SAN JOSE, CA-Two people were hospitalized after a small magnesium fire at a San Jose manufacturing facility. The fire at contract assembler Tobar Industries began when aluminum and steel particles from a grinder mixed in a ventilation tube and created potentially toxic smoke. MORE
OSLO, Norway-Norwegian electric car maker Think aims to open a manufacturing plant in the United States to produce 16,000 cars per year in the first phase and more later. The company is in talks with eight states, including Michigan, on a site for the facility, which could initially employ some 300 workers. MORE
AVON LAKE, OH-Ford’s Assembly Plant here has been tapped to supply a fleet of 8,000 Econoline vans for AT&T Inc., which plans to convert them to run on natural gas instead of gasoline. AT&T will spend some $350 million for the vehicles, which will be delivered over the next five years. MORE
MILWAUKEE-A group of elected officials and business leaders is trying to entice battery manufacturer Boston-Power Inc. to open an assembly plant here. Milwaukee Alderman Tony Zielinski has introduced a resolution to have the Milwaukee appropriate $1 million to $20 million for a factory for Boston-Power, which manufactures lithium-ion batteries for laptop computers, personal digital assistants, mobile telephones and other portable devices. MORE
NEW DEHLI-India posted its first back-to-back decline in industrial production in 16 years, suggesting tax cuts and lower interest rates have yet to resuscitate demand in an economy faced with the worst slowdown since 2003. MORE
TROY, MI-Heller Machine Tools has announced a major order from Paccar for a flexible machining system to produce that company’s first U.S.-made large diesel engine. The turnkey system, to be installed at Paccar’s new engine plant in Mississippi, will include more than 40 computer-controlled machining centers, part handling automation, wash, deburr, and pre-assembly equipment. MORE
NEWBURGH, NY-An explosion at a manufacturing facility here Wednesday afternoon injured an assembler. The worker was apparently mixing chemicals at Living Skin, a company that makes prosthetic limbs, when a chemical reaction caused an explosion. MORE
OTTAWA-Chrysler Canada is threatening to close all its manufacturing plants unless it can reduce labor costs, resolve a tax dispute with the Canadian Revenue Agency, and get a $2.3-billion loan from the government. MORE
FORT SMITH, AR-A new assembly line is coming to the Rheem factory here, but it’s too early to tell if any additional jobs will be coming with it. Earlier this month Rheem announced it will close a Georgia plant. MORE
BRASELTON, FL-Braselton has emerged as one of the finalists for an automotive assembly plant for specialized police cars. Carbon Motors has announced that Braselton is among seven cities in five states that have been asked to submit formal proposals for the plant, which is estimated to have an economic impact of $3 billion over 10 years. MORE
RSS