DETROIT—A protracted labor dispute that slowed the shipment of products through ports on the West Coast has forced some West Michigan manufacturers to rethink their just-in-time production model.
AUBURN HILLS, MI—ABB will begin manufacturing robots in the United States, making it the first global industrial robotics company to do so. The company made the announcement at the opening of a new robotics factory here. Approximately 300 new jobs will be added to the facility by 2017.
DETROIT—Manufacturing employment increased in Michigan for a fourth straight year. Michigan manufacturers added 14,089 jobs from February 2014 to February 2015, an increase of 2.1 percent. Industrial employment in Michigan has climbed 8.3 percent since February 2011, recovering 40 percent of jobs lost during the recession.
DETROIT—General Motors has confirmed plans to invest $5.4 billion at its U.S. assembly plants over the next three years to strengthen its production capabilities and enhance product quality.
MIDLAND, MI—XALT Energy LLC has signed a $1 billion multiyear deal to supply lithium batteries to a Chinese electric bus manufacturer. The battery manufacturer is expected to hire 300 people as a result of the order.
REDFORD TOWNSHIP, MI—Detroit Diesel Corp. plans to invest $208 million to add new equipment for a new diesel engine assembly line, creating an anticipated 245 jobs.