WASHINGTON—Rising productivity and falling natural gas prices could help the United States boost exports of products such as locomotives and factory machinery and add as many as 5 million manufacturing jobs by the decade’s end, a new analysis found.

ST. AUGUSTINE, FL—2G Cenergyis, a manufacturer of biogas furnaces and electrical generators, is opening a new assembly plant here. The facility plans to hire 125 people over the next four years.

SAN ANTONIO—The San Antonio Lighthouse for the Blind has received $12.7 million tax credit to build a manufacturing and rehabilitation facility that will provide assembly jobs for the blind and visually impaired.

HENDERSON, NC—Semprius Inc. will open its first solar panel assembly plant here this month, creating some 250 jobs.

FLORENCE, AL—TASUS Corp. is building a $19.1 million auto parts assembly plant here, creating 135 jobs.

MARION, VA—Utility Trailer Manufacturing Co. is expanding its refrigerated trailer assembly plant here.

ST. MARTIN, LA—Forum Energy Technologies is spending $19 million to build an assembly plant here to make drilling equipment for oil and gas. The plant will employ 125.

BOSTON—Rethink Robotics has developed a vision-guided, dual-arm robot that can safely work side-by-side with people on assembly lines.

MOUNT HOLLY, NC—Freightliner produced truck No. 500,000 at its assembly plant here.

SAN JOSE, CA—Automation is enabling Altierre, a manufacturer of electronic signs, to compete with low-cost overseas competition. And, says the company’s CEO, manufacturers of other products can follow his example.