NorthCOG remarks on reopening of Belvidere Assembly Plant
Northern Illinois Council of Governments (NorthCOG) expresses gratitude to the public and private sector leaders who, since 2021, advocated for the resources to support Stellantis’ decision Jan. 22 to employ 1,500 United Auto Workers (UAW) to build a new midsize pickup truck at the Belvidere Assembly Plant.
NorthCOG is a nonprofit membership organization affiliated with Region 1 Planning Council. NorthCOG is comprised of elected and appointed leadership from Winnebago, Boone, Ogle, and Stephenson counties, allowing local governments to overcome mutual challenges through collaborative efforts and advocacy.
Stellantis idled the Belvidere Assembly Plant in February 2023. Pending plant improvements to support vehicle production is a pivotal development that will bolster the regional economy and provide significant job opportunities for Northern Illinois.
The Belvidere plant reopening represents what is possible when government at all levels works together with local leadership to drive progress, said NorthCOG Chairman and Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara.
“[The] announcement is possible thanks to a lot of behind-the-scenes effort,” McNamara said. “NorthCOG has worked with Gov. JB Pritzker and his team, our state representatives and senators, and with Sen. Dick Durbin’s office to advocate for this project, which is a tremendous economic development win for the region. We all have worked hard to support Belvidere, because families across our region will benefit from this new investment.”
Stellantis’ decision to reopen the plant is the result of a coordinated effort involving local, state, and federal lawmakers, the private sector, and the tireless advocacy of NorthCOG, said Belvidere Mayor Clint Morris.
“[It] is a great day for Belvidere, for the employees of the Belvidere Assembly Plant, and for our region,” Morris said. “I want to thank U.S. Rep Bill Foster (D-11) and State Rep. Dave Vella (D-68), who were unwavering in their support to secure the funding and resources for this to happen. I also want to thank UAW leadership, the Pritzker administration, the Trump administration, and NorthCOG for making this happen.”
The Belvidere Assembly Plant has been the region’s largest employer for decades, and it’s reopening is good economic news, said Winnebago County Chairman Joe Chiarelli.
“Winnebago, Boone and all of Northern Illinois will benefit from the job and economic development opportunities that will follow,” Chiarelli said. “U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood (R-16) and Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) both helped make this happen and deserve our thanks.”
NorthCOG was just one of several tools that Region 1 Planning Council leveraged to assist with the re-opening of the Stellantis plant, said R1 Executive Director Michael Dunn.
“[Jan. 22] is a great step forward for the industrial growth of our region,” Dunn said. “This was a bipartisan team effort at the federal, state and local level. I am very proud of our staff, which supports NorthCOG and R1, and our regional Landbank which secured land next to the plant, allowing for future expansion, in partnership with the State of Illinois. The collaboration and partnership of our local elected leadership, combined with the advocacy and strategic planning of NorthCOG, made today’s announcement a reality.”
About Northern Illinois Council of Governments
Councils of Governments, or “COGs,” are multi-jurisdictional bodies that are commonplace throughout Illinois and across the country, allowing local governments to overcome regional challenges through collaborative efforts and advocacy. Region 1 Planning Council (R1) established NorthCOG in August 2021, thus accomplishing a longtime regional economic development goal articulated in the R1 Comprehensive Economic Development Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce. To learn more about NorthCOG, please visit www.r1planning.org/northcog.