Chrysler LLC chief executive Robert Nardelli told a
group of employees this week that the company is headed for a US$1.6
billion loss this year, according to a person familiar with his
statements.
Nardelli told a group of engineers and designers that revenue
will be less than $63 billion but costs will exceed $64 billion,
said the person, who requested anonymity because Chrysler is a
private company and no longer has to report its earnings.
Nardelli, the former CEO of The Home Depot Inc., was hired in
August by Chrysler's new private equity owner, Cerberus Capital
Management LP.
If his prediction is correct, it would be the company's second
straight year of losses. Chrysler lost $618 million in 2006, but
made $1.8 billion in 2005.
Chrysler spokeswoman Shawn Morgan said the company will not
comment on its financial performance because it is privately owned.
Nardelli's statements are similar to those made by Steven Landry,
executive vice-president of North American sales, who told a group
of Canadian business students last week that the company is likely
to lose $1 billion this year as its new leadership tries to cut
costs and streamline the automaker's model lineup.
Chrysler, Landry said, is poised to break even next year and make
money in 2009 and 2010, and he added that the company plans to
``right size'' itself and reduce its model lineup from 28 to around
20 while focusing on top-quality interiors.
Landry said the automaker will take in about $64 billion in
revenue this year but spend about $65 billion.
Chrysler in November announced plans to cut up to 12,000 jobs,
just after employees represented by the United Auto Workers ratified
a new four-year contract with the company. The cuts include 8,500 to
10,000 hourly jobs and 2,100 salaried jobs through 2008, or about 15
per cent of the company's work force. The cuts came on top of 13,000
Chrysler job reductions that were announced in February.
Chrysler already has said it will eliminate four products through
2008: the Dodge Magnum wagon, the convertible version of the
Chrysler PT Cruiser, the Chrysler Pacifica crossover and the
Chrysler Crossfire sports car.
In the same time frame, Chrysler plans to add two new products:
the Dodge Journey crossover and Dodge Challenger sports car, along
with two hybrid models, the Chrysler Aspen and Dodge Durango.
Chrysler became a private company this year when Cerberus bought
an 80.1 per cent stake from what was then DaimlerChrysler AG.
Nardelli's comments were reported Wednesday on The Wall Street
Journal's website.