Valmont Industries to expand manufacturing in Tennessee. Valmont Industries has announced plans for further expansion of its Jasper, Tenn., facility. The company will invest $45 million to increase production of its engineered steel transmission, distribution, and substation structures for the utility industry, creating 84 jobs. The project extends a previous Valmont expansion announced in 2024, when the company pledged to create 80 jobs and invest more than $6 million. Valmont met its job goal nearly three years early, allowing for additional growth. The Omaha, Neb.-based company manufactures engineered structures for critical infrastructure, as well as center pivot irrigation systems and related technology. It employs more than 11,000 employees in 21 different countries on six continents.

Manufacturing daily briefing - 2026-10-25. 1. Texas partnership brings free manufacturing AI training. Table of Contents NAM reported October 23 that the Manufacturing Institute and Texas State Technical College agreed to integrate AI manufacturing training into courses and begin rollout through campuses and industry partners. The broader initiative targets 40,000 workers by 2028. Why it matters. Workforce readiness increasingly determines whether industrial AI investments produce useful results. Impact on manufacturing. Training must connect AI tools to actual shift decisions, reliable machine data and clear responsibilities. Digital fluency complements process knowledge rather than replacing it. 2. Mitsubishi Power plans $490 million Savannah expansion. Mitsubishi Power announced October 23 a $490 million Savannah Machinery Works expansion, adding 450,000 square feet and more than 220 jobs to support power-generation equipment manufacturing and services. Electricity demand translates into orders for complex physical equipment and skilled industrial work. Additional space must be matched by qualified suppliers, trained teams and inspection capacity. Reliable equipment deliveries depend on managing bottlenecks throughout the production route. 3. Valmont invests $45 million in utility-structure production. Tennessee announced October 23 that Valmont will invest $45 million and create 84 jobs in Jasper, expanding production of engineered steel structures used in electric transmission, distribution and substations. Grid expansion requires coordinated manufacturing capacity across steel fabrication and utility supply chains. Welding skills, material availability and traceable fabrication schedules determine usable output. Apprentice pipelines can support expansion while experienced staff preserve production quality. 4. Accumold expands precision molding capacity in Iowa. NAM reported October 23 that Accumold broke ground earlier this month on a $33.25 million, 53,000-square-foot expansion in Ankeny, Iowa. The project is expected to nearly double production capacity and create 150 jobs. Precision manufacturing growth depends on tooling and quality capabilities alongside equipment investment. Capacity ramps must preserve dimensional consistency, inspection discipline and tooling availability. More machines create value when qualified parts move through complete customer orders. 5. ResinTech secures financing for Camden expansion. ResinTech's October 23 update reports $15 million in New Markets Tax Credit financing supporting a 34,500-square-foot Camden addition. The approximately $18.6 million project is expected to finish in October 2027 and create 100 permanent jobs. Domestic water-treatment supply depends on specialized manufacturing and access to expansion capital. Process consistency, inventory control and warehouse coordination matter as capacity grows. Construction milestones need to be linked to commissioning and reliable customer supply. * October 6, 2026 Five manufacturing and AI developments: Anduril's $6.6 billion submarine-production push, Becton Dickinson's $3 billion U.S. expansion, the AI power bottleneck, SAP's TechWolf deal, and Schneider's $24 billion PTC acquisition. * September 29, 2026 Five manufacturing and AI developments: GM's Bolt production cut, an Iowa steel project, Rolls-Royce investment, Anthropic infrastructure obligations, and China's factory outlook. * October 16, 2026 Five developments: RapidCanvas funding, VDL and Corvid manufacturing expansions, Germany's planned Nvidia agreement, and Europe's automotive policy proposal. Start the conversation. Tell Ayoka, L.L.C. what you're seeing. Ayoka, L.L.C.'ll start with the operational problem and help determine what is getting in the way.