SPRING HILL, TN—GM is planning to invest $185 million to produce small gas engines at its assembly plant here. The new engine will be used in 27 models across five of brands by 2017.
LAFAYETTE, LA—Bell Helicopter has begun constructing a new $26.3 million assembly plant here to make the company’s new line of Short Light Single helicopters.
SALT LAKE CITY—Varian Medical Systems, a manufacturer of X-ray equipment, broke ground Wednesday on a new expansion project at its assembly plant here and create 1,000 new full-time jobs in the state over the next 20 years.
OAK RIDGE, TN—Recycled tires could see new life in lithium-ion batteries that provide power to plug-in electric vehicles and store energy produced by wind turbines and solar panels, say researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
LOUISVILLE, KY—Ford will invest $129 million in its assembly plant here to fast track the production of the 2015 Lincon MKC. The carmaker will also be hiring 300 new employees.
WASHINGTON—Orders for big-ticket manufactured goods jumped to a record in July thanks to a surge in aircraft purchases, while underlying measures indicated broad momentum for business spending. Purchases of durable goods rose a seasonally adjusted 22.6 percent to $300.1 billion in July from the prior month, the Commerce Department said Tuesday. That was the sharpest increase and highest level in records going back to 1992.
BEIJING—China is planning to invest $16 billion to build more charging facilities for electric vehicles. The country is trying to stem air pollution by boosting the use of electric vehicles.
TROY, MI—Contract manufacturer Unified Business Technologies could add 171 jobs over the next three years after winning an Army contract to make components for surveillance and communications.