NEW YORK-New York manufacturers stepped up hiring over the past month to a pace not seen since 2004, according to a Federal Reserve survey released Monday. An index gauging changes in the number of employees for New York manufacturers grew to 22.37 in May, marking five consecutive months of growth. MORE

COLEBROOK, NH-The investigation into a series of explosions at a gun and ammunition assembly plant here that killed two people has led to one machine, the state's fire marshal said Saturday. The investigation into Friday’s explosions at the MDM Muzzleloader building has led to a machine in the manufacturing section of the plant. MORE

CHARLOTTE, NC-SPX Corp. will expand its Waukesha Electric Systems’ assembly plant in Waukesha, WI, with an investment of approximately $70 million. The project will extend the company’s ability to manufacture large, high-voltage power transformers. MORE

WAKARUSA, IN-Navistar’s assembly plant here has begun turning out electric trucks that can travel 100 miles on a single charge. MORE

MADISONVILLE, KY-General Electric installed energy-efficient T-8 lighting fixtures throughout its entire assembly plant here. Savings from the project are estimated to be more than $200,000 per year, while reducing energy consumption by 60 percent. MORE

PHOENIX-Keller Electrical Industries Inc. is building a bigger home for its manufacturing facility where workers engineer, repair and rebuild industrial motors. The $16 million project could provide up to 150 new jobs over five years. MORE

AVON LAKE, OH-Ford will need nearly 1,200 additional workers at its Chicago assembly plant later this year and is asking workers from its Ohio facility and other U.S. plants to transfer. MORE

MITCHELL, SD-In a sign of better economic times, Trail King is hiring some 40 workers at its trailer manufacturing plant here. MORE

MOUNT HOLLY, NC-Beginning May 24, 119 people will return to work at the Freightliner truck assembly plant here, as Daimler Trucks North America prepares to double production. More recalls are expected this summer. MORE

NEW YORK-Microscopic robots made from DNA molecules can walk, follow instructions and work together to assemble simple products on an atomic-scale assembly line. Researchers at Columbia University and New York University created the tiny robots, which are 100,000 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair. Using DNA components, the engineers have emulated a traditional assembly line. MORE