WYOMING, MN—Polaris Industries has begun construction of a product development center here. The new facility will offer large work bays for off-road vehicles, conference and display space, a new electrical lab, and a new electromagnetic interference lab.
GREENVILLE, SC—Automotive parts and components manufacturer Drive Automotive Industries of America is planning to invest $50 to expand its assembly plant here. The expansion will create 60 new jobs.
Ford Motor Co. is investing $100 million globally to install robotic laser inspection technology to improve fit and finish quality at its assembly plants.
DETROIT—Where once robots whirred and presses thumped, the sound of prayers will be heard when a shuttered American Axle assembly plant here is converted into a mosque.
DETROIT—Next to the wheel, it’s one automotive component that dates back to the horse-drawn carriage era, and it’s about to go the way of the buggy whip. The front bench seat, once a fixture among large American cars, will be headed for oblivion when the final 2013 Chevrolet Impala rolls off the assembly line in the coming months.
In September, the Obama administration filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO) accusing China of illegally subsidizing exports of auto parts.