early Retirement Program and/or an Enhanced Voluntary Termination of Employment Program, as well as the opportunity to transfer to other Chrysler facilities. The manufacturing facility will briefly resume production on Monday, June 29 - Friday, July 10, 2009 and remain idled contingent upon volumes.

Tooling for the Dodge Rambox variant, which is exclusively made at St. Louis North, will be moved to the Warren Ram plant which makes the pick-up on a 2-shift line. A third plant, located at Saltillo in Mexico, builds heavy-duty versions of the Ram for that market. The St. Louis plant first opened in 1959 with the "South" factory while the "North" site followed seven years later. Dodge Ram production kicked off at St. Louis North in 1995 at which point incumbent Minivan assembly was switched to St. Louis South which had been idled for around five years time. Production of the Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Caravan continued at St. Louis South until last year when it was transferred to Ontario in Canada, to consolidate assembly, and the plant was idled. There is also a Ford plant in St. Louis but that has been idled for the past three years. During Chrysler's ownership by Daimler AG, a billion-dollar upgrade was promised to both St. Louis plants.