EAST SETAUKET, NY—To support burgeoning growth in the U.S. market, collaborative robots manufacturer Universal Robots is opening three new offices in the United States: Ann Arbor, MI; Irvine, CA; and Dallas.

CLEVELAND—Ford plans to invest $145 million to upgrade its engine assembly plant here so it can build the next-generation, 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine and expand the lineup of cars and trucks that are offered with the popular engine.

WASHINGTON—Orders for big-ticket goods surged in January. The Commerce Department said Thursday that new orders of durable goods increased 4.9 percent last month, topping the median estimate of 2.9 percent that economists had been expecting.

MOBILE, AL—Workers at Airbus’ assembly plant here hit an important milestone last week as the first aircraft ever assembled at the site, an A321ceo destined for JetBlue, has rolled out and it is ready to receive its paint job prior to delivery.

SINDELFINGEN, Germany—With customization key to wooing modern consumers, flexible and adaptable human workers are reclaiming space from robots at the Mercedes assembly plant here.

THE HAGUE, Netherlands—Researchers here have developed a unique assembly line that combines robotic pick-and-place technology with additive manufacturing.

AVE MARIA, FL—Medical device manufacturer Arthrex is expanding its assembly plant here and adding 350 jobs.

SPRING HILL, TN—GM will invest $148 million in its engine assembly plant here. The investment is aimed at modifying machinery and assembly equipment to produce V8 engines.

AUGUSTA, GA—Textron Specialized Vehicles, the company behind E-Z-GO golf carts, plans to build a new assembly plant here and add up to 400 jobs. The $40 million facility will be built on a 238-acre site near the’ existing Augusta plant.

FINDLAY, OH—Whirlpool Corp. will add about 50 jobs in a $40.6 million, 86,400-square-foot expansion of its dishwasher assembly plant here.