US manufacturing pipeline grows, firms plan $1B in new factories. A wave of industrial investment is bringing billions in capital spending and thousands of jobs to states from North Carolina to Idaho. - Monday, February 16, 2026 A wave of new manufacturing projects announced in recent weeks underscores continued capital investment across the U.S., with companies in heavy equipment, advanced electronics, automation and industrial components committing around $1 billion combined in new facilities and expansions. From North Carolina to Texas to Idaho and Wisconsin, manufacturers are breaking ground on large-scale plants expected to create thousands of jobs while reshoring or expanding domestic production capacity. John Deere opening two U.S. facilities. Deere & Co. announced plans to open two new facilities: a distribution center near Hebron, Indiana, and a $70 million excavator factory in Kernersville, North Carolina. According to the company's news release, the Indiana distribution center is expected to create about 150 jobs and strengthen parts logistics nationwide. The North Carolina plant will employ more than 150 people and will assume production of next-generation excavators previously manufactured in Japan, marking a shift of that production to the U.S. The excavator factory is part of Deere's broader commitment to invest $20 billion in U.S. manufacturing over the next decade, the company said. Radar manufacturer Echodyne expands in Washington. Radar platform company Echodyne is investing $40 million in a new 86,350-square-foot manufacturing facility in Kirkland, Washington. The new plant is designed to produce and ship more than 30,000 radars annually across product lines. The company said it expects to employ more than 200 workers when the facility reaches full capacity, with production scheduled to begin in summer 2026. The expansion comes amid growing global demand for counter-drone, border security and defense-related radar technologies. Applied Optoelectronics doubles down on Texas manufacturing. In Sugar Land, Texas, Applied Optoelectronics Inc. (AOI) broke ground on a 210,000-square-foot manufacturing facility that will support production of optical networking products for AI data centers and broadband networks. AOI said it plans to increase its total investment in the project and headquarters campus from $150 million to potentially $300 million by the end of next year. The company has committed to creating 500 local jobs tied to automated production lines. Executives positioned the expansion as part of Texas' broader push to become a leader in artificial intelligence infrastructure manufacturing. Japanese plastics manufacturer selects San Antonio for U.S. HQ. Sanko Texas Corp., a subsidiary of a Japanese plastics manufacturer, plans to build a nearly $40 million plant on a 43.7-acre site in San Antonio. The facility - which will serve as Sanko's first U.S. manufacturing plant and its U.S. headquarters - is expected to create up to 300 jobs once fully ramped, beginning with about 100 hires in early 2028, according to the San Antonio Express News. Sanko produces plastic injection-molded pallets and containers commonly used in automotive assembly lines and industrial supply chains. Georgia secures $17.6M precision ball factory. Preciball USA announced a $17.6 million investment to build a new factory in Sylvania, Screven County, Georgia, according to a news release. The plant will manufacture precision balls used in bearings, pumps and valves, and is expected to create 65 jobs. The project expands the company's footprint in Georgia, complementing its existing headquarters operations in Pooler. Rockwell Automation picks Wisconsin for 'factory of the future' Industrial automation giant Rockwell Automation selected New Berlin, Wisconsin, as the site of a new manufacturing campus described as a "factory of the future." The planned greenfield facility is expected to exceed 1 million square feet of factory and warehouse space and is part of a broader five-year, $2 billion domestic manufacturing investment strategy, according to Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. While job figures have not yet been disclosed, company leadership characterized the project as potentially becoming Rockwell's largest manufacturing campus globally. SEL invests $50M in Idaho expansion. Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL) has begun site preparation for a new 250,000-square-foot electronic device manufacturing facility in Moscow, Idaho. The $50 million investment will expand production of devices used to monitor and protect electric power systems worldwide. Once fully operational, the plant is expected to employ approximately 1,000 people, with phased hiring beginning in 2027. Tovala to open 140,000-square-foot food processing facility in Illinois. Fresh meal and technology provider Tovala recently announced a new 140,340 square-foot food processing facility in Winfield, Illinois to meet growing demand. Chicago-based Brennan Investment Group will develop the state-of-the-art facility as a build-to-suit project, with construction scheduled to begin in March 2026 and completion expected in the second quarter of 2027. The project marks Brennan's fourth build-to-suit development in the food service sector.

Echodyne to open major new manufacturing facility to meet rapidly growing global demand. February 11, 2026 Echodyne, a radar platform company, announced a major near-term expansion in its advanced radar production capacity. Echodyne's new 86,350-square-foot facility in Washington state will provide enough manufacturing and warehouse space to produce and ship more than 30,000 radars per year. The company's modular manufacturing approach allows production capacity to flex to match varying demand across product lines as well as seamlessly introducing new product lines and capabilities. Counter-UAS (C-UAS), beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations for drone-as-first-responders (DFR), force protection, border security, and on-the-move (OTM) are among the applications and capabilities driving accelerating demand for high-resolution radar surveillance of air and surface domains. The company's patented metamaterials electronically scanned array (MESA) technology delivers pinpoint accuracy, track stability, AI-based classification of threats, and well-defined high-speed application programming interfaces (APIs) for easy integration into systems of systems - in a compact, solid-state, commercially-exportable radar product. "We are proud to be opening this new facility in Washington, the location of our headquarters and a long-time global hub for tech innovation and advanced manufacturing," said Eben Frankenberg, CEO of Echodyne. "The extraordinary performance of MESA radar stands in marked contrast to the purposeful simplicity of its design, making high-fidelity radar broadly accessible for defense and civilian safety and security applications. This new investment in manufacturing capacity will allow us to supercharge production to meet the rapidly growing global demand for our products." Looking for quick answers on security topics? Try Ask SDM, our new smart AI search tool. Ask SDM Looking for quick answers on security topics? Try Ask SDM, our new smart AI search tool. Looking for a reprint of this article? From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today! JOIN TODAY to unlock your recommendations. Already have an account? Sign In

Echodyne announces major new manufacturing facility to meet global radar demand. February 11, 2026 BY Echodyne Echodyne announced plans for a major expansion of its radar manufacturing capacity with a $40 million investment in a new 86,350-square-foot facility in Washington State. The new site will provide the manufacturing and warehouse space needed to produce and ship more than 30,000 radars per year across Echodyne's product lines. The company said its modular manufacturing approach will allow production to adapt to changing market demand and support the introduction of new products and capabilities. Echodyne said the investment reflects its commitment to enhancing safety and security as uncrewed systems become increasingly common in both defense and civilian environments, meeting accelerating demand in the United States and allied nations, and supporting the strength of the U.S. defense industrial base. Demand for high-resolution radar continues to grow across applications such as counter-UAS, beyond visual line of sight drone-as-first-responder operations, force protection, border security and on-the-move missions. The company's metamaterials electronically scanned array (MESA) radar technology is designed to deliver high-fidelity data, including precise tracking, stability, AI-based threat classification and integration-ready APIs in a compact, solid-state system that can be commercially exported. "We are proud to be opening this new facility in Washington State, the location of our headquarters and a long-time global hub for tech innovation and advanced manufacturing," said Echodyne CEO Eben Frankenberg. "The extraordinary performance of MESA radar stands in marked contrast to the purposeful simplicity of its design, making high-fidelity radar broadly accessible for defense and civilian safety and security applications. This new investment in manufacturing capacity will allow us to supercharge production to meet the rapidly growing global demand for our products." The expansion is expected to create more than 200 jobs when operating at full capacity. Echodyne expects to continue hiring to support its growing operations, with open positions listed at Echodyne.com/careers. Production at the new facility is scheduled to begin in summer 2026.