MEBANE, NC—ARCA, a manufacturer of money handling equipment, is reshoring production from Italy to a new assembly plant here.

WASHINGTON—U.S. productivity grew at an annual rate of 3.2 percent in the fourth quarter of 2013, down slightly from a 3.6 percent growth rate in the third quarter.

WASHINGTON—Japanese auto parts maker Bridgestone Group has agreed to pay a fine of $425 million to the U.S. Department of Justice over anti-trust allegations related to the sale of anti-vibration rubber products for vehicles.

RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA, CA—Nearly five years after a water heater explosion killed two workers at a plastics manufacturing plant here, two supervisors pleaded no contest Friday to felony charges in the deaths.

SAN CLEMENTE, CA—Freedom Smokeless has installed a new, U.S.-built, high-speed automated assembly system for its electronic cigarettes.

BRIDGEPORT, CT—A Connecticut man has pleaded guilty to stealing 111 firearms from Smith & Wesson’s gun assembly plant here while working as a delivery truck driver.

OTTAWA, ON—The Canadian government has pledged an additional $500 million over the next two years to support the country’s auto industry.

DETROIT—Engineers behind the Chevrolet Corvette, Cadillac CTS, GMC Sierra and Buick Enclave are learning on dealership sales floors and in service bays what customers like and dislike about the cars and trucks they helped create.

VERNON HILLS, IL—Mitsubishi Electric Automation has launched a Web site to address the energy challenges faced by the manufacturing sector. The site provides tools, white papers and energy reduction solutions for a variety of manufacturing industries.

MILWAUKEE—Eaton is investing $54 million in its Cooper Power Systems business to expand operations at three of the division’s assembly plants here.