SAN DIEGO—Soitec has opened a $150 million assembly plant here to make concentrator photovoltaic modules.

BAN PHO, Thailand—No one was hurt after a fire erupted at an engine oil storage tank at Toyota’s assembly plant here, causing $1.6 million in damage.

AUBURN, AL—Rausch & Pausch GmbH (RAPA), a German manufacturer of solenoid valves, control blocks and other auto parts, plans to build a new assembly plant here.

PINEY FLATS, TN—Bell Helicopter plans to invest more than $10 million to expand its manufacturing operations here.

TIPTON, IN—Chrysler will invest $162 million to reconstruct the Getrag transmission assembly plant here.

BEIJING—China-based Build Your Dreams will build a new assembly plant in California in 2013 to produce electric buses.

NASHVILLE, TN—Teledyne Electronic Manufacturing Services will expand its assembly plant here to accommodate a new product line. The project is expected to create close to 100 new jobs.

SAGINAW, MI—Nexteer Automotive, a tier one automotive supplier, is investing $70 million in its assembly plant here and will add 325 new jobs.

DETROIT—Fiat is planning to acquire 100 percent of the Chrysler Group by purchasing the 41.5 percent of shares in the company held by the UAW. Fiat currently owns 58.5 percent of Chrysler.

PALO ALTO, CA—Robots will play an increasing role in electronics assembly in the coming years, says Douglas Alexander of Component Engineering Consultants.