The Reshoring Initiative awards GE Appliances and Marlin Steel Wire GE Appliances (a Haier company) and Marlin Steel Wire Products were two recognizable names to receive honors at the 2025 National Metalworking Reshoring Awards. The awards were given in recognition of both companies’ success in bringing manufacturing to the United States. The 8th annual award was presented on Sept. 11, 2025, at FABTECH at McCormick Place in Chicago by Harry Moser, founder and president of t

Meta's tentacles have reached Louisiana in the form of a solar project Treaty Oak Clean Energy , an Austin IPP (independent power producer) announced that it has entered into long-term agreements with Meta (Facebook's parent company) for two utility-scale solar projects totaling 385 MWac in Morehouse and Sabine Parishes in Louisiana. Under these agreements, Meta will purchase the environmental attributes generated by the facilities to advance its clean energy and sustainabili

A benchmark for industrial safety programs ISN , the Dallas provider of contractor and supplier information management services, announced the five-year milestone of its partnership with Hood Industries , a wood products manufacturer and distributor. Since implementing "ISNetworld" in 2020, Hood Industries has used that feature to enhance its contractor evaluation and selection process, reduce on-site incidents, and drive operational efficiency across its facilities. “Hood In

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A pile of cash gets shoveled towards American-made fertilizer The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Loan Programs Office (LPO) just closed a loan to support "independent, American-made, and coal-powered fertilizer production," per an October 30 news release from the federal branch. The $1.5 billion loan to Wabash Valley Resources, LLC , will help finance a coal and ammonia fertilizer facility in West Terre Haute, Indiana. The project is designed to "restart and repurpose a co

Southwire CEO retires after four decades in the industry After more than four decades of leadership in the electrical industry and a decade as President and CEO of Southwire, Rich Stinson has announced that he will retire from the company. At the same time, the company’s President and Chief Operating Officer, Norman Adkins, has also announced his retirement, which will take place in April of 2026.  Since joining Southwire in 2015, Stinson’s leadership has been focused on long

Nidec rolls out new line of EV powering equipment Japanese motor company Nidec , which calls St. Louis home for its American operations, has long been an established electric motor brand. It also has a history of expanding into other innovative areas, as it just did with the introduction of electric vehicle charging equipment. "Leveraging Nidec’s global footprint and decades of experience in renewable energy, energy conversion and electrical grid management, we bring you our

Waldom Awards for electromechanical products and more Waldom Electronics (Rockford, Illinois) announced the winners of its 2024 ESG Awards October 23, which were presented during the company's annual dinner held ahead of the ECIA Executive Conference earlier this week. Waldom says its series of awards represent "the only ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) recognition program in the IP&E (Interconnect, Passive, and Electromechanical) distribution industry, honoring s

America's largest nuclear plant set to go in Georgia with a $35 billion price tag After officially adding Units 3 and 4 and putting them online this month, a famous Georgia power plant is now the country's largest nuclear site, at no less than a $35 billion price tag. Run by major utility Georgia Power---specifically its Southern Nuclear division---Plant Vogtle in Waynesboro, Georgia, features four reactors. With the recent completion of Units 3 & 4, the first new nuclear uni

New uninterruptible power supply products for mission critical operations Toshiba has introduced its latest innovation: the Toshiba 3000 SP Series UPS (Uninterruptible Power System.) This modular, high-performance system is designed to support mission critical applications.  Available in 6kVA/kW, 18kVA/kW and 24kVA/kW capacities, it features online double-conversion topology with Voltage and Frequency Independent (VFI) operation for "ultimate power protection," per a press r

Kaiser Aluminum commits $575 million to revolving credit facility Kaiser Aluminum Corporation of Franklin, Tennessee, a leading producer of semi-fabricated specialty aluminum products, announced October 16 that it has extended its $575 million senior secured revolving credit facility for up to an additional five years, subject to certain conditions, now maturing in October 2030. The facility has also been modified to incorporate certain improved terms offering greater operati

Pentagon looking to make big purchase of materials to keep pace with China The Pentagon is looking to buy as much as $1 billion of critical minerals to stockpile, the Financial Times reported, citing public filings published in recent months by the Pentagon’s Defense Logistics Agency.  The increased purchases come as new export controls of rare earths and other key materials for defense and technology manufacturing were unveiled by China’s Ministry of Commerce last week. Chin

Holland pulls rank on Chinese chipmaker Nexperia In a rare diplomatic move, a European governing body recently took action against a Chinese manufacturer. On September 30, the Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs invoked the Goods Availability Act, due to "serious governance shortcomings at semiconductor manufacturer Nexperia," per an international press release from The Hague (Netherlands). The company’s headquarters are located in Nijmegen, Netherlands, with additional subsi

DOE announces billion-plus loan to American Electric Power AEP Transmission, a Columbus, Ohio-based subsidiary of American Electric Power, has reportedly closed on a $1.6 billion loan guarantee at a preferred interest rate from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office (LPO) to upgrade nearly 5,000 miles of transmission lines in Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, and West Virginia. According to a corresponding press release , the agreement could save an estimated $

Deadline approaching for non-commercial submissions Calling all contributors: EASA still has openings for non-commercial presentations to provide informative peer-to-peer learning during the 2026 Convention in Orlando, Florida (June 13-16 of next year.) The association says "this is your opportunity to share your knowledge, experience and insights with professionals in the electromechanical industry."   Those interested need to submit their abstract by October 17 (tomorrow!)

The company has been around since 1918, and it's still thriving Ericson Manufacturing today announced a major expansion and technology investment as it enters a new chapter under fourth-generation family leadership – a milestone achieved by fewer than 3% of family-owned businesses.  The electrical safety and power distribution company is growing into a third building in Willoughby, Ohio, preparing to add 30 jobs, and investing in advanced technologies like 3D printing and ne

Dan Furrow takes on major role at electrical supplies distributor Electrical supplies distributor  Wesco  announced this week that Dan Furrow, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Electrical and Electronic Solutions (EES), will assume the responsibilities for the company's industrial business. Furrow has held "many roles" since joining the company in 2005, including leadership positions in marketing, category management and sales. Most recently, he was Vice President

EASA's burgeoning chapter holds its annual meeting and convention The EASA Europe, Asia & Africa Chapter held its 2025 convention in Malta, the storied island in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. With 148 participants from 97 companies in 25 countries, "this event reflects the strength of our chapter community" EASA chair Linda Raynes said in a LinkedIn post. Over 2 days, leaders of the electromechanical service industry gathered to exchange knowledge, connect, and discuss

Bicker releases new power solution products for industrial automation Bicker Elektronik, the manufacturer based in Donauwoerth, Germany, announced what it describes as "a robust and fail-safe DIN rail bundle designed for control and automation tasks in industrial environments," in an October 9 press release. The flexible DIN rail solution combines three intentionally matched components: the Delta DRL-24V120W1EN AC/DC power supply, the Bicker UPSI-2406DP1 DC UPS with an integr

IMTS 2026 layout and tracks released for September at McCormick Place It may be a long way off, but since the show only happens every other year, the International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) is always worth being prepared for. IMTS has released its 2026 layout and tracks for the September '26 edition of the world's largest manufacturing technology expo at McCormick Place in Chicago (September 14-19 of next year.) Showgoers and exhibitors can expect the following arr