CHILLICOTHE, OH--The Kenworth plant here is getting a $17 million automated storage facility to bring cab parts inside, out of the weather, and add efficiency to assembly operations, executives said yesterday. They also foresee another healthy sales year for Class 8 trucks.

WINDSOR,ON--Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV Chairman and CEO Sergio Marchionne said recently that the company is open to furthering its partnership with Google Inc., initially slated to test Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans equipped with Google self-driving technology.

DEARBORN, MI—Ford’s latest vehicles will be quieter thanks to a new testing method called aeroacoustic mobile wind tunnel testing.

FINDLAY, OH—Whirlpool Corp. has begun construction on a $40 million expansion project at its dishwasher assembly plant here. The project will add 86,400 square feet to the facility and create approximately 50 new jobs. In addition, the appliance manufacturer has completed work on $40 million expansion project at its assembly plant in nearby Greenville, OH.

FOLEY, AL—UTC Aerospace Systems is building a new 80,000-square-foot assembly plant here to supply parts for Airbus’ assembly plant in nearby Mobile. Slated to open in 2017, the factory is expected to create 260 jobs.

LIBERTY, SC—Reliable Automatic Sprinkler Co. Inc. will spend $23.1 million to add 150,000 square feet of space to its assembly plant here. The expansion is expected to create 100 jobs.

DEARBORN, MI—Ford will invest $1.6 billion to upgrade assembly plants in Indiana and Ohio, as part of its commitment in the 2015 contract talks with UAW to invest $9 billion in its U.S. manufacturing facilities.

SPRING HILL, TN—General Motors is investing $790 million at its assembly plant here and another $118 million in Michigan. The company will create nearly 800 jobs at the Spring Hill plant as part of the new high-efficiency engine program and other modernization initiatives.

CHATTANOOGA, TN—VW will appeal to federal court a National Labor Relations Board decision upholding a vote in which a small group of skilled trades workers at the carmaker’s Tennessee assembly plant aligned with the UAW.

TRENTON, MI—FCA US will invest $74.7 million in its Trenton Engine Complex here to retool the north plant to produce the next generation four-cylinder engine, retaining 245 jobs. The new engine will be assembled on the flexible production line that was installed in 2012.