Local 5 members at AM General first to build MV-1

There are more than 14 million adults in America using wheelchairs or scooters and, finally, there’s an auto manufacturer designing and building vehicles with them in mind.

The Vehicle Production Group LLC (VPG), headquartered in Miami, is the innovative company behind manufacturing, marketing and distributing the first mobility vehicle engineered specifically for wheelchair users, the MV-1.

What is significant about this vehicle is that it won’t require any costly after-market retrofitting. The MV-1 is assembled at the AM General plant by UAW Local 5 members where the HUMMER H2 was built in Mishawaka, Ind. Workers had been laid off when they stopped producing the H2, but the advantage of producing the MV-1 has breathed new life into a dying facility.

“There are not a lot of plants that can run at low capacity and still make a profit. It’s a plus for the customer and our members,” said Bruce Schweizer, a Local 5 two-term bargaining chair.

For team members here, the more experience the better. The vehicle has less optional content and more built in modules. And the state-of-the-art facility is designed to be flexible and ready to take on the next customer.

Local 5 member Cecilia “CeCe” Cooper’s team station there is Trim 1, Trim 2 and Final, and she’s known plant-wide as the key trainer for the trim shop.

“As team members, we all work together with one goal in mind, building a quality product for the customer,” said Cooper.

Production for the MV1 is just getting started. Typically, there are four to six members on a team and 13 job elements or tasks for that team’s station. The idea is to train everybody on the team on all the jobs.

This vehicle is the first and only facility to produce a factory-built vehicle that meets National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) standards and is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) using no necessary modifications.

AM General operates under the Commercial Operating System (COS), which focuses on quality and lean manufacturing. Their mantra is low volume, high quality and flexibility.

A key trainer for the trim shop, UAW Local 5 member Cecilia “CeCe” Cooper, below, works on pre-production of the MV-1. At left, Local 5 team members perform a quality check on an MV-1 at AM General’s Mishawaka, Ind., facility.

With COS, there are standardized work instructions for each team station, and members have input into work processes and improvements to the system. The members divide the job elements and decide how it truly functions and adjust to make it more efficient on everything from the tooling, parts, layout and build.

“The UAW members building the MV-1 are providing a one-of-a-kind vehicle that will benefit many disabled Americans. I’m proud of our members’ commitment to delivering a quality product that will have a huge impact on the lives of so many,” said UAW Region 3 Director Maurice Davison. “This product showcases the talent of our membership and their dedication to being the best in the industry.”

One unique feature of the MV-1 is the wide side door opening at 56-inches high by 36-inches wide, with a ramp that actually slides into the vehicle to accommodate as many as three wheelchairs, six other passengers, tie-downs with a jump-seat option and a conventional cockpit.

VPG’s design was the result of many suggestions from the disabled. For instance, the vehicle’s interior has no hard or sharp edges for wheelchairs to bump into. The MV-1 also has a low floor and a long, electrically operated side ramp.

About 4,000 pre-ordered vehicles will carry production into next year, with the hope of building to the capacity of about 30,000 vans a year.

“In this facility, each member rotates between all jobs, checks their own quality all the way to the final quality station. There are verification stations set up throughout the plant. The team concept helps support every member in every team,” said Schweizer. “The teams meet daily to analyze what adjustments need to be made. There are times where it makes sense to move a job element from one team to another station, and members have the autonomy to make that decision.”

The engine of the MV-1, a Ford 4.6-liter V-8 engine, is matched with its common four-speed automatic gearbox. Green-minded owners can choose a factory-installed Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) fueling system.

The versatility of the MV-1 is a key seller. It can be used for personal/family transportation, group home transportation and taxi/shuttle service. This vehicle will offer mobility to aging boomers, war veterans and others using wheelchairs – or others who will be using them in coming years. But for UAW members at the Mishawaka facility, the MV-1 has given them back the dignity of having a stable and safe job, building quality vehicles for an equitable wage.

The best news: Every vehicle currently in production is already sold.

Gwynne Marie Cobb

Orders for the MV-1 may be made through their website at vpgautos.com