AM General Receives Prestigious Automotive Manufacturing Certification

AM General announced that following a rigorous external audit by NSF-International Strategic Registrations (ISR), several of its facilities are now registered to the ISO/TS 16949:2009 quality standard for manufacturing commercial vehicles.

This registration certifies that the company’s Commercial Assembly Plant, its warehousing facility in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and its corporate headquarters are all in full compliance with the most recent internationally-accepted standards for automotive production quality. 

“We are very proud of the Commercial Operations and Quality Team that led this significant effort which resulted in this accomplishment,” said AM General Chief Operating Officer, Steve Zink. “Attaining ISO/TS 16949:2009 affirms AM General’s Business Operating System as best-in-class and assures AM General customers that the Commercial Assembly Team is using the latest in quality management processes while practicing continuous improvement to consistently provide the highest quality products and services.”

The ISO/TS 16949 registration is a specific extension of the ISO 9001:2008 standard which defines the quality system requirements for design/development, manufacturing, installation, and servicing of automotive-related products. Normally this registration is required for automotive related component producers and traditionally not required of vehicle assembly plants.  In recognizing and implementing global best practices across its organization through AM General’s Business Operating System, the Company chose to pursue this registration to demonstrate its ability to meet the same high level of requirements placed upon producers of the components that it builds into its best-in-class vehicles.

As the Country’s only full-scale, proven contract vehicle assembler (fourth largest in the World), AM General offers end- to- end services for OEMs worldwide at its state-of-the-art, stand-alone Commercial Assembly Plant that is innovatively outfitted with an industry leading body shop, paint shop, general assembly areas and administrative spaces.  In operation since 2002, the 675,000 square foot plant utilizes the SAP Vehicle Management System and lean assembly principles inspired by the Toyota Production System and specific customer quality system requirements. The Commercial Assembly Plant has a capacity to manufacture up to 73,000 vehicles, of various types and configurations, per year.  This capability has been acknowledged by Mercedes-Benz as AM General is also proud to have been selected to be their only contract manufacturer in the United States, producing the R-Class vehicle in Mishawaka, Ind.

AM General’s growing Commercial business not only includes contract manufacture and assembly for OEMs (such as the Mercedes-Benz R-class) but also includes its wholly owned subsidiary, Mobility Ventures, designer and manufacturer of the acclaimed MV-1, the only American made vehicle specifically engineered from the ground up in support of wheelchair users and people with disabilities.

About AM General

AM General designs, engineers, manufactures, supplies and supports specialized vehicles for military and commercial customers worldwide. Through its military business, the company is widely recognized as the world leader in design, engineer, manufacture and support of Light Tactical Vehicles, having produced and sustained more than 300,000 vehicles in over 60 countries. Its growing Commercial business includes its wholly owned subsidiary, Mobility Ventures, designer and manufacturer of the acclaimed MV-1, the only American made vehicle specifically engineered from the ground up in support of wheelchair users and people with disabilities. AM General is also proud to have been selected by Mercedes-Benz to be its only contract manufacturer in the United States, producing the R-Class vehicle in Mishawaka, Ind. AM General has more than five decades of experience meeting the changing needs of the defense and automotive industries, supported by its employees at major facilities in Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio, and a strong supplier base that stretches across 43 states. Please see more information about AM General at www.amgeneral.com.