INDIANAPOLIS—Arcamed Inc. has leased a 15,000-square-foot building here to assemble titanium and stainless steel case-tray systems for surgical instruments. The company plans to hire 71 people and is investing $1.4 million in equipment to begin production.
WEIRTON, WV—Pietro Fiorentini USA, a manufacturer of oil and gas control systems, plans to open a $9 million assembly plant here. The plant could employ 150 when fully operational.
WASHINGTON—Production workers averaged 41.9 hours a week in February, according to the Labor Department. That tied December 1997 and January 1998 for the highest average since May 1944.
WASHINGTON—A burst of hiring last month added 236,000 U.S. jobs and reduced the unemployment rate to 7.7 percent from 7.9 percent in January. The unemployment rate is at its lowest level in four years. Job growth has averaged more than 200,000 a month since November.
BROOKLYN, NY—MakerBot, a manufacturer of desktop 3D printers, will hold a job fair here March 15 to fill more than 50 job openings, including at least 10 engineering and production positions.
For example, according to the Precision Metalforming Association, 69 percent of U.S. metalworking companies have job openings. However, 91 percent of those companies are experiencing challenges finding qualified employees, and 42 percent describe that difficulty as “severe.”
TIPTON, IN—Chrysler is investing $162 million at its assembly plant here to produce nine-speed automatic transmissions for front-wheel-drive vehicles. The project is expected to create 850 jobs.
ASHEVILLE, NC—President Barack Obama visited a truck parts assembly plant here to highlight the role of U.S. manufacturing in reviving the economy, and to follow up on his State of the Union message of strengthening the middle class.
WASHINGTON—Women could help manufacturers fill their need for skill workers, but companies will need to improve the image of the industry as a female-friendly workplace.