Automaker Stellantis plans to fire up its Belvidere Assembly Plant again, nearly three years after shuttering one of the region’s biggest employers.
Stellantis announced Tuesday it will invest $600-million in the plant and create 3,300 new jobs. The company will build two types of Jeeps in Belvidere: The Compass and the Cherokee. Production is expected to start in 2027.
Governor JB Pritzker calls the announcement “a major win” and says the state is working on finalizing an incentive package. The plant has been idle for nearly three years, with about 1,300 workers either laid off or relocated. The number had been dwindling dramatically over the decades. It first opened in 1965 as a Chrysler factory.
State Senator Steve Stadelman calls it a big win for the local economy and workers. He credits collaboration with unions and state and local government incentives. State Senator Dave Syverson credits the Trump administration’s tariffs for opening up auto markets world-wide.
The company's investment in Belvidere is part of a bigger plan to spend $13 billion on plants across the U.S over the next four years.