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. Go to Chicago Construction News for the full article!