SYRACUSE, NY-A company that wants Central New York workers to build a new generation of electric cars for North America has struck a crucial agreement with the Reva Electric Car Co. of India, removing one of the last hurdles to a deal for a new local assembly plant. Bannon Automotive, of Long Island, has secured an exclusive North American licensing deal with the company. MORE

DEARBORN, MI-Ford Motor Co. has promised the United Auto Workers its plants in Chicago, Kentucky and Wayne, MI, will receive a flurry of new vehicle and transmission assembly work in the next few years. MORE

NEW YORK-Honda Motor Co. says it may move production of the popular Fit hatchback to the Unitd States to offset the effects of a stronger yen. MORE

DANDRIDGE, TN-A Swedish furniture manufacturer BJS plans to build a new assembly plant here, bringing 150 jobs. MORE

CHATTANOOGA, TN-Volkswagen will begin accepting applications for production team members at its new assembly facility on Oct. 26. Applicants may apply online here: www.vwjobschattanooga.com. The positions will pay $14.50 per hour to start. MORE

FORT SMITH, AR-Mitsubishi Power Systems is expected to break ground on a wind turbine manufacturing plant here in 2011. Mitsubishi officials said they expect to create up to 400 jobs at the facility. MORE

PRINCE GEORGE COUNTY, VA-Rolls-Royce has begun construction at Crosspointe, its new aerospace assembly plant here. Crosspointe is the first Rolls-Royce manufacturing facility built from-the-ground-up in the United States. The company’s initial investment in this site is $170 million. MORE

WASHINGTON-The nation’s new manufacturing czar said Wednesday the Obama administration is likely to unveil efforts to boost factory jobs in the coming months. Ron Bloom, named by President Barack Obama on Sept. 7 as senior counselor for manufacturing policy, said he is looking for projects to boost the sagging manufacturing sector. MORE

MILLVILLE, NJ-A New York company plans to open a solar panel manufacturing facility here that would employ 282 people. IPP Solar confirmed plans to partner with Italian producer MX Group and unnamed investors in Taiwan and China to produce the panels at a retrofitted glass factory in Millville. MORE

WASHINGTON-Industrial production in the United States rose three times as much as anticipated in September, putting manufacturing at the forefront of the emerging economic recovery. MORE