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Ultium Cells, the joint venture between General Motors and LG Energy Solution, announced plans to retool its Spring Hill, Tenn. facility to manufacture prismatic lithium manganese-rich (LMR) battery cells for future GM electric vehicles. The companies anticipate construction and upgrades will begin this year, with completion scheduled for 2028. The project also intends to create 500 jobs.Ultium...

On Friday afternoon, a massive industrial fire erupted at the East Jordan Plastics Factory in South Haven, Michigan. The blaze started at 3:47 pm and firefighters remained on the scene until the site was finally cleared around 6:00 am Saturday. A giant column of smoke could be seen for more than 40 miles, and at least 16 different fire departments used about 2 million gallons of water to contain...

Welcome to another episode of Gen Z in Manufacturing, a podcast that asks young people about their journeys in manufacturing, how they intend to influence the industry and what they are looking for from an employer.For this episode, I welcome Nick Knotts, a 25-year-old graduate research assistant for Advanced Steel Processing and Products Research Center at the Colorado School of Mines.Knotts...

A recent situation at a Purina plant in Flagstaff, Arizona resulted in a visit from the local Fire Department.Responders were called to an active chemical leak at the plant, which produces hundreds of thousands of tons of dog food annually for brands like Alpo, Beneful and Pro Plan.According to reports, the factory team came upon a chemical spill of approximately 10 gallons and evacuated its...

The new facility will consolidate its current locations in Iowa and California.A century-old Iowa honey producer has broken ground on what it says will eventually be the largest honey bottling plant in the world.The Sioux Honey Association Co-op held a ceremony Tuesday to officially start construction on a 440,000-square-foot facility in Sioux City. The $130 million project, KTIV-TV reported,...

The Lego Group today announced a massive $400 million expansion in Monterrey, Mexico. The project will add 62,000 square meters, increase total production capacity by 35% and create additional packing and warehousing capacity. It will also add 1,300 jobs by 2029. The facility currently has some 7,300 employees.The Lego Group has continued to expand its Monterrey factory since it opened in 2008....

A West London man was sentenced to three and a half years in prison after police uncovered an “underground vinyl manufacturing plant operating on an industrial scale.” According to officials, the facility generated more than $3.5 million by producing and distributing thousands of counterfeit vinyl records across the UK.The City of London Police estimate the underground plant, led by 40-year-old...

Hanwha Defense USA, a subsidiary of South Korean Hanwha Aerospace, yesterday announced plans to build a $2.2 billion advanced manufacturing campus in Arkansas.The investment is expected to create some 400 jobs at an average wage of $50 per hour at U.S. Army Pine Bluff Arsenal (PBA) over the next seven years.Hanwha Defense’s new facility at the military manufacturing installation will focus on the...

The projects will include expanded or new sites across production, distribution and administration.The Coca-Cola Company plans to invest some $10 billion dollars across its U.S. operations over the next five years, company officials said this week.The Atlanta-based beverage giant said that the projects would include new sites or expanded locations across its production, distribution and office...

Welcome to another episode of Gen Z in Manufacturing, a podcast that asks young people about their journeys in manufacturing, how they intend to influence the industry and what they are looking for from an employer. For this episode, I welcome Bahir Usanmaz, a 26-year-old AI software engineer for Nordson Test & Inspection, a manufacturer of metrology and inspection systems and sensors for a...