MOBILE, AL—Continental Motors Group Ltd. has broken ground on a nearly 275,000-square-foot engine and parts manufacturing facility at the Brookley Aeroplex here. The factory will include new equipment and an area dedicated to new manufacturing techniques and processes such as additive manufacturing and automation.
BOSTON—General Electric Co. has agreed to sell its industrial gas-engine business to Advent International for $3.25 billion, according to Bloomberg.com. CEO John Flannery said Monday that the private-equity firm will acquire GE’s Jenbacher and Waukesha engine brands and manufacturing sites in Austria, the U.S. and Canada.
TONAWANDA, NY—General Motors' Tonawanda Engine plant has been chosen to produce next-generation engines for the Chevrolet Silverado, the company's flagship product. GM unveiled updates Monday to its 2019 Silverado 1500, which will be sold in the fall. The truck features updated versions of the 5.3-liter and 6.2-liter gasoline V8 engines.
HUNTSVILLE, AL—GE Aviation is expected to begin production later this year at a new factory here to mass-produce certain lightweight, heat-resistant materials for parts designed to enhance jet engine performance and fuel economy, according to the company.
LAFAYETTE, IN--Production of LEAP engines at the GE Aviation factory here will approximately double, to more than 1,000 this year, and the rate is slated to grow to 2,000 engines a year by 2020. Employment is on track to reach 230 by 2019, from the current 130.
In manufacturing, the latest innovations in equipment, processes and materials often get tested first by automotive OEMs or Tier 1 suppliers. A good example of this is the Polimotor, an all-plastic engine that inventor Matti Holtzberg has worked on for nearly 40 years.
HUNSTVILLE, AL——Blue Origin will invest $200 million to build a new factory here to make rocket engines. The facility is expected to employ 342 people.
General Electric Co. is a leading supplier of jet and turboprop engines, avionics, and electrical power and mechanical systems. Its products are used in a wide variety of commercial, military, business and general aviation aircraft.
BEIJING—China’s first domestic manufacturer of jet engines, Aero Engine Corp. of China, has officially opened for business. The multibillion dollar conglomerate will employ some 100,000 people and incorporate subsidiaries of various state-owned firms, including the Aviation Industrial Corp. of China.
AUBURN HILLS, MI—FEV North America Inc., an engineering firm specializing in the design of gasoline, diesel and alternative engines, will construct a new, $27.4 million headquarters and tech center here. The project is expected to create 246 jobs.
