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Medical device manufacturer Steris announced a $600 million investment to build a manufacturing and distribution center in Sanford, North Carolina, consolidating existing operations and creating 335 jobs, with operations expected to begin within the next two to three years.
MP Materials announced on July 30 the launch of a rare earth magnet initiative to strengthen U.S. drone and motor supply chains. The program allows manufacturers to reserve capacity without signing binding purchase commitments. The company is working with the Department of Defense to develop the 10X magnet facility in North Las Vegas, Texas, expected to begin production in 2028. This move aims to reduce reliance on Chinese rare earth magnets and promote supply chain standardization.
Caterpillar reported second-quarter results with record sales and revenue of $20.5 billion, up 24% year-over-year, driven by demand for data center generators, construction equipment, and the energy sector. The company raised its full-year guidance and resumed production of 10-megawatt gas engines.
In the supply chain, product, compliance, shipping, and packaging data must be transmitted across multiple parties, and even the most robust internal AI management within a company cannot ensure that all trading partners have consistent information. Loftware's AI system, Loftware Connect, aims to address this pain point by using a publish-subscribe model with AI assistance, enabling suppliers, factories, logistics providers, and others to share unified label standards, reducing redundant work and errors. CEO Jim Bureau spoke with Manufacturing Dive, discussing how the system shortens the label template creation cycle (from 4-5 months to a shorter period), verifies shipping notices through real-time data checks (e.g., 50 products actually packed as 50), and advises companies to first move to the cloud to manage packaging and labeling issues from an enterprise-level perspective.
On July 31, Performance Drone Works (PDW) signed an $820 million conditional loan commitment with the U.S. Department of Defense, aimed at expanding domestic production capacity for drone components. The funds will be used for facility, manufacturing infrastructure, and equipment upgrades to support the production of Group 1 and Group 2 unmanned aircraft systems. This move comes amid the U.S. accelerating supply chain decoupling from China and facing challenges such as export controls.
One year after Nippon Steel acquired U.S. Steel, the latter has become the group's growth engine. Latest quarterly data shows U.S. Steel contributed 32.2 billion yen in base business profits, accounting for nearly 30% of the group; the company raised its fiscal 2026 profit guidance for U.S. Steel to 180 billion yen and plans to invest $11 billion in the U.S. by 2028.
A coalition of 25 U.S. states has filed a lawsuit with the Court of International Trade, challenging tariffs imposed by the Trump administration under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 on 60 trading partners allegedly failing to prevent entry of forced labor products. Plaintiffs argue that these tariffs, ranging from 10% to 12.5%, were implemented 'under the guise of combating forced labor in global trade,' should be ruled illegal, and demand refunds of amounts paid by the states.
Swiss Octapharma plans to invest $1.5 billion to build its first biopharmaceutical production base in the U.S. in Rock Hill, South Carolina, covering 50 acres, expected to create 1,500 jobs, with operations beginning in the mid-2030s.
Eric Trump announced an investment in the $638 million merger between defense geospatial technology company Space-Eye and special purpose acquisition company McKinley Acquisition Corporation. McKinley has secured up to $75 million through a private placement of public equity. The combined company will operate under the name Space-Eye, with the transaction expected to close in the fourth quarter.
The U.S. electricity supply-demand gap is expected to emerge within two years, potentially reaching 175 gigawatts by 2030. Manufacturers, whether or not they rely on grid expansion, face risks of outages, power quality issues, and costs. Behind-the-meter power generation (BYOP) offers a breakthrough, with fuel cells standing out due to high reliability, low emissions, and rapid deployment. This article reviews mainstream options and key selection criteria to support corporate energy independence decisions.