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On August 30, 2022, Kawasaki Heavy Industries sued Rorze Corporation for patent infringement. Kawasaki accused Rorze of stealing its patented semiconductor silicon wafer handling and transfer robotic systems technology and — nearly four years later — a jury agreed. In March 2026, a jury found that Rorze willfully infringed on Kawasaki's patent and awarded $16.65 million in lost profits and $31.7...

A candy company whose origins pre-date the Great Depression made a disappointing announcement last week.After 117 years in business, Pearson’s Candy Company will close its Minnesota factory.According to reports, Pearson’s - operating as St. Paul Candy Company - completed a WARN filing to notify the state that it would be cutting 80 jobs in September because it lacks the funding to continue...

An affiliate of a Canadian aerospace manufacturer has filed for bankruptcy protection for its longtime factory in Southwest Ohio, according to a local report.Magellan Aerospace USA Inc. is seeking Chapter 11 protection for the Magellan plant in Middletown, the Journal-News reports. Documents filed with the court reportedly listed assets of $10 million to $50 million and liabilities of $50 million...

Last week, TRISO-X announced tentative plans to create some 1,140 new jobs in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The company hopes to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in equipment to build a new fuel facility and R&D center at Horizon Center Industrial Park, according to the state's Department of Economic and Community Development .TRISO-X is unique in that it is the first company to receive a...

Researchers have been trying to make invisible drones and camouflaged robots for years, before that it was cars and planes. They have used everything from transparent materials to light-bending optical systems or cloaks, but haven't been able to make it happen. But now, engineers at Northwestern University have created a drone that appears to vanish in plain sight after it takes flight. The team...

Athletic shoe company New Balance is well known for its U.S.-based manufacturing footprint, so when it announced in 2024 that it would be closing its plant in Norridgewock, Maine, many local officials were surprised.At the time, New Balance leaders said they’d be shifting work from Norridgewock to another Maine plant – in nearby Skowhegan. The Skowhegan plant, which opened in 2025, was intended...

Yesterday, Miller High Life, a Molson Coors brand, announced an interesting new position. The beermaker is looking for a Mayor of the "Champagne of Beers" region—and that region is oddly specific.​Odd jobs work as PR stunts. Remember when Custom Cones USA offered a $70,000 salary for the "Ultimate Stoner Dream Job,' which was basically a content creator who smoked weed every day—they reportedly...

A few years ago, food manufacturer Land O'Lakes had a radical idea: What if it let part-time employees pick their own schedule? In early 2022, coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Arden Hills, Minnesota-based maker of dairy products and animal feeds noticed a sea change in employee priorities: people wanted flexibility.So, the company rolled out the Flex Work program for employees working...

Welcome to another episode of Gen Z in Manufacturing, a podcast that asks young people about their journeys in manufacturing, how they intend to influence the industry and what they are looking for from an employer.For this episode, I welcome Josiah Bondy, a 29-year-old senior product marketing manager for Miter, a software developer that helps construction and field service contractors manage...

Federal agents conducted an operation at LaFontanella Foods’ facility in Kansas City, with outlets reporting that law enforcement detained up to eight people. The company manufactures food products, including Cascone’s [cas-CONY] pasta sauce.A spokesperson for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed to IEN that “Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Kansas City conducted a...