A few miles south of C/D’s Ann Arbor office lies Dundee, MI. Home to about 4500 people—half of whom presumably work at the massive Cabela’s outdoor supercenter located in the town—Dundee is also home to Chrysler’s Global Engine Manufacturing Alliance plant, or GEMA.

In an effort to beef-up powertrain production for the company’s upcoming flurry of fuel-efficient small cars—namely, the Fiat 500—the Chrysler Group has announced plans to invest some $179 million in the GEMA plant. This move will create an estimated 573 new jobs for the industry—155 of which would be within the company itself.

The Dundee plant’s main function initially will be to produce the 1.4-liter inline-4 Fully Integrated Robotized Engine (FIRE) for the first run of North American Fiat 500s. Production of the engine isn’t slated to begin until late 2010, with complete vehicle assembly not happening until early 2011.

Related posts:

1. Some Hints About Fiat’s Plans for Chrysler
2. Dodge’s Future Under Chrysler/Fiat
3. Fiat and Chrysler: A Marriage Made for Washington – Interview