Manufacturing

A nonprofit textile manufacturer in Charlotte, called Lions Services, has multimillion-dollar contracts to produce gear such as backpacks and hydration carriers for the U.S. military. The meticulous sewing is done by a workforce that is mostly blind or visually impaired.

U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm visited Raleigh on Friday to announce $18.3 million in funding to support Siemens Energy as the company plans to produce equipment needed to integrate more renewable energy into the grid.

A company that makes containers and injections for vaccines and other drugs will build a new manufacturing plant in eastern North Carolina, creating 400 jobs. The U.S.-based subsidiary of German firm SCHOTT Pharma announced on Monday its plan for the $371 million production facility in Wilson, which should start operating in 2027.

Nearly two dozen “clean energy” projects have been built or proposed in North Carolina, many in counties that have been ravaged by job losses in textiles, furniture, and other industries.

Vietnamese automaker Vinfast has plunged right into the crowded and hypercompetitive U.S. auto market, gambling that if it can sell its electric vehicles to finicky Americans, it can succeed anywhere.

The state and Chatham County offered VinFast up to $1.25 billion in incentives that can be reached if it meets hiring and investment thresholds.

Workers gathered outside Pactiv Evergreen’s Canton paper mill last week to hear one final blast from the steam whistle. After more than 115 years, the mill in the small Western North Carolina mountain town is shutting down.

President Biden toured a North Carolina chip manufacturer Tuesday to promote his economic agenda. The president said the Durham-based company Wolfspeed could help revitalize American manufacturing.

American Airlines has agreed to buy up to 20 supersonic jets and put down a non-refundable deposit on the planes that are still on the drawing board and years away from flying. Manufacturer Boom Supersonic plans to build the jets in Greensboro, North Carolina.

North Carolina's Josh Stein has joined a bipartisan group of 14 state attorneys general who want Congress to act on computer chip manufacturing.