GALLATIN, TN—Gun manufacturer Beretta USA has begun constructing a new $45 million assembly plant here. The facility is expected to create 300 jobs.

RENO, NV—Tesla Motors has chosen Nevada as the site for a massive, $5 billion factory that will pump out batteries for a new generation of less expensive electric cars. Four other states—California, Texas, Arizona and New Mexico—were vying for the project and the estimated 6,500 jobs it will bring.

WASHINGTON—U.S. manufacturing activity hit a nearly 3.5-year high last month and construction spending rebounded strongly in July, signs the economy entered the third quarter on strong footing.

SPRING HILL, TN—Magna International Inc. has started construction on a new, state-of-the-art assembly plant here to make seat assemblies for GM. The new facility is expected to employ approximately 75 people when it begins production next year.

HUNTSVILLE, AL—NASA has successfully tested complex rocket engine parts produced with the additive manufacturing process laser metal sintering.

WINSTON-SALEM, NC—United Furniture Industries is investing $5.2 million to expand its assembly plant here, with plans to create 200 new jobs over the next three years.

MALTA, NY—General Electric has opened a new fuel cell manufacturing facility here.

EVENDALE, OH—GE is utilizing a next-generation carbon fiber composite for the fan blades that will debut in the GE9X jet engine, which will drive Boeing’s upcoming 777X passenger aircraft.

ANN ARBOR, MI—Total sales of machine vision components and systems increased 11 percent to $1.04 billion in the first half of 2014, according to the AIA, the industry’s trade group. This is the best first half performance by the North American machine vision market since the AIA began tracking quarterly statistics in 2009.

OPELIKA, AL—Baxter International Inc. will invest nearly $300 million to expand its dialyzer assembly plant here. The company plans to add 200 jobs at the plant by 2016.