ZURICH--ABB is reorganizing part of its global Power Grids operations as the Swiss engineering group responds to the division's sluggish profitability and falling orders. ABB said on Monday that it will restructure operations in North America, halting production at its factory in St. Louis and investing in its sites in South Boston and Crystal Springs, MS, as well as expanding its medium and large transformer factory in Varennes, Canada.
WASHINGTON--Automakers are scrambling to defend the electric vehicle tax credit after House Republicans last week proposed eliminating it to help pay for their broader package of tax cuts.Lobbyists here quickly huddled to figure out how to save the tax credit, which the industry views as critical to promoting commercial adoption of electric vehicle technology.
NEW YORK--China Investment Corp., China's richest sovereign wealth fund, is teaming up with Goldman Sachs to invest at least $5 billion in mostly U.S. manufacturing, a person familiar with the matter told CNNMoney. China Investment asked Goldman Sachs to partner with it on the private-equity fund, which will deploy money into manufacturing, industrial, consumer, healthcare and other U.S. businesses.
NEW YORK--Boeing Co. is fixing production problems with its 777 wide-body jetliner, but has not stopped production and does not expect the snags to delay deliveries to airlines, it said on Monday. The Chicago-based aerospace and defense company said it had given workers more time to catch up on "behind-work" on the 777 assembly line in its massive factory in Everett, WA.
DALLAS--The Dallas Federal Reserve said Monday that the Texas Manufacturing Outlook Survey, a gauge of regional factory activity, rose 6 points in October to 25.6. That’s the highest reading since April 2006 and far stronger than the 21.3 median forecast.
MUNICH--Automotive materials and parts supplier Toray Industries has announced that it will be open the Automotive Center Europe here to focus on the emerging environmentally friendly vehicle sector. Expected to open next summer, the center will consist of a laboratory block paired with an office block and showroom.
WINSTON-SALEM, NC--Forsyth Technical Community College this month opened its new Center for Advanced Manufacturing here as part of a larger mission to help students land jobs with major manufacturers.The facility includes an additive manufacturing lab with six state-of-the-art 3D printers, as well as dedicated areas for students to learn about design, machining and robotics.
WASHINGTON-–The Department of Homeland Security and Federal Bureau of Investigation warned in a report distributed by email last week that critical manufacturing, nuclear, energy, aviation and water industries have been targeted, along with government entities, in attacks dating back to at least May. The agencies warned that hackers had succeeded in compromising some targeted networks, but did not identify specific victims or describe any cases of sabotage.
MISSION, TX-—Officials with tool maker Black & Decker have signed a lease to locate a manufacturing facility here that will create as many as 420 jobs, according to several sources familiar with the decision. The company signed a lease on a 270,000-square-foot facility that will be located at an industrial park.
PALO ALTO, CA--Electric car maker Tesla Inc. reaffirmed this week that it is talking with the Shanghai municipal government to set up a factory in the region and expects to agree on a plan by the end of the year. However, the company declined to comment on a report that a deal has been reached.