The once-shuttered Belvidere Assembly Plant is poised for a grand, reopening, as Stellantis finally puts a date on its commitment to the Illinois facility. After shuttering the plant in 2023, devastating the local economy, the company has now charted a course for a massive rehiring effort.
According to a new timeline revealed at the UAW-Stellantis Council meeting, the highly anticipated new Jeep Compass will begin rolling off the line in December 2027. This isn’t exactly tomorrow, but it’s a firm date. Pilot production should commence in December 2026. The UAW is optimistically hoping this means workers will come back sooner rather than later to prepare for the onslaught of Jeep production.
The good news for the local economy is the sheer scale of the intended operation. Stellantis projects an initial hiring surge of 3,300 workers at the former Chrysler facility, with the capacity to expand personnel up to 4,100 with the potential addition of a third shift in late 2029. Those workers won’t just be building the Compass. The factory will also host the birth of the next-generation Jeep Cherokee, scheduled for a November 2028 debut.
This entire re-commitment is part of a significant capital injection. Stellantis is planning to invest over $600 million to specifically reopen and expand production of the Jeep Compass and Jeep Cherokee. This sum is part of a larger $13 billion investment the automaker is directing toward its domestic manufacturing presence.
The current plan represents a dramatic retreat from its former ambitions. In 2024, Stellantis made a commitment of $5 billion to overhaul the plant entirely for electric vehicle production, including a new mid-size pickup, an adjacent battery plant, and an “Amazon-style” Mopar parts distribution center. This expensive EV conversion project even received the official blessing from the Biden administration.
Stellantis abruptly backed away from the bold timeline, citing “market conditions” as the demand for electric vehicles cooled. The visionary plan for the future has been replaced by the safe bet: build more of the reliable, profitable, gasoline-fueled Jeeps that Americans actually buy right now. The Belvidere plant is back.
