LOUISVILLE, KY—Ford Motor Co. is investing $900 million to upgrade its Kentucky Truck Plant to build all-new Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. This investment is in addition to a $1.3 billion investment the auto maker announced in late 2015.
ESSEX JUNCTION, VT—Production was temporarily halted at GlobalFoundries’ microchip factory here after a computer virus was uploaded to some manufacturing tools.
HUNSTVILLE, AL——Blue Origin will invest $200 million to build a new factory here to make rocket engines. The facility is expected to employ 342 people.
TOKYO--Shattered by recall costs and lawsuits, Japanese air bag maker Takata Corp. filed Monday for bankruptcy protection in Tokyo and the U.S., saying it was the only way it could keep on supplying replacements for faulty air bag inflators linked to the deaths of at least 16 people.
PARIS--GE Additive announced here last week during the Paris Air Show that it is developing the world’s largest laser-powered 3D printer that prints parts from metal powder. GE Additive is a new GE business dedicated to supplying 3D printers.
MUNCIE, IN--Manufacturing jobs might be disappearing because of automation, but manufacturing productivity is actually up in this state and the nation, according to a new study from Ball State University.
SPARKS, NV--Three years ago, Tesla began construction of its Gigafactory here. This past weekend, the facility began battery production. By the end of 2018, it is expected to produce enough batteries for 500,000 cars, primarily the company's Model 3.
HARTFORD, CT—United Technologies Corp. is planning to build a $75 million “Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence” and a $40 million Engine Compressor Research Facility.
MCKINNEY, TX—Truck manufacturer PACCAR is planning to build a new assembly plant here. The project represents a capital investment of more than $20 million and is expected to create 200 local jobs.
FORT MILL, SC—Schaeffler Group USA Inc., a manufacturer of precision components for the industrial and automotive sectors, has opened its expanded assembly plant and new administrative building here. The project is expected to result in more than 100 jobs.