Expansion News
Airbus Expanding Plant, Workforce In Kansas
April 15, 2013 10:47 am | News | CommentsAirbus Americas Engineering says it is planning to expand into a third space in downtown Wichita. The company announced Monday it has already hired more people than had been expected after its last expansion. The firm's vice president of engineering, John O'Leary, says it has hired 150 people, more than the 100 it had planned to hire when it expanded in 2012.
Advanced Manufacturing: GE’s Response To Full Employment
April 12, 2013 11:47 am | by Tom Kadala, Founder and CEO of Alternative Technology Corporation | Blogs | CommentsWithout a ready inventory of workers to support a competitive manufacturing base, America’s future will always be vulnerable to outside economic threats. History reminds us of our true potential, when in 1945, 50 percent of the products produced in the world were "Made in USA." Today that number has trended down to 22 percent.
MAPI Survey: Index Shows Slight Advance In March
April 12, 2013 9:39 am | by Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation | News | CommentsThe survey’s composite index is a leading indicator for the manufacturing sector. The March 2013 composite index advanced to 56 from 55 in the December 2012 survey. That breaks a string of 10 consecutive quarterly declines. The index remains above the threshold of 50 for the 14th straight quarter, the dividing line that separates contraction and expansion.
Bristol-Myers Squibb Plans Major Mass. Expansion
April 12, 2013 8:00 am | News | CommentsDrug maker Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. has announced a $250 million expansion of its central Massachusetts manufacturing complex that will eventually employ an additional 350 workers. The expansion announced Thursday will add space for developing biotechnology drugs, called biologics, and for manufacturing those products for clinical trials.
Early April M&A: Fasteners And Big Brazilian Moves
April 11, 2013 9:30 am | News | CommentsThe following represent some major or interesting mergers and acquisition (M&A) activity during late March and early April, with news from Klein Tools buying its way into Brazil, Elgin Fastener Group purchasing a Las Vegas-based manufacturer of fasteners and more.
ITIF: Budget Enhances Innovation And American Competitiveness
April 10, 2013 5:20 pm | News | CommentsThe Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) praised President Barack Obama for focusing on long term investments in research, development and innovation in his annual budget message to Congress. The budget proposal includes a $1 billion appropriation for the creation of the National Network for Manufacturing Innovation.
Adrian Steel Expands Automotive Parts Manufacturing To Kansas City
April 10, 2013 9:29 am | by Joel Hans, Managing Editor, Manufacturing.net | News | CommentsThe Kansas City Area Development Council announced today that Adrian Steel is expanding into Kansas City to supply parts for Ford automobiles with a new 32,000 square-foot facility. The Adrian, Mich.-based company plants on leasing 11 acres of land within the Hunt Midwest Business Center with an investment of $4.7 million.
Boeing Planning $1B Expansion In South Carolina
April 10, 2013 8:28 am | by Bruce Smith, Associated Press | News | CommentsBoeing Co. is expanding in South Carolina and will invest another $1 billion, creating 2,000 new jobs during the next eight years, the aerospace giant announced Tuesday. Company spokeswoman Candy Eslinger said the company that operates a 787 assembly plant in North Charleston will expand its operations.
ISM: Manufacturing Dips, Remains In Positive Territory
April 2, 2013 5:03 pm | by Jon Minnick, Associate Editor, Manufacturing Business Technology | News | Comments“The drop in the PMI expansion is a normal variation,” says Bradley J. Holcomb, CPSM, CPSD, chair of the Institute for Supply Management Business Survey Committee. “If you look at the first three months of 2013 combined, we’re on a very good track. This is perhaps a little bit of a pause."
Lilly To Spend $260M On Indianapolis Expansion
April 2, 2013 12:03 pm | News | CommentsThe drugmaker also plans to spend about $80 million on some other projects, including a product inspection center. A company spokesman said the city's metropolitan development commission must approve tax abatements before construction can start.
ISM: U.S. Manufacturing Grew More Slowly In March
April 1, 2013 11:01 am | by Paul Wiseman, AP Economics Writer | News | CommentsA survey shows U.S. manufacturing activity expanded more slowly in March than February, held back by weaker growth in production and new orders. The one bright sign in the report was that factories hired at a faster pace. The Institute for Supply Management says its index of factory activity slipped to 51.3 percent.
Louisville Slugger Rolls Out New Logo, Harder Bats
April 1, 2013 9:14 am | by Brett Barrouquere, Associated Press | News | CommentsThe 129-year-old manufacturer hopes the harder bat, which is less likely to splinter, and more modern logo will help the family-owned company stay relevant in the sporting good supply market and ahead of competitors in luring younger ballplayers to its products.
