Coal-Based Steelmaking Outpaces the Industry’s Low-Emissions Transition
Global steelmakers are adding 319 million tonnes per year of new coal‑based blast‑furnace capacity, a 5 % rise that outpaces the modest growth of low‑emission electric‑arc furnace (EAF) and direct‑reduced iron (DRI) projects. Blast furnaces still account for roughly two‑thirds of worldwide steelmaking capacity, while DRI contributes only 10 % and green‑hydrogen‑based DRI remains under 2 %. In the United States, U.S. Steel approved a $1.9 billion DRI plant in Arkansas but also relaunched a blast furnace, highlighting the sector’s mixed transition signals. Policy shifts and thin margins are driving a resurgence of coal‑centric production despite net‑zero pledges.
Manufacturing Industry Lost 2,000 Jobs in April: BLS
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that manufacturing shed 2,000 jobs in April, a 50% year‑over‑year increase but a 113% drop from March’s 15,000‑job gain. The ISM employment index fell to 46.4%, confirming a contraction in hiring. Transportation equipment...
Century Aluminum Advances Oklahoma Smelter Project, CEO Says
Century Aluminum announced progress on its joint Oklahoma smelter with Emirates Global Aluminum, targeting a final investment decision and groundbreaking by year‑end, which would double U.S. aluminum output. The company is also ramping up production at its Mt. Holly, South...
GlobalFoundries Q1 Revenue Surpasses $1.6B, Beats Expectations
GlobalFoundries posted first‑quarter 2026 revenue of $1.6 billion, a 3.1% year‑over‑year increase but an 11% decline from the prior quarter. Manufacturing services drove 87% of the top line, shipping about 579,000 300‑mm‑equivalent wafers, up 7% YoY. The company highlighted progress in...
India-Based Companies Announce a Record $20B Worth of US Investments
Twelve India‑based firms announced a combined $20 billion of U.S. investments at the 2026 SelectUSA Summit, marking the largest single‑country commitment at the event. The bulk of the money—$19.1 billion—comes from the pharmaceutical sector, highlighted by Sun Pharmaceutical’s $11.75 billion acquisition of Organon....
Defense Department Increases Microelectronics Workforce Program Contract to $100M
The U.S. Department of Defense has raised its investment in the Scalable Asymmetric Lifecycle Engagement (SCALE) microelectronics workforce program to more than $100 million, extending funding through fiscal year 2027. The boost supports 35 partner universities, expanding hands‑on training for veterans...
Trump Administration Officials Call for Federal Environmental Permitting Reform
At the SelectUSA Investment Summit, Trump administration officials announced a push to overhaul federal environmental permitting, targeting faster approvals for major infrastructure projects. The proposal includes a $14 million EPA budget increase to cut red tape, NEPA procedural reforms with deadlines...
1,350 Olin Workers Ratify Contract, End Strike at Missouri Winchester Factory
Approximately 1,350 Olin employees at the Winchester ammunition plant in Independence, Missouri, voted to ratify a revised four‑year contract, ending a month‑long strike. The agreement features front‑loaded wage hikes and limits on forced overtime, addressing union concerns about inflation and...
Unusual Machines, 6K Energy, CRG Defense, SES AI Take Steps to Be NDAA Compliant
The U.S. Department of Defense is accelerating domestic drone production with a $53.6 billion budget and tighter NDAA restrictions on foreign components. Companies such as SES AI, 6K Energy, CRG Defense, and Unusual Machines are taking compliance steps, from converting a...
CitroTech, Hexion Form Fire-Retardant Joint Venture
CitroTech and Hexion have launched a 50‑50 joint venture, HexiTech, to produce fire‑retardant wood treatments that replace toxic borate preservatives with CitroTech’s natural‑ingredient inhibitors. Hexion will fund the effort with up to $6 million in loans and additional capital, leveraging its...
Rockwell, Teradyne, Tesla See Automation Demand Despite Uncertainty
U.S. automation leaders Rockwell Automation, Teradyne and Tesla reported strong demand despite macro uncertainty. Rockwell posted $2.2 billion in Q2 sales, a 12% year‑over‑year rise, with intelligent‑device margins climbing to 20.9% and software margins to 34.9%. Teradyne’s robotics division saw revenue...
Cisco, Schneider Electric Call for Enabling Regulations to Help AI Flourish
At the SelectUSA Investment Summit, Cisco and Schneider Electric urged the U.S. government to adopt cohesive AI regulations, workforce‑training programs, and power‑grid upgrades. They referenced the 2025 AI Action Plan and a December 2025 executive order aimed at eliminating a...
GM’s US Manufacturing Investments Surpass $6B in One Year
General Motors announced an $830 million investment across three U.S. factories, pushing its total domestic manufacturing spend to $6 billion in the past year. The funds will expand 10‑speed transmission capacity in Romulus, Michigan and Toledo, Ohio, and increase V‑8 engine block...
Data Intelligence Drives Total Cost of Ownership in Industry 4.0
Manufacturers are confronting heightened supply‑chain uncertainty, prompting a shift of Industry 4.0 beyond the shop floor to procurement and engineering. The article argues that fragmented data and siloed tools leave 60% of procurement teams overpaying, while real‑time component intelligence is essential...
Senators Introduce Bill to Enforce Buy America Compliance
Senators Tammy Baldwin (D‑Wis.) and Jim Banks (R‑Ind.) introduced the Build America, Buy America Compliance Act, mandating federal agencies to file annual reports on their adherence to the Build America, Buy America (BABA) provisions of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act....
Caterpillar to Triple Power Generation Capacity, Raises 2030 Targets
Caterpillar announced it will triple its large reciprocating‑engine capacity by 2029 to meet surging demand from data‑center, oil‑and‑gas, and mining customers. The expansion, slated for 2027‑2029, is expected to deliver a positive cash payback by 2030 and has prompted the...
Lockheed Martin, E-Vac Magnetics, Oerlikon Air Critical Minerals Concerns
At the Safe Summit, executives from Lockheed Martin, Oerlikon Surface Solutions and e‑Vac Magnetics detailed how they are coping with rising costs and supply constraints for critical minerals, especially rare‑earth elements. Lockheed Martin avoids buying raw materials, instead coordinating with...
Siemens, Diageo, Oxbo and Others Open US Facilities in April
April saw a surge of U.S. manufacturing openings as six companies launched major facilities across the South and Northeast. Diageo invested $415 million in a 360,000‑sq‑ft plant in Montgomery, Alabama, while Siemens Mobility opened a $220 million rail‑manufacturing hub in Lexington, North...
Defense Department Awards over $200M to 26 R&D Projects
The U.S. Department of Defense granted more than $200 million in second‑year funding to 26 research projects under the Microelectronics Commons program. The awards, delivered via the S2MARTS Other Transaction Authority, complement the $269 million allocated in 2024 and support hubs in...
Cleveland-Cliffs Partners with Palantir on AI-Driven Steelmaking
Cleveland‑Cliffs announced a three‑year partnership with Palantir Technologies to embed its AI platform into the company’s flat‑rolled steel production, planning, and order‑entry workflows. The AI integration aims to provide real‑time data coordination across the firm’s 32 North American sites, boosting...
Nucor’s Q1 Beat Wall Street Estimates on Higher Pricing, Steel Demand
Nucor Corp. reported first‑quarter net sales of $9.5 billion, up 23% from a year ago, and net earnings of $743 million, or $3.23 per share, surpassing the $2.82 consensus estimate. The surge stemmed from higher steel prices and volumes, with shipments rising...
Eclipse Raises $1.3B to Reshore Manufacturing, Strengthen Supply Chains
Eclipse Capital announced a $1.3 billion raise across two funds—$720 million for Fund VI and $591 million for Early Growth Fund III—aimed at backing startups that apply physical AI, robotics, and advanced manufacturing technologies. The capital boost lifts Eclipse’s assets under management to $10 billion, reinforcing...
Your Factory Floor Is Ready for AI, but Is Your Network?
Manufacturers are moving fast on AI, with 61% already in active deployment and many adopting agentic AI that autonomously manages production, supply‑chain, and quality tasks. The shift to edge computing means 75% of enterprise data will be processed at the...
The Power Problem Manufacturers Aren’t Tracking
Manufacturers are losing billions to voltage sags—brief drops in supply voltage that trip drives and reset PLCs—yet most plants don’t track these events. Siemens reports $1.4 trillion annual downtime for the world’s 500 largest manufacturers, but the hidden cost of sags...
EU RoHS Compliance in 2026: What to Expect
EU RoHS compliance in 2026 will focus on tightening lead exemptions, revised thresholds, and a wave of expiry dates. Delegated directives adopted in November 2025 become effective on 1 July 2026, requiring manufacturers to track exemption changes, submit renewals, or substitute restricted substances....
Skydio Pledges $3.5B to Expand US Drone Manufacturing
Skydio announced a $3.5 billion, five‑year plan to expand U.S. drone manufacturing, including a new facility five times larger than its current plants. The investment will create more than 2,000 direct jobs and add roughly 3,000 positions across its domestic supply...
Stakeholders Urge Congress to Improve EPA’s Strict Critical Minerals Regulations
Witnesses told a House environmental subcommittee that EPA’s strict critical‑minerals rules under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) are creating costly delays for manufacturers and recyclers. Redwood Materials highlighted how a modest...
Anheuser-Busch Doubles US Manufacturing Investment to $600M
Anheuser‑Busch announced it is doubling its U.S. manufacturing investment to $600 million, adding $300 million to its Brewing Futures program launched last year. The expanded spend will fund upgrades at its nine flagship breweries, new technical‑skills training centers, and veteran hiring initiatives....
Manufacturers Spent About $32B Training Workers: MI Survey
Manufacturers invested roughly $32 billion in employee training and upskilling, a 22% rise from the $26.2 billion reported in 2019. The average training time per worker climbed to 47.6 hours, up from 42.9 hours four years earlier. About one‑third of firms now...
California Senate Bill Could Add Costly Requirements for Advanced Manufacturing, CMTA Says
California Senate Bill 954 would narrow the CEQA exemption for advanced manufacturing, adding new compliance criteria such as zero‑emission backup power and high labor standards. The legislation reverses last year’s reforms that streamlined approvals, raising the risk that projects will...
The Great Data Center Delay: Why Your AI Chips Are Stuck in 2026
The semiconductor sector’s $1 trillion growth path is being throttled by severe physical and geopolitical constraints rather than a lack of innovation. AI‑focused data centers now demand 100–500 MW each, outpacing grid capacity, while LNG disruptions have cut 20% of global supply,...
The Manufacturing Paradox: Why More Data Isn’t Driving Better Decisions
Manufacturers are awash with data yet struggle to turn it into actionable insight, according to a new L2L survey of over 600 plant leaders. While 55% of firms rely on automated machine data, half still depend on manual frontline input,...
US Steel to Restart Gary Tin Mill Production
U.S. Steel announced it will restart tin‑mill production at its Gary, Indiana complex by early 2027, allocating $15‑$20 million for equipment inspections, maintenance and materials. The move revives a facility idled since late 2022 and safeguards 225 jobs at the Gary...
Olin Winchester Employees Seek an Improved Work-Life Balance
Olin Winchester employees, about 1,350 workers, have been on strike since April 4 demanding a better work‑life balance and wage adjustments. The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers says Olin has met with the union only twice and offered a...
Steel Producers Tease Q1 Earnings Surge, Citing Higher Prices
U.S. steelmakers Nucor and Steel Dynamics are projecting a sharp rise in first‑quarter earnings, buoyed by higher sales volumes and prices after Section 232 tariffs redirected demand to domestic producers. Both firms expect earnings per share to climb roughly $1 versus...
L3Harris Technologies Plans $1.3B Solid Rocket Motor Expansion in Virginia
L3Harris Technologies announced a $1.3 billion expansion of its solid‑rocket‑motor (SRM) manufacturing campus in Orange County, Virginia, which will more than double production space and create over 350 jobs. The effort builds on a $41.2 million upgrade launched earlier this year and...
Semiconductor Industry Calls for More Robust, Strategic Industrial Policy
U.S. industry leaders told a House subcommittee that China is outspending the United States on AI‑driven semiconductor research and that American manufacturing capacity has shrunk more than 25% since 1990. They urged Congress to adopt a proactive industrial policy, streamline...
Congress Has Months to Get on the Same Page About TSCA, Experts Say
Congress must act before Sept. 30 to reauthorize the TSCA service‑fee fund and decide on sweeping reforms to the 2016 Lautenberg chemical‑safety amendment. Chemical trade groups argue EPA’s new‑substance reviews are dragging beyond the statutory 90‑day window and that funding cuts...
How Manufacturers Are Testing Physical AI Before Making Big Investments
Manufacturers are turning to dedicated AI testing labs—such as TCS’s Gemini Experience Centers, Microsoft’s AI Co‑Innovation Lab, and Deloitte’s Smart Factory—to evaluate physical AI before committing to costly deployments. These sites let firms experiment with robots, sensors and data‑ops platforms...
From AI Insights to AI Action: What’s Changing in Manufacturing
Artificial intelligence is transitioning from pilot projects to core manufacturing operations as firms grapple with supply‑chain disruptions, labor shortages, and margin pressure. AI now not only analyzes data but also takes action, automating workflows and adjusting production in real time....
Why Growing Manufacturers Are Rethinking the Systems Behind Their Operations
Manufacturers are accelerating product launches, e‑commerce expansion, and AI adoption, but legacy spreadsheets and siloed tools are fragmenting data and slowing fulfillment. Modern cloud‑based ERP systems consolidate orders, production, and shipping into a single source of truth, delivering real‑time visibility...
Agile Robots to Tap Into New Sectors with Latest Acquisition
Agile Robots has completed the acquisition of Thyssenkrupp Automation Engineering assets, rebranding the unit as Krause Automation. The deal adds roughly 650 staff and opens doors to consumer electronics, medical technology, and logistics markets. Agile Robots, which generated about €200 million...
Trump Slashes EPA Budget but Requests More for Environmental Permitting Reform
President Trump’s FY2027 budget slashes the EPA’s discretionary budget by 52%, lowering it to $4.2 billion, but earmarks new money for permitting reforms. The plan adds $14 million for the NEPAssist web‑based permitting tool and $33.6 million for the NEPA Implementation Program, a...
Over 1,300 Winchester Workers Strike at Olin Plant in Missouri
On April 4, about 1,350 International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers members at Olin’s Winchester ammunition plant in Independence, Missouri, walked off the job after rejecting the company’s contract proposal. The union says the offer fell short on wages, mandatory...
Virginia Governor Signs 4 Laws Establishing Manufacturing Grant Programs
Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger signed four bills establishing manufacturing grant funds that together allocate up to $448 million toward new projects. The grants support Avio USA’s solid‑rocket motor plant, Hitachi Energy’s transformer facility, Eli Lilly’s active‑pharmaceutical‑ingredient site, and AstraZeneca’s drug‑manufacturing complex. Combined,...
Trump Again Proposes Eliminating Manufacturing Extension Partnership
President Donald Trump’s FY 2027 budget proposal seeks to eliminate the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), a NIST‑run program that aids small and medium‑sized manufacturers. The cut is part of a broader $993 million reduction to NIST, which would also scrap its Circular...
Uncertainty Reigns for Manufacturers Seeking Tariff Refunds
More than a month after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down most of the Trump administration’s IEEPA tariffs, manufacturers are scrambling to recover the duties they paid. Only a handful of the roughly 300,000 affected firms have sued in the...
Why Choosing Between Ultrasound and Vibration Is Costing Manufacturers Downtime
Manufacturers still treat ultrasound and vibration monitoring as separate, siloed systems, leading to missed early warnings and costly downtime. SKF research shows up to 80 % of bearing failures stem from lubrication issues that ultrasound can detect weeks before vibration alarms...
Manufacturing Employment Bounces Back in March, Adding 15K Jobs
U.S. manufacturing employment rebounded in March, adding 15,000 jobs—a 400% year‑over‑year increase after earlier losses. The transportation equipment and fabricated metal products sectors drove most of the gains, while the chemical industry posted the largest decline. Unemployment in manufacturing rose...
ACMI, John Hopkins University Collaborate to Build Manufacturing Workforce in US
The American Center for Manufacturing and Innovation (ACMI) has teamed up with Johns Hopkins University’s Whiting School of Engineering to create safety‑focused training and career pathways in energetics and advanced manufacturing. The collaboration will initially target ACMI’s National Security Industrial...