DaimlerChrysler AG CEO Juergen Schrempp, in Detroit for a two-day meeting of 250 top managers, roused his troops on Oct. 27 with assurances the company would marshal all its resources to help the Chrysler Group get back on track, according to the Detroit News. Schrempp said the entire company was supporting Chrysler's turnaround efforts, according to executives who attended the yearly global management meeting, held for the first time at Chrysler's headquarters in Auburn Hills. Schrempp also said he remained committed to his five-year-old strategy to build a global automotive powerhouse -- and Chrysler is crucial to the strategy, the News said. Senior executives from DaimlerChrysler's far-flung businesses, including Mercedes-Benz, and the commercial vehicle and financial services divisions, reviewed and test-drove more than 10 of the 25 new models Chrysler plans to introduce over the next three years. "It's important to get a feeling for the product. In the end, product is the most important thing in our industry," DaimlerChrysler spokesman Hartmut Schick said, according to the News. Chrysler's ambitious rollout, which kicks off next month with the launch of a new Dodge Durango sport utility vehicle, carries with it the Auburn Hills automaker's recovery hopes after this year's earnings setback, the News said. While Chrysler's difficulties are partly due to the tough sales environment, it stumbled on a major launch this year, according to the News. Chrysler priced the new Pacifica wagon too high as it aspired to fashion a premium image for the brand, at a time when it was forced to match discounts by its Detroit rivals, the News reported.
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