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Article: If Mitsubishi's plant has a future, agility will be the key.(NEWS)(Mitsubishi Motors North America Inc.)
- Article from:
- Automotive News
- Article date:
- June 1, 2009
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2009 Crain Communications, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: Lindsay Chappell
Rumors of Mitsubishi's demise as a U.S. manufacturer have been around for years. But the company has passed up every opportunity to close its 21-year-old plant in Normal, Ill.
If the plant does survive, it may be because of a new labor contract and Normal's vaunted flexibility.
In the early 1990s, long before "flexible manufacturing became an industry buzz phrase, the plant in Normal was turning out five models on two platforms, including a convertible and an SUV, all on one line.
Now Mitsubishi is studying ways to use that flexibility to shift to a smaller, more fuel-efficient lineup.
Currently, the ...