By Kirk Johannesen, The Republic senior reporter
Cummins Midrange Engine Plant's assembly line will close Thursday and Friday this week and Wednesday, Thursday and Friday next week in response to a production shutdown by DaimlerChrysler.
Mark Land, director of public relations for Cummins Inc., said DaimlerChrysler's inventory was high, partially because higher gas prices have reduced demand for large-engine vehicles. The shutdown is an effort to slow production.
CMEP produces Dodge Ram engines for DaimlerChrysler.
Daimler's shutdown affects Cummins' need to assemble engines, Land said.
The five-day shutdown affects the assembly line and about 370 workers. The line that produces engine blocks will continue working.
Land said the shutdown is not a sign of trouble, but a matter of adjusting volume. CMEP keeps only a few days of inventory on hand, because it ships engines once they are assembled.
"We are still on pace to have another big year," Land said.
Automakers sometimes plan shutdowns during the summer to prepare for new model year changes, Land said, and noted that CMEP shut down for a week in July.
Land said he did not anticipate any more shutdowns soon.