Industrial Manufacturing

Talcahuano – – October 07, 2026 -- Aclara Resources Inc. (TSX: ARA) and steelmaker CAP S.A. have inaugurated a demonstration plant designed to produce up to 175 kilograms of rare earth metal per day at 99.5% purity, targeting the permanent magnet supply chain for electromobility, robotics and wind power.

Joint venture taps decades of steelworks metallurgy

The facility was launched by Aclara Metals SpA, a 50/50 joint venture between Aclara and CAP, drawing on metallurgical expertise accumulated at CAP's Huachipato steelworks in Talcahuano, Chile. The start-up ceremony was attended by Sergio Giacaman, Governor of the Biobío Region, alongside executives from CAP and Aclara.

Battle Creek, Mich. – October 07, 2026 -- DENSO Manufacturing Michigan, Inc. (DMMI) donated $250,000 to the Battle Creek Housing Fund on Oct. 7, marking 40 years of operations and reinforcing the automotive supplier's role as Calhoun County's largest employer.

DMMI grew from 200 workers to a 1.38 million-square-foot plant employing over 2,000

Production at DMMI began July 1, 1986, as DENSO's first manufacturing facility in North America. The site has since expanded into a 1.38 million-square-foot operation with more than 2,000 team members producing automotive thermal technologies for carmakers across the region.

Bay Minette, Alabama – October 07, 2026 -- Novelis Inc. has produced the first coil on the cold mill at its $5 billion aluminum recycling and rolling plant in Bay Minette, Alabama, advancing the facility toward commercial shipments set for the second quarter of 2027.

Novelis commissions first fully integrated U.S. aluminum plant built in 40 years

The Bay Minette facility marks the first new fully integrated aluminum recycling and rolling plant constructed in the United States in more than four decades. All assets required for commercial shipments are now in the commissioning process, with customer qualification underway.

Tualatin, Ore. – October 07, 2026 -- API International has completed a major expansion of its Greenfield, Indiana warehouse, boosting Midwest capacity by 75% and cutting delivery times to East Coast and Southern customers from as many as seven business days to as few as one business day.

Expansion lifts company-wide capacity 20% after year-long buildout

The project, approved by the city in July 2025 and completed in July 2026, expanded the company's existing Greenfield facility to meet rising demand for industrial piping components across the eastern and southern United States. The buildout increases API International's total warehouse and manufacturing capacity by 20% company-wide.

Armonk, N.Y. – October 07, 2026 -- Volumetric Building Companies (VBC) cut operational cycle times by 50% across purchasing, manufacturing and inventory processes after a three-month SAP Cloud ERP transformation delivered through IBM Ready for SAP Solutions, IBM announced.

IBM launches Ready for SAP Solutions to speed midsize ERP modernization

IBM unveiled IBM Ready for SAP Solutions, a new offering combining industry expertise, fit-to-standard delivery and the IBM Consulting Advantage AI-powered platform to help midsize and fast-growing organizations modernize cloud ERP, unify enterprise data and build an AI-ready digital core. VBC and Second Nature Brands are named as early clients.

Lehi, Utah – October 07, 2026 -- Maintenance teams across U.S. manufacturing, facilities and infrastructure sectors complete just 54% of their scheduled preventive maintenance work, according to a survey of 686 maintenance and operations professionals released by Limble at the 2026 Maintenance Heroes Summit.

Unplanned downtime costs exceed $100,000 annually for 40% of organizations

Nearly half of leaders (47%) report more than 10 hours of unplanned downtime in a typical month, and 40% put annual downtime costs at $100,000 or higher. Reactive maintenance also carries safety consequences: 65% of respondents say it puts technicians in higher-risk situations at least once a month.

Gothenburg – October 07, 2026 -- SKF will debut its new MBx active magnetic bearing series for high-speed chillers at Chillventa 2026, targeting the data center cooling market with claimed energy efficiency improvements of up to 30-40% over conventional technologies.

SKF's integrated drive portfolio cuts maintenance and downtime for centrifugal chillers

The Gothenburg-based bearing maker will present a combined offering of high-speed motors levitated with magnetic bearing technology, active magnetic bearings, digital controllers, variable-speed drives, condition monitoring and engineering services. SKF states the oil-free drive solutions reduce wear, maintenance and unplanned downtime in centrifugal chillers and other high-speed applications.

Cleveland – October 06, 2026 -- Avient Corporation (NYSE: AVNT) has declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.2825 per share, marking the sixteenth consecutive annual increase for the materials solutions company.

Avient lifts annualized dividend to $1.13 per share from $1.10

The new quarterly rate will be paid on January 7, 2027, to stockholders of record as of December 11, 2026. On an annualized basis, the payout rises from $1.10 to $1.13 per share of common stock outstanding.

CEO ties payout growth to cash flow strength and capital discipline

Dr. Ashish Khandpur, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Avient, said the company is pleased to extend its dividend growth streak to sixteen years. He attributed the increase to the strength of the business, consistent cash flow generation, and a balanced capital allocation strategy aimed at returning value to shareholders.

Boston – October 06, 2026 -- RaySecur has partnered with DTS Industries, a Jackson County, Kentucky manufacturer, to produce critical mechanical components and calibration standards for its MailSecur concealed-threat detection systems on U.S. soil.

RaySecur shifts supply chain to domestic manufacturer in Appalachian Kentucky

The deal brings precision metal fabrication and system calibration work for MailSecur, a desktop T-ray screening system, into DTS Industries' Jackson County facility. DTS specializes in precision forming, custom machining, laser cutting, assembly and finishing, and holds ISO 9001 certification.

Lakeville, Mass. – October 06, 2026 -- Boston Green Company has named Dmitro Popovich as Director of Business Development for Terminal, Marine & Industrial Services, tasking him with expanding client partnerships across the Northeast's terminal and industrial operators.

Popovich brings 18 years of bulk liquid and dry bulk terminal experience to the role

Popovich's background spans petroleum and third-party cargo handling, safety and environmental compliance, capital planning, and maintenance coordination. He most recently served as Director of Operations at Sprague Operating Resources LLC, where he oversaw bulk liquid and dry bulk operations across five terminals in New Hampshire and Maine.