TEMPE, AZ—U.S. manufacturing and services firms expect to see rising revenues and profits next year, amid a stronger economy and only modest increases in costs, according to the Institute of Supply Management. The ISM semiannual economic forecast also showed that companies expect a small increase in employment across both sectors, after a contraction in 2016.
MOLINE, IL—Deere & Co. will pay a former employee $275,000 under the terms of a settlement agreement that resolves a lawsuit filed in 2015 under the anti-retaliation provision of the Occupational Safety and Health Act. The suit alleged the worker was fired from Deere’s assembly plant here in June 2012 after reporting unsafe working conditions and then filing a complaint with OSHA after the manufacturer failed to correct one of the unsafe conditions.
BUFFALO, NY—Panasonic Corp. expects to invest more than $260 million in an assembly plant here to make photovoltaic cells and modules for Tesla Motors Inc.
WICHITA, KS—Spirit AeroSystems is spending $20 million to expand its manufacturing facility here, which makes composite subassemblies for the Boeing 787.
SPARTANBURG, SC—Automotive supplier Magna International will build a new, $29 million, 230,000-square-foot assembly plant here to make seats for BMW. Scheduled to open in June 2017, the facility is expected to employ 480 people in the next four years.
MENOMONIE, WI—Drug device manufacturer Phillips-Medisize plans to open a new 80,000-square-foot assembly plant here. Expected to create 100 jobs, the factory will assemble high-volume, pre-filled, drug delivery systems.
WICHITA, KS—CNH Industrial’s assembly plant here has received a silver level world-class manufacturing certification. The 495,000-square-foot assembly plant produces skid-steer loaders and compact track loaders.