In order to meet growing demand, Ram Trucks Australia has announced the production line will run 24 hours a day, five days a week from the beginning of June.
The success of the Ram 1500 has seen the distributors invest a further $10 million into Ram’s local operation which will see employee numbers on the production line increase to 160 from 110. Additional staff are already employed and undergoing both classroom and hands-on training in preparation for round the clock production.
Based in Clayton South, the manufacturing facility offers advanced design and engineering facilities that enable Ram Trucks to be remanufactured from left-hand to right-hand drive. Incidentally, it’s the same facility HSV uses to convert the Chevrolet Camaro.
There will also be a further 20 staff needed in the design and engineering departments to prepare for the next generation of Ram vehicles for Australian production as well as staff to support the parts supply and administration.
Ram Trucks works closely with local companies which provide parts used in the remanufacturing of the Ram models with each new vehicle requiring between 300 to 400 new parts in the process.
The production line measures in a 130 meters long with 21 vehicles able to be worked on simultaneously. A Ram Truck can now be remanufactured to right-hand drive in less than 24 hours.
Alex Stewart, General Manager of Ram Trucks Australia, said: “This is not just great news for Ram, it is also a fantastic achievement for the Australian Automotive industry and shows the world our automotive and engineering industry is open for business.”
“Since we started production we have cut by more than two thirds the time it takes to remanufacture a Ram Truck for our market, we use up to 400 components, the vast majority local produced by Australian companies and, by the time we go to three shift working, we will be employing more than 160 people directly and many more indirectly across the country.”
“The entire Ram Trucks project was set up, engineered, designed and developed in Australia by Australian experts, it shows what this country is capable of and how we can produce a world class product,” said Mr Stewart.
“In short, it is clearly something of which everyone involved should be extremely proud and which, in the form of the Ram 1500, 2500 and 3500, has provided Australians with a new and unique choice when it comes to vehicle buying.”
More: All News
More: Ram 1500 Laramie Review
