RACINE, WI—Claiming it can compete globally from its manufacturing base in southeastern Wisconsin, where it invented the first garbage disposal 90 years ago, InSinkErator has announced a $63 million raft of new investments that include new headquarters and research labs.
WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump signed an executive order April 29 establishing a new White House Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy (OTMP). The mission of the OTMP is to defend and serve American workers and domestic manufacturers while advising the president on policies to increase economic growth, decrease the trade deficit, and strengthen the U.S. manufacturing and defense industrial bases.
VALENCIA, Venezuela—General Motors could be making an effort to return to Venezuela after announcing it was shuttering operations following a court-ordered seizure of its assembly plant here. The factory was confiscated last week, along with GM’s bank accounts and other assets, as anti-government protesters clashed with security forces and pro-government groups—a surprise decision that drew the U.S. into the country’s increasing political turmoil.
DETROIT—Automotive supplier Flex-N-Gate has begun construction of a new $95 million assembly plant here. The 350,000-square-foot facility is expected to open about a year from now.
DEARBORN, MI—Facebook’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg stopped by Ford Motor Co.’s River Rouge assembly plant here last week as part of initiative to discover how people are living, working and thinking about the future.
GREENFIELD, IN—BeijingWest Industries Co. Ltd., which manufactures automotive brake and suspension systems, will locate its first U.S. assembly plant here, creating up to 441 new jobs by 2021. The company will invest more than $80 million to build and equip the facility.
ALGONAC, MI—Autocraft will supply American Honda Motor Co. with autonomous guided carts for material delivery at the automaker’s assembly plant in Marysville, OH.
MORGANTON, NC—Continental is investing more than $40 million to expand its brake systems assembly plant here. The expansion is set to be completed in early 2018.
WASHINGTON, DC--U.S. manufacturers' output fell 0.4 percent in March, led by a large step-down in the production of motor vehicles and parts, the Federal Reserve announced last week. Factory output aside from motor vehicles and parts moved down 0.2 percent. For the first quarter as a whole, industrial production rose at an annual rate of 1.5 percent.