DETROIT-Ford applauded action by the Michigan state legislature to approve tax incentives designed to land a 1,000-job battery assembly plant. Expected to cost $300 million to $500 million, the new plant is part of Ford’s strategy to centralize production of lithium ion batteries for hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and electric vehicles. MORE
RALEIGH, NC-Appliance manufacturer Electrolux, which operates a manufacturing plant in Kinston, NC, is moving its North American headquarters to Charlotte and will create more than 700 new jobs. MORE
PORTLAND, OR-GE has signed a $1.4 billion contract with power producer Caithness Energy to supply wind turbines and services for an 845-megawatt Oregon wind farm at Shepherds Flat, near Arlington, OR, on the Columbia River. MORE
ALLENTOWN, PA-It’s been more than a year since Mack Trucks decided to shift its headquarters out of Allentown. But Mack’s Lower Macungie plant is staying put and prospering. Click here to see a local TV reporter’s tour of the line.
TORONTO-Canada’s index of leading economic indicators rose almost twice as fast as economists predicted in November, led by gains in housing and manufacturing. MORE
ELBA, AL-A Korean parts company gave the city of Elba a huge Christmas present Tuesday. INZI Controls will open its manufacturing facility in a vacant factory building here. The company plans to hire 200 new employees. MORE
EVERETT, WA-Boeing’s new 787 jetliner finally took to the skies this morning, more than two years later than the company had planned. Pilots Michael Carriker and Randall Neville lifted off at about 10:30 a.m. PT from Everett’s Paine Field on a four-hour flight over Washington state to perform a variety of basic tests and systems checks before landing at Seattle’s Boeing Field. MORE
FREDERICK, CO-UQM Technologies Inc., a developer of alternative energy technologies, has acquired a 129,304-square-foot facility on a 30-acre site in Longmont, CO, to support expected growth in manufacturing operations. UQM assembles power-dense, high-efficiency electric motors, generators and controllers. MORE
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