IEN Radio

Hosted by Eric Sorensen

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1116

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Aug 2026

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Radio for manufacturing and engineering professionals. New industrial products, news and technical articles.

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August 14, 20261 min

LISTEN: GM Reveals $4.5B Supply Chain Shield for Emergencies

General Motors disclosed a $4.5 billion Master IPU Agreement designed to help maintain vehicle production during a crisis. Disclosed in an SEC filing, the program will secure critical inventory for retail and fleet vehicles in the event of disruptions caused by extreme weather, natural disasters, excessive demand, cyberattacks and other events. @GeneralMotors According to the regulatory filing, General Motors will issue irrevocable payment undertakings (IPUs) to paying agent Procura Auto Parts. Procura will then advance funds to select suppliers to purchase and hold inventory on GM’s behalf.A syndicate of banks that includes JPMorgan Chase will provide the funds to Procura, with GM backing the arrangement through its IPUs. Suppliers will store the parts until GM needs them.The agreement provides for a 12-month funding period that began August 7, allowing a maximum of $4.5 billion in outstanding IPUs. GM will pay back the IPUs as it uses the inventory, with all payments due by August 6, 2029.Interest will accrue on outstanding IPUs at a rate equal to the Secured Overnight Financing Rate, plus 1.55% annually. GM will also pay a 0.25% annual ticking fee on the daily average unutilized portion of the limit.The development underscores GM’s efforts to protect production from unforeseen disruptions. For example, a global semiconductor shortage that plagued the automotive industry during the COVID-19 pandemic forced GM to announce production downtime at domestic and international facilities. Additionally, a shortage of Japanese parts following the devastating 2011 earthquake and tsunami led to GM temporarily halting production at a pickup plant in Louisiana.GeneralMotors, #GM, #Manufacturing, #Automotive, #SupplyChain, #SupplyChainManagement, #AutomotiveIndustry, #Factory, #Industry40, #Cybersecurity, #Reshoring, #Logistics, #Operations, #IndustrialManufacturing, #ManufacturingNews

August 14, 20261 min

LISTEN: Nearly 150-Year-Old Beef Plant Set for Closure Will Remain Open

A Pennsylvania beef processing plant that had been set to close after nearly 150 years will instead remain open as a packaging facility — preserving hundreds of jobs outside Philadelphia.Meatpacking giant JBS said in June that it would end beef harvesting and processing operations at its Souderton plant amid broader turmoil in the U.S. beef industry, including drought conditions, tariffs and the smallest domestic cattle herd in decades. @JBSUSA The decision was originally expected to shut down the facility outright, but JBS said Monday that the company discussed alternatives with state and local officials and union leaders in subsequent weeks. Following those talks, JBS officials said, the company made the decision to instead convert the Souderton plant into a “dedicated value-added operation.”JBS said that it expects to invest over $30 million across the next decade to enable the facility — which dates back to 1877 — to prepare and package products for retailers in the Northeast.The move would preserve about 400 jobs at the plant, the company said, but union leaders noted that many others would still be out of work when beef processing ends Friday: the closure of the plant was expected to eliminate 1,500 union-represented jobs in total, as well as hundreds more in management roles or in jobs with the plant’s nearby suppliers.JBS USA CEO Wesley Batista Filho said that in addition to preserving some jobs, the decision would “strengthen our case-ready business” while “serving customers in a key consumer market.” Wendell Young, the president of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1776, added that it creates “a path for long-term success at the Souderton facility."#JBS, #Meatpacking, #BeefIndustry, #Manufacturing, #PennsylvaniaManufacturing, #FoodManufacturing, #Jobs, #Packaging, #SupplyChain, #FoodIndustry, #Factory, #ManufacturingNews, #IndustrialNews, #Labor, #UFCW

August 12, 20261 min

LISTEN: GM Exits Joint Venture for $3.5B EV Battery Plant

Korean manufacturer Samsung SDI announced that it acquired General Motors’ stake in the SynergyCells joint venture. The collaboration had planned to build a $3.5 billion electric vehicle battery cell factory in New Carlisle, Indiana, with the American automaker holding a 49.99% stake.Samsung SDI attributed the decision to market changes since the joint venture’s conception in 2023, including “slower-than-expected growth of EV demand.” The company said it plans to continue building the facility, which would serve as its first independently operated battery production base in North America. The plant is currently under construction, though Samsung SDI did not provide an expected completion date. Once finished, the company now plans to make batteries for energy storage systems. Despite GM’s exit from the joint venture, the two companies signed a new agreement to develop a prismatic battery cell for potential future EV applications, with Samsung SDI noting that the Indiana plant could eventually make the cells.General