DENVER, CO—TractEasy has been chosen to supply its “EZTow” autonomous tow-tractor to John Deere globally. TractEasy was awarded the contract after initial proof of concept last year where an EZTow moved combine harvester cabs from staging to the assembly line at John Deere Harvester Works (East Moline, Illinois) on an exterior route. 

CHARLOTTE, NC—Electrolux Group has developed a vacuum cleaner made of up to 44% recycled material. The Electrolux brand Ultimate700's paint-free surface removes the use of chemicals in the manufacturing process; the colors are created with new recycled plastic formulations that range from 36% to 44% recycled material by weight, depending on color and nozzles. The calculation considers the vacuum itself, complete with nozzle accessories – but minus the charging stand, battery, adapter, and filters.

DAYTON, OH—Joby Aviation, Inc., a company developing electric air taxis for commercial passenger service, recently announced it has acquired an existing facility at Dayton International Airport and begun hiring in support of the Company’s initial manufacturing operations.

WASHINGTON—UAW Local 1268 President Matt Frantzen is headed to Washington D.C. for President Joe Biden's State of the Union Address on March 7, 2024.

MCMINN COUNTY, TN—Tennessee Lithium is a lithium hydroxide facility currently in the funding stage in McMinn County, Tennessee. According to its website, in full operation, the facility is expected to produce 30,000 metric tons of lithium hydroxide per year. 

FREMONT, CA— On March 5, Anyware Robotics announced an add-on for its Pixmo robot for truck and container unloading. The add-on includes a vertical lift with a conveyor belt that is attached to Pixmo between the robot and the boxes. The integrated Pixmo software processes the heights of the boxes in the container and then controls the conveyor of the add-on to move up and down to these positions to “meet” the robot arm as it unloads. The add-on enhances unloading efficiency, weight capability, and reliability.

NASHVILLE, TN—Shoals will invest $80 million over the next five years to expand its existing manufacturing and distribution operations to a new, larger location in Portland, Tennessee. The expansion will create approximately 550 new jobs over the next five years in Sumner County, bringing the company’s total headcount in the region to roughly 1,400.

NASHVILLE, TN—Flexco Products, a producer of tubing and steel and aluminum fabrication, plans to establish manufacturing and distribution operations in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee. The $17.5 million project is expected to create 60 jobs in Lawrence County.

DOVER, OH— Schaeffler is investing over USD 230 million in building the new greenfield manufacturing facility, strategically located in Dover, Ohio, as well as future expansions in the state until 2032. As part of an agreement with the State of Ohio and JobsOhio, the company will receive incentives via grants and tax credits for these investments that will create 650 jobs in the state. 

DELTA TOWNSHIP, MI—A temporary supply chain issue is caused the Mid-Michigan assembly plant to pause production. The pause started on Friday, February 23rd. Automotive News reported the plant had resumed production on February 26th.