BELVIDERE, Ill. (AP) -- Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn and the chief executive of Chrysler have announced that the automaker will add more than 1,800 jobs by this summer at its assembly plant in northern Illinois.
The new employees will be working at the plant's new body shop to produce the 2013 Dodge Dart. The model will be Chrysler's first competitive compact car in more than 15 years. Quinn said at a Thursday ceremony in Belvidere that manufacturing is a "key part" of the Illinois economy.
The new workers will be in addition to 2,700 current employees at the Belvidere facility. They also will work on the Jeep Compass and Patriot, which already are built in Belvidere.
Belvidere is about 14 miles east of Rockford.
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
