Chicago Construction News staff writer
Stellantis plans to invest $13 billion over the next four years to expand its manufacturing footprint in the United States — including reopening its idled Belvidere, Illinois, plant — in what the automaker is calling the largest single investment in its 100-year U.S. history.
The expansion will increase Stellantis’ domestic vehicle production by 50 per cent and add more than 5,000 jobs at plants in Illinois, Ohio, Michigan and Indiana. The company also plans to launch five new vehicles and roll out 19 product updates across its U.S. operations by 2029.
In Belvidere, Stellantis says it will invest more than $600 million to reopen the assembly plant and build two new Jeep models — the Cherokee and Compass — for the U.S. market. Production is expected to start in 2027 and create roughly 3,300 new jobs. The facility has been idle since February 2023, when Stellantis paused operations amid slowing SUV sales and shifting production priorities.
“This investment in the U.S. — the single largest in the company’s history — will drive our growth, strengthen our manufacturing footprint and bring more American jobs to the states we call home,” Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa said in a statement.
The new investment package includes funding for research, development and supplier operations to support the company’s next generation of vehicles and powertrains.
In Ohio, Stellantis plans to spend nearly $400 million to build an all-new midsize pickup truck at the Toledo Assembly Complex, where it will join production of the Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator. The shift is expected to create about 900 new jobs, with launch timing targeted for 2028.
In Michigan, nearly $100 million will go toward retooling the Warren Truck Assembly Plant to produce a new range-extended electric and internal combustion large SUV starting in 2028. Another $130 million will prepare Detroit’s Jefferson Assembly Complex for the next-generation Dodge Durango, expected in 2029.
In Indiana, Stellantis will invest more than $100 million in its Kokomo facilities to produce a new GMET4 EVO four-cylinder engine beginning in 2026, adding over 100 jobs.
The investment will benefit all U.S. assembly plants, according to Stellantis, which currently operates 34 manufacturing facilities, parts distribution centres, and research and development sites across 14 states. The company’s U.S. operations employ about 48,000 workers and support nearly 2,300 suppliers.
The Belvidere announcement marks a significant boost for northern Illinois, where local and state leaders have been lobbying for the plant’s revival since it closed. The facility, which once employed more than 5,000 people, has long been a cornerstone of the region’s manufacturing economy.
Construction and retooling work at the various sites are expected to begin over the next year as Stellantis prepares for the next wave of product launches through 2029.
