WASHINGTON—Orders to U.S. factories for big-ticket manufactured goods posted a sizable gain in June, but the advance was fueled by higher demand for commercial aircraft. Outside of this volatile category, a key category that represents business investment rose by a far more modest amount.

TOKYO—Mitsubishi Motors Corp. will shut its only North American assembly plant, in Normal, IL, by November if it can’t find a buyer for the factory, and will soon start shipping tooling back to Japan.

AUBURN, AL—German auto parts maker Schmidt Maschinenbau GmbH is building its first U.S. assembly here. The $17 million factory is expected to begin production next year.

ORANGE COUNTY, VA—Aerojet Rocketdyne will invest $11 million to expand its manufacturing operation here. The expansion is anticipated to create 100 new jobs.

CHICAGO—The rise of the U.S. dollar against the euro and other world currencies over the past year has reduced the cost-competitiveness of U.S. manufacturing compared with economies such as Germany, France, Japan, Australia and Brazil. However, the U.S. still maintains a significant cost advantage over these economies, and therefore manufacturers are unlikely to shift production to other nations, according to The Boston Consulting Group.

INDIANAPOLIS—Manufacturing employment increased in Indiana for a fourth straight year, according to data compiled by Manufacturers’ News Inc. Indiana manufacturers added 7,447 jobs from April 2014 to April 2015.

DETROIT—Ford Motor Co. will build the new Lincoln Continental sedan at its Flat Rock assembly plant here. The 28-year-old factory currently builds the Ford Mustang and the Ford Fusion.

EVERETT, WA—Less than 6 months after Boeing broke ground for its $1 billion Composite Wing Center here, the skeleton and super-structure are rising at an impressive pace.

WASHINGTON—The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers this week opened an organizing office in Mobile, AL, to provide support for Airbus workers interested in forming a union at the company’s soon-to-be-completed final assembly line.

DETROIT—With stable auto production and flat factory employment predicted through 2018, the UAW is expected to press for higher wages in contract talks with the Detroit Three. Jobs and future product commitments will be secondary considerations.