BERLIN--Volkswagen is about to end production of the Beetle—better known to many drivers as "the Bug." VW initially ended production in 2003, but brought the car back in 2011. Volkswagen officials say production won’t be restarted anytime soon.

SWINDON, UK--Honda’s car assembly plant here produces the Civic Type-R and every Honda Civic Hatchback imported to the U.S. Watch the Honda Civic Type-R be assembled in this real-time video.

WARREN, MI--Equipment supplier and systems integrator Eckhart Inc. is opening a 47,000-square-foot tech center here with an expansion plan that includes employing 170 or more workers in the next two years. The company plans to use the new facility to engineer and assemble the next generation of Autocraft autonomous guided carts, as well as operate a 3-D printing lab there.

WASHINGTON--According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. manufacturers added 31,000 workers in February, and the manufacturing sector has increased employment by 264,264 workers since the end of 2016. Current manufacturing employment is 12.61 million employees, which is the highest level since December 2008.

ASHEVILLE, NC--GE Aviation is set to invest around $105 million in its ceramic matrix composite (CMC) components manufacturing plant here to meet growing product demand.

BEIJING--China will expand its smart manufacturing strategy by adding about 100 new pilot demonstration projects in 2018, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

CAMILLUS, NY--Sonostics Inc., a Binghamton University spinoff, may bring the manufacturing of its HeartPartner foot-vibrating device from China to Central New York as sales grow over the next 3 years, according to Executive Vice President Kyle Washington. The move would bring up to 135 jobs to the area.

MOSCOW--The Russian government will expand benefits for global automakers who assemble cars at local plants, as a way to double the number of cars exported from the country by next year.

LAFAYETTE, IN--Production of LEAP engines at the GE Aviation factory here will approximately double, to more than 1,000 this year, and the rate is slated to grow to 2,000 engines a year by 2020. Employment is on track to reach 230 by 2019, from the current 130.

SINDELFINGEN, Germany--Mercedes-Benz Cars layed the cornerstone for its new assembly plant here, called Factory 56, which the company heralds as the world’s most modern car production plant. The plant will commence production of upper and luxury class cars and electric vehicles in 2020.