manufacturing

GM deal with Nikola delayed beyond anticipated close

General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM) and embattled electric truck startup Nikola Corp. (NASDAQ: NKLA) will not close on a manufacturing partnership by Wednesday as the two companies predicted earlier this month.

“Our transaction with Nikola has not closed,” GM said in a statement provided to FreightWaves on Tuesday. “We are continuing our discussions with Nikola and will provide further updates when appropriate or required.”

A joint Nikola-GM press release on Sept. 8 said, “The parties anticipate...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/gm-deal-with-nikola-delayed-beyond-anticipated-close

Makeup orders boost tractor and trailer production — for now

Robotic assembly at Daimler Trucks North America

Makeup production of tractors and trailers is creating a mini-boom for equipment manufacturers. It is even leading to rehiring of some laid-off workers. But how long will the good times roll?

“June through August, which are usually slow months, will all be good months,”  Dave Giesen, vice president of sales at Stoughton Trailers in Stoughton, Wisconsin, told FreightWaves. “The first five months of the year were really slow. We need months like this to get some backlog. We’re all crossing our...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/makeup-orders-boost-tractor-and-trailer-production-for-now

Kenworth honored for error-proofing cabs and taking guesswork out of bolt tightening

The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) presented the Kenworth Truck Co. plant in Chillicothe, Ohio, two leadership awards. One is for taking the guesswork out of bolt torque tightening. The other is for error-proofing truck cab construction.

The PACCAR Inc. (NASDAQ: PCAR) brand’s SMART Tool Error Proofing System and Cab Trim Finish Line projects lead to better quality trucks.

SMART Tool is a process verification system. It automates torque-tightening quality and increases plant-wide...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/kenworth-honored-for-taking-guesswork-out-of-bolt-tightening-error-proofing-cabs

Peterbilt proves adage that everything is bigger in Texas

Peterbilt plant in Denton, Texas

Peterbilt Motors started building heavy-duty trucks in Denton, Texas 40 years ago this month. After nearly doubling in size in four decades, the plant is evidence of the adage that everything is bigger in Texas. Or it grows to become that way.

Located about an hour’s drive north from Fort Worth, the facility has become the main manufacturing facility for the PACCAR Inc. (NASDAQ: PCAR) brand. The plant began operation as a 435,000 square-foot facility with 81 employees on 80 acres of land.

Today...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/peterbilt-proves-adage-that-everything-is-bigger-in-texas

Hard Drive Marine opens new 1,500 sq. ft. R&D facility in Washington

Tom Day, founder of Hard Drive Marine recently announced the opening of a new manufacturing facility in Bellingham, Wash.

“Expanding our production capacity allows us to bring in specialized equipment and personnel to meet growing demand for our high-performance workboats,” Day said in a statement announcing the opening. “We want to be on the forefront of spill response and marine infrastructure maintenance.”

Hard Drive Marine’s product lineup has grown in recent years to include the production...

https://www.workboat.com/news/shipbuilding/hard-drive-marine-opens-new-1500-sq-ft-rd-facility-in-washington/

Parts shortage from Mexico slows Volvo plant in US

Volvo Cars is facing supply chain issues from factories in Mexico, according to CEO Hakan Samuelsson.

Samuelsson said supplier issues in Mexico and lower demand for its S60 sedans were partly to blame for the Ridgeville, South Carolina, plant being idle since June 3.

“First is the disturbances in the supply of parts from Mexico. But it is also a supply-and-demand issue for the S60. There is definitely a market trend toward SUVs,” Samuelsson said Tuesday in Automotive News Europe.

Volvo’s...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/parts-shortage-from-mexico-slows-volvo-plant-in-us

Paycheck Protection Program loans in manufacturing

The public release of data for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans exceeding $150,000 on Monday by the Small Business Administration has provided visibility into the far-reaching impact of this program. Much has already been written about the impact of PPP on the motor carrier and 3PL sectors, but the PPP’s effect on manufacturing has been less explored. As substantial freight volume comes from manufacturing activity, especially for LTL carriers, examining how PPP loans have affected the...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/paycheck-protection-program-loans-in-manufacturing

Manufacturers adapt in uncertain times

The ongoing trade war between the U.S. and China has sparked a manufacturers migration from China to the U.S. and Southeast Asia. Many American-based companies are considering manufacturing domestically as a solution to the turbulent economic times.

One such company is CIE Manufacturing (formerly CIMC Intermodal Equipment), which is in the final stages of adding manufacturing capabilities to its North American facilities. The move will help insulate CIE from trade disruptions and allow the...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/manufacturers-adapt-in-uncertain-times

Coronavirus Impacts Electronics And Automobile Sectors

  • China’s factory and transport shutdown are seriously impacting global supply chains.
  • Forwarders are grappling with resulting cashflow constraints.
  • Coronavirus fallout has the biggest impact on the consumer electronics and automobile industries.
  • Shipments of smartwatches to fall by 16%, smart speakers and notebooks by 12% and smartphones by 10%.
  • In India, freight forwarders are bearing the brunt of the country’s reliance on China.

According to an article published in The Loadstar, China’s...

http://mfame.guru/coronavirus-impacts-electronics-and-automobile-sectors/

Manufacturing thriving in Northeast Florida

JAXPORT’s article:

Some 1,500 manufacturing companies can’t be wrong. Those with solid business models are thriving across Northeast Florida in a wide variety of industries, planted in a region with exceptional transportation and logistics, served by a deep, energetic workforce.

Manufacturers provide 93 percent of Florida’s exports, according to the First Coast Manufacturing Association (FCMA). That level of activity puts JAXPORT to work. Exports provide an excellent counter-balance to the port’s...

https://container-news.com/manufacturing-thriving-northeast-florida/

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