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Above: Navistar celebrates the grand opening of its benchmark San Antonio manufacturing plant (Image courtest of Navistar)
March was a busy month for U.S. manufacturers, with new enterprises springing up across the nation. Encompassing a wide range of industries, from footwear and electric vehicles to biotech and food processing, these new operations represent millions in investments and thousands of new jobs. Let's take a look at some the most exciting manufacturing announcements rolling out in March 2022.
The state of Massachusetts received some welcome news this week when Boston-based footwear giant New Balance announced it has opened a new footwear manufacturing facility in Methuen. The new 80,000 square-foot facility employs 90 workers and produces the MADE 990v5 running shoe. New Balance expects to double its current workforce and its capacity at the plant by the end of 2022.
Said Joe Preston, New Balance President & CEO “Manufacturing has always been an important part of our company culture. Our associates have proven that high-quality athletic footwear can be produced in the U.S. Their skilled craftsmanship and dedication to continuous improvement will help us meet our significant U.S. and global consumer demand and drive our continued business growth.”
The electric vehicle market continues to heat up. This month, a major announcement came out of West Virginia this month when energy startup SPARKZ announced plans to establish a sizable electric battery factory in the state, with plans to hire 350 workers. The company plans to recruit and train former mine workers in partnership with the United Mine Workers of America. Batteries produced at the facility will be 100% cobalt-free batteries, in an effort to reduce the cost of lithium battery production in the U.S. The company is still in the site selection phase and plans to announce the exact location for the West Virginia plan in the coming months.
Meanwhile, In Texas, commercial truck and engine manufacturer Navistar announced the official opening of a new manufacturing facility in San Antonio. The new 1 million-square-foot facility will produce Class 6-8 vehicles and electric vehicle models and will lead the company’s manufacturing in process optimization and real-time production management.
Says Mark Hernandez, executive vice president, Global Manufacturing and Supply Chain of Navistar, "We are incorporating the latest manufacturing principles – digital factory, connected machinery, robust lean manufacturing processes and cloud analytics – to enable predictive quality and maintenance, and allowing data-driven decisions to be made on the shop floor in real time," said Hernandez.
Also in Texas, Multi-Wing America, the North American subsidiary of Multi-Wing Group announced it has opened a new manufacturing facility in New Caney for the production of modular axial fans for engine cooling and HVACR applications.
“Multi-Wing Group is committed to providing the best possible service to our North American customers,” says Palle Linde, president of Multi-Wing America. “By opening this plant, we are able to accommodate current and future growth and improve delivery times. We also now have a facility that is closer to several key customers.”
Meanwhile, Pabst Labs is getting into the cannabis beverage industry, opening a new manufacturing facility in Desert Hot Springs, California, which it describes as “one of the few dedicated cannabis facilities in America.”
Also in California, GenBody America, LLC, a South Korea-based manufacturer of rapid diagnostics test and reagents, unveiled earlier this month that it has opened a new production facility in Jurupa Valley, CA. The new facility has the capacity to produce 1.5 million nasal swab COVID-19 antigen tests per week.
“We’re excited to open our facility in Riverside County as COVID testing continues to be a critical need across the United States. A lot of hard work and effort has gone into creating this factory and we’re proud to be able to manufacture these test kits in the U.S. and continue the fight against COVID through this endemic state, as people resume their daily lives,” said David Yoo, CEO of GenBody America.
Meanwhile, in the Baltimore region, United Safety Technology (UST) rolled out plans to establish a new manufacturing facility at Tradepoint Atlantic for the manufacture of medical-grade nitrile exam gloves. The new facility represents a $350 million investment and will encompass 735,000 square feet.
“This investment will help meet the needs of our nation's healthcare heroes, support the Baltimore community, and strengthen the country,” said Dan Izhaky, CEO, United Safety Technology Inc.
Hitachi Rail announced this month that it will build a massive state-of-the-art facility in Washington County, Maryland. Representing an investment of $70 million, the new plant will employ up to 460 workers, sustain 1,300 jobs in the region, and at will encompass an area larger than five football fields. The building alone will measure roughly 304,000 square feet.
The new facility will manufacturer railcars for the DC region and will also serve the wider North American market, producing 20 railcars per month. Said Andrew Barr, Group CEO of Hitachi Rail, “Hitachi Rail’s mission is to provide more seamless, sustainable journeys for passengers, customers and cities, and the creation of a new American factory reflects our ambition to delivery for the United States.
French yogurt and desserts company La Fermiere unveiled plans to establish a 45,000 square-foot production facility in New York. The new facility, which will be located in the Genesee Valley Agri-Business Park in Batavia, will create up to 135 new jobs and will partner with local dairy farmers to make its products.
Said Jean-Jaques Tarpinian, CEO of La Fermiere: “Our five-year presence in the U.S. market expanded beyond our expectations. This state-of-the art facility will help us achieve our very ambitious goal in the U.S. market, which offers large opportunities by manufacturing the best all natural yogurts and desserts, with innovative recipes and process.”
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