TORONTO-Ford Canada and the Canadian Auto Workers union began labor talks yesterday afternoon, with the future of an assembly plant in southern Ontario one of the major issues on the bargaining table. Ford asked the CAW to renegotiate its current labor contract, which doesn’t expire until 2011, after the union gave substantial concessions to both General Motors and Chrysler earlier this year. MORE

DEARBORN, MI-Ford Motor Co. has begun production of its Transit Connect light commercial vehicle at a plant in Craiovo, Romania. MORE

NEW YORK-First Solar Inc., a U.S.-based renewable energy company, will build the world’s largest solar power plant in China as the country WORKS to increase nonpolluting electricity generation. MORE

ALLENTOWN, PA-A three-alarm fire gutted two buildings at Olson Technologies, a valve manufacturing company here. Thirty-two firefighters and seven pumper trucks responded to the 1 a.m. blaze Sept. 6. The factory was empty, and no one was injured. MORE

Meanwhile, in Warsaw, IN, fire officials are investigating the cause of a fire Sept. 3 that injured three workers at a Zimmer Holdings assembly plant for artificial knees and hips. MORE

CHATTANOOGA-Volkswagen officials are ready to start taking applications to hire the first hourly workers for its new auto assembly plant here. VW will begin accepting applications for maintenance employees who provide technical expertise to diagnose, troubleshoot and improve high-tech equipment used in manufacturing vehicles. MORE

NEW YORK-After months of cutting back, U.S. corporations are beginning to open their wallets again. MORE

FREEMONT, CA-The U.S. Department of Energy has finalized a $535 million loan guarantee for Solyndra Inc, which manufactures cylindrical solar photovoltaic panels. MORE

WASHINGTON-New factory orders rose by a larger than expected 1.3 percent in July, nearly entirely on the back of a sharp increase in civilian aircraft orders, the Commerce Department reported today. Economists were expecting an even larger 2.2 percent rise after July’s durable goods report showed a 4.9 percent aircraft-fueled increase. MORE

WEST POINT, GA-About 200 workers at the new Kia manufacturing facility here were moved out of the assembly plant Tuesday afternoon after a fire safety issue was discovered during a building inspection of the energy center. MORE

CHENNAI-After operating its Chennai facility with zero automation, Ford India has decided to invest $500 million to increase production capacity and efficiency. MORE