Stellantis N.V. (NYSE:STLA)'s long-idled Belvidere ******* embly Plant in Illinois has been a case study for how a plant reopening can be pushed further into the future. The plant has been dormant since February 2023, when Stellantis N.V. (NYSE:STLA) ended the Jeep Cherokee production and laid off over 1,300 employees. A 2027 production target for Belvidere has now shifted, with Stellantis targeting pilot production of the next-generation Cherokee in the first half of 2028 and retail production in the second half of 2029, even as Stellantis portrays the news as a larger investment rather than a delay.
Stellantis N.V. (NYSE:STLA) announced an increase in its Belvidere investment to more than $800 million, up from a previous commitment of $600 million or more, and confirmed that the plant will produce the next-generation Jeep Cherokee on its new STLA One platform, the first vehicle built in the US on that modular design, which the company claims will improve manufacturing efficiency and reduce costs.
However, according to UAW Local 1268 president Matt Frantzen, citing internal records and talks with company executives, the updated schedule pushes pilot production into the first half of 2028, while retail production is not targeted to begin until the second half of 2029, roughly two years later than Stellantis' previous 2027 initial-production target.
The Belvidere news is a grave situation developing north of the border. Unifor, the Canadian union that represents Detroit Three autoworkers, stated that Stellantis N.V. (NYSE:STLA) has signed an MOU with Canadian armored-vehicle maker Roshel outlining a potential sale of its Brampton, Ontario ******* embly plant, which has been idle since 2023. According to union president Lana Payne, Stellantis N.V. (NYSE:STLA) has yet to provide the official year's notice required by the collective agreement. Payne described it as a "lose-lose scenario," claiming Stellantis' 2023 commitment to keep Brampton staffed had been broken.
The two stories are directly related. Brampton had been scheduled to build the Jeep Compass, with retooling beginning in early 2024 before Stellantis N.V. (NYSE:STLA) paused it in 2025 and then, that October, moved Compass manufacturing to the US completely, the same reassignment that sent the model to Belvidere.
#stellantis #NYSE
Stellantis N.V. (NYSE:STLA) announced an increase in its Belvidere investment to more than $800 million, up from a previous commitment of $600 million or more, and confirmed that the plant will produce the next-generation Jeep Cherokee on its new STLA One platform, the first vehicle built in the US on that modular design, which the company claims will improve manufacturing efficiency and reduce costs.
However, according to UAW Local 1268 president Matt Frantzen, citing internal records and talks with company executives, the updated schedule pushes pilot production into the first half of 2028, while retail production is not targeted to begin until the second half of 2029, roughly two years later than Stellantis' previous 2027 initial-production target.
The Belvidere news is a grave situation developing north of the border. Unifor, the Canadian union that represents Detroit Three autoworkers, stated that Stellantis N.V. (NYSE:STLA) has signed an MOU with Canadian armored-vehicle maker Roshel outlining a potential sale of its Brampton, Ontario ******* embly plant, which has been idle since 2023. According to union president Lana Payne, Stellantis N.V. (NYSE:STLA) has yet to provide the official year's notice required by the collective agreement. Payne described it as a "lose-lose scenario," claiming Stellantis' 2023 commitment to keep Brampton staffed had been broken.
The two stories are directly related. Brampton had been scheduled to build the Jeep Compass, with retooling beginning in early 2024 before Stellantis N.V. (NYSE:STLA) paused it in 2025 and then, that October, moved Compass manufacturing to the US completely, the same reassignment that sent the model to Belvidere.
#stellantis #NYSE
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