Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne dedicated the automaker‘s new Tipton Transmission Plant on Tuesday and announced it would employ up to 850 people by the end of 2015.
Officials say the production launch makes it Chrysler‘s global hub for nine-speed transmissions.
The products will be used in Jeep Cherokees.
The launch comes after the old facility at U.S. 31 and State Road 28 sat idle for years. The facility has the capacity to produce 800,000 transmissions each year.
Three Kokomo facilities support Tipton production.
Chrysler has invested more than $1.6 billion and added 2600 local jobs since 2009.