CLOVIS, NM-A Texas-based wind energy company has chosen Clovis for its venture into wind farm operation and turbine manufacturing. Vert-I-Go expects the plant to produce 60 jobs by 2013. MORE
AIKEN COUNTY, SC-MTU Detroit Diesel Inc. is planning to establish a new assembly plant here that could bring 250 jobs. It would be a $45 million investment here. MORE
DETROIT-General Motors Co. will become the first major U.S. automaker to design and manufacture electric motors for use in its line of hybrids and electric vehicles. The automaker currently relies on suppliers. By in-sourcing, GM claims it will “lower costs and improve performance, quality, reliability and manufacturability of electric motors by controlling design, materials selection and production processes.” MORE
CHICAGO-Ford Motor Co. plans to add 1,200 jobs at its Chicago Assembly Plant. The facility, located on the South Side of the city, is the automaker’s oldest plant. Ford plans to build its next-generation Explorer sport utility vehicle at the 86-year-old plant, which currently assembles the Ford Taurus and Lincoln MKS. MORE
TORONTO-Samsung C&T and Korea Electric Power Corp. plan to build a series of wind and solar power “clusters” in Ontario over the next 20 years. The $7 billion deal includes the creation of local plants to provide key components, such as blades, wind towers, solar modules and inverters. The controversial project is expected to generate more than 16,000 green energy jobs within the province. MORE
CLINTON, TN-Confluence Solar Inc. is building a 200,000-square-foot plant near Knoxville. The $200 million facility will make silicon ingots for use in solar cells. Several other manufacturers are already located in the area, making Tennessee a hotbed for solar panel manufacturing. MORE
PALMELA, PORTUGAL-Technology that was originally developed to dock spacecraft is now being applied on the assembly line at Volkswagen’s Autoeuropa factory. Operators use advanced vision systems and object recognition software to improve the way that dashboards are installed in cars such as the Eos and the Scirocco. MORE
HAWTHORNE, CA-The Boeing 747 ushered in a new way of air travel 40 years ago. Since then, more than 1,400 super jumbos have rolled off the assembly line. Some components, such as fuselage panels, are still assembled in southern California and shipped via railcar to Boeing’s plant in Everett, WA. MORE
DETROIT-Automotive assembly lines in the U.S. will begin humming again in 2010, as automakers start mass-producing a wide variety of small cars, crossovers and pickup trucks. Many companies are hiring engineers and assemblers to meet growing consumer demand. MORE
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