China's Manufacturing Growth Improves In March
April 1, 2013 9:10 am | News | CommentsChina's economic growth rebounded to 7.9 percent in the final quarter of last year following its deepest slowdown since the 2008 global crisis. But analysts warn the recovery will be weak and gradual, and growth could be vulnerable if trade or investment weakens.
Koch Foods Expansion To Create 750 Jobs In Georgia
March 29, 2013 8:35 am | News | CommentsA food processing and distribution company is planning to expand a plant in western Georgia and looks to create 750 new jobs. Gov. Nathan Deal Thursday announced Koch Foods is planning to expand its plant in Hamilton — about 25 miles northeast of Columbus.
Fighting To Reclaim Manufacturing In America
March 19, 2013 12:40 pm | by Kristopher Settle, Energy Curtailment Specialists | Blogs | CommentsThe bleeding was stopped nearly three years ago, as manufacturing jobs have been slowly increasing since then. In fact, over 14,000 manufacturing jobs were added in February alone and a total of around 500,000 have been generated since 2010.
Lego Plans First China Factory As Asian Sales Leap
March 19, 2013 9:15 am | News | CommentsThe Danish maker of colorful plastic building blocks for children said it's investing at least $130 million in the new plant, which will be fully operational by 2017. The factory will be located in Jiaxing, 67 miles southwest of Shanghai.
MAPI: Slower Activity In 2013 To Precede Pickup in 2014
March 14, 2013 12:19 pm | by Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation | News | CommentsMAPI forecasts that industrial production will increase 2.2 percent in 2013, an increase from 2.0 percent in the December 2012 forecast. A further pickup is likely in 2014, with growth anticipated to be 3.6 percent, above the 3.2 percent in the previous report.
UGN, Inc. Expands Global Production Into Mexico
March 13, 2013 11:21 am | News | CommentsUGN has six manufacturing facilities across the United States producing superior acoustic, interior trim, and thermal management products for North American and Japanese automotive manufacturers, and no U.S. jobs will be lost because of the recent expansion.
GM Breaks Ground On Additions To KCK Plant
March 13, 2013 10:18 am | News | CommentsGeneral Motors has begun building a new paint shop at its Fairfax assembly plant in Kansas City, Kan. The automaker says in a release that construction began Tuesday on the 450,000-square-foot paint shop, which is part of a $600 million investment in the plant. Construction is expected to take about two years.
Hypertherm Opens N.H. Advanced Manufacturing Plant, Adds 500 Jobs
March 12, 2013 3:09 pm | News | Comments“I want more New Hampshire businesses to have the kind of success that Hypertherm has had in entering new markets in order to make New Hampshire a leader in selling our services and goods around the world,” New Hampshire Governor Maggie Hassan said.
Black & Denim: Aiming To Revive American Textiles
March 11, 2013 10:52 am | by Joel Hans, Managing Editor, Manfuacturing.net | Articles | CommentsBlack & Denim, based out of Tampa, Florida, is working its way into what has long been deemed a dead American industry — apparel — through a uniquely 21st Century business plan.
Survey: Small and Midsized Manufacturers Project Strong Revenues for 2013
March 7, 2013 12:14 pm | News | CommentsMost small and midsized manufacturers expect to beat strong revenues of 2012, with 68 percent of respondents anticipating an increase in sales in 2013. New product launches are the main reason for expected revenue increases, cited by 61 percent, followed by an expected increase in overall customer demand, cited by 57 percent.
Stopping Rampant Intellectual Property Theft With NAJI
March 7, 2013 9:00 am | by Joel Hans, Managing Editor, Manufacturing.net | Articles | CommentsAccording to Drew Greenblatt, President of Marlin Steel, IP theft — both in terms of software piracy and blatant theft of his engineers’ hard work — is directly hurting his business. And he, along with NAJI, wants the American public to be outraged, and to force their government to fight for equality around the globe.
Thailand Manufacturing Investments Accelerate In 2013
March 6, 2013 11:32 am | by Joel Hans, Managing Editor, Manufacturing.net | News | CommentsPerhaps the largest new investment in Thailand for 2013 is a new Honda assembly plant worth 17.15 billion Baht ($570 million). The company says the new plant is necessary to keep up with demand for small cars in both the domestic and international markets, and is expected to begin production in April 2015.
ISM: Manufacturing Continues Its Positive Start To 2013
March 5, 2013 9:51 am | by Jon Minnick, Associate Editor, Manufacturing Business Technology | News | CommentsThe PMI indicated expansion in manufacturing for the third consecutive month. This month’s reading reflects the highest PMI since June 2011, when the index registered 55.8 percent. The New Orders Index registered 57.8 percent, an increase of 4.5 percent over January’s reading of 53.3 percent, indicating growth in new orders for the second consecutive month.
