AUSTIN, TX-Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. is moving fast on a $500 million renovation of its chip manufacturing complex here. MORE

CHATTANOOGA, TN-Volkswagen officials said Friday that it is starting work on a 500-employee supplier park next to the main VW assembly plant that is due to go into production early next year. Frank Fischer, VW Chattanooga president, said work will start on the supplier park soon and it should be ready by June. He said it will feature two buildings that are each over 220,000 square feet. MORE

SEATTLE-Boeing showed off the interior of a 787 Dreamliner parked at Paine Field and provided a glimpse of some advances on the 787 assembly line inside the factory. The partial passenger cabin installed in Dreamliner No. 3 will be used to test elements of the passenger experience, including air flow, noise levels and the heating and emergency oxygen systems. Meals will be prepared in the galley. Toilets will be stress-tested. MORE

GREENVILLE, SC-Proterra Inc., a manufacturer of drive and energy storage systems for buses and trucks, will locate a new assembly and innovation center here. The company plans to hire more than 1,000 employees. MORE

MADISON-Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle signed a bill Friday that will enable cities and counties access to unused bonding authority given under the federal stimulus law. The money could help manufacturers create jobs in the state. MORE

WASHINGTON-New factory orders rose 1 percent in December, twice as much as the 0.5 percent gain economists were expecting. Orders have risen for eight of the past nine months. MORE

MIDLAND, MI-Dow Chemical will build a solar shingle manufacturing facility here that could bring 1,200 jobs to the area by 2014. MORE

MONTGOMERY, AL-A former Chinese carmaker planning a hybrid car assembly plant in Alabama has lined up a veteran engineering and design firm while still trying to put together $1.5 billion in financing for the project. HK Motors wants to open an Alabama plant in 2013 that will provide 4,000 jobs. MORE

MOSCOW-Russia’s reported richest man Mikhail Prokhorov plans to mass-produce low-cost electric cars. The multi-billionaire wants to open a new car assembly plant in St Petersburg in partnership with a local truck manufacturer. MORE

STERLING HEIGHTS, MI-Chrysler is negotiating to buy the Sterling Heights Assembly Plant from its bankruptcy estate and save about 1,200 jobs that were expected to be eliminated at the end of 2010. MORE