Survey: U.S. factories expand for first time since July
New orders, production and export orders all grew last month. Factory hiring dropped for the sixth straight month but at a slower pace than it did in December.
Manufacturing
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IU professor builds IoT-based system to save factories millions on energy bills
Amrou Awaysheh, an IU Kelley School of Business assistant professor of operations management, is building an IoT-based system he says can save factories $100 million annually in verified energy savings.
Lilly to build $470M manufacturing plant in North Carolina
Eli Lilly and Co. said it considered sites in Indianapolis and Pennsylvania but chose North Carolina for quality of life, cost of operations and geographical diversity.
GM says 1,350 temp employees to get full-time jobs
The workers got a path to full-time status in contract negotiations between the United Auto Workers union and the company.
Boeing papers show employees slid 737 Max problems past FAA
Lawmakers on Capitol Hill lashed out at Boeing on Friday after the release of a batch of emails and text messages in which company employees questioned the safety of the now-grounded 737 Max, called the aircraft a “joke.”
U.S. manufacturing activity falls to lowest level in decade
The manufacturing sector last year was rocked by slower global growth and the escalation of trade tensions between the United States and China.
Indianapolis Airport Authority selling 18-acre tract in Greenfield
Business is booming at Greenfield manufacturer ATMI Indy LLC, which is acquiring the property to accommodate the company’s growth.
Security-products maker Allegion accelerates innovation
The manufacturer has created an innovation studio bent on getting products from concept to market in 120 days or less.
Another massive Takata recall looms for large batch of air bags
Bankrupt supplier Takata faces a Dec. 31 deadline to show the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that as many as 100 million inflators containing a chemical drying agent will be safe long-term.
Got a big head? Fatheadz has you in its sights
Starting out in 2005 with just four sets of sunglass frames, the eyeglass company now offers five lines for men and women with more than 100 frame styles.
Startup chocolate-maker plans to invest $2.4 million, add up to 71 jobs
Six-year-old SoChatti makes artisanal, vegan chocolate that is consumed in melted form.
colate consumption is in melted form. The company says it uses innovative warming methods that capture and preserve the flavors of chocolate.
Fiat Chrysler, auto union reach tentative deal on contract
The United Auto Workers and Fiat Chrysler reached a tentative agreement Saturday on a new four-year contract that includes a total of $9 billion in investments but still needs final approval from workers.
Cummins to cut 2,000 salaried positions in cost-cutting measure
Cummins said the layoffs are part of a wider effort to trim up to $300 million in costs in response to a slowdown in sales demand.
Toolmaker to downsize Greenfield facility, terminate 139 employees
Connecticut-based Stanley Black & Decker said last month that it was planning to cut $200 million in annual costs “from headcount actions across the company as well as executing some footprint rationalization opportunities.”
Eli Lilly to spend $400M on manufacturing expansion in Indy, add 100 jobs
The pharmaceutical giant says it needs additional manufacturing capacity to keep up with demand for current medicines and new drugs expected to emerge from its pipeline.
Local apparel maker Motionwear shutting down, terminating 146 workers
Founded in 1987, Motionwear manufactures dance and cheer outfits, gymnastics apparel and other girls’ activewear at two facilities on the south side of Indianapolis.
Rolls-Royce embroiled in lawsuit over military contract
The company says the nearly $50 million it’s spent developing technology for new laser weaponry over the past decade is now threatened because of a dispute with a fellow military contractor.
Calumet Specialty Products sells San Antonio refinery for $63 million
The San Antonio facility has a throughput capacity of 21,000 barrels a day and produces diesel, jet fuel, gasoline and other jet fuel products.
Dow Agro lawsuit accuses employees of stealing secrets before quitting
The company says Sotero Ramirez and Robert Lemon downloaded thousands of files of valuable and confidential information in the days leading up to their resignations, amounting to theft of company property and a violation of their non-disclosure and non-competition agreements.
Local mechanical contractor to build $6.5M headquarters
Indianapolis-based mechanical contractor R.T. Moore Co. Inc. expects to create 40 jobs as part of the project, with average wages of about $32 per hour.