DETROIT-With their ability to join, drill, cut or shape any kind of material, lasers will be increasingly important to automakers trying to produce the next generation of energy-saving vehicles, according to researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute. MORE

ONEIDA TOWNSHIP, MI-Over the next eight months, L&W expects to spend more than $10.5 million for new equipment and building upgrades to a former warehouse here into a auto parts assembly plant. When completed, the new plant is expected to employ at least 100 workers. MORE

FLINT, MI-GM may invest about $417 million in a new paint facility for its truck assembly plant here, which could create 50 new jobs. MORE

FORT WORTH, TX-General Electric Co. plans to build a new factory here to assemble railroad locomotives. The factory will employ about 500 people, cost about $96 million and begin operation next year. MORE

LUNENBURG COUNTY, VA-Safety Technologies Inc. will build a new assembly plant here, creating 46 jobs. The company manufactures explosion suppression equipment for fuel storage systems. MORE

MONTGOMERY, AL-The Hyundai automotive assembly plant here has earned Alabama’s “Large Manufacturer of the Year” Award from the Business Council of Alabama. MORE

FORT WORTH, TX-The U.S. Air Force has accepted the first of 1,763 production-model F-35 Lightning II stealth fighters from Lockheed Martin. MORE

DETROIT-Growing demand for GM vehicles is pushing the automaker to add thousands of jobs and spend $2 billion to upgrade plants across the country. GM will create or preserve more than 4,000 jobs in eight states by investing in 17 facilities nationwide. MORE

CHATTANOOGA, TN-Volkswagen will soon begin taking applications for 300 new production positions on various shifts at its new assembly plant here. MORE

BELVIDERE, IL-Less than three years ago, 1,000 Belvidere auto workers lost their jobs when Chrysler eliminated the third shift. Now, those jobs may be coming back. MORE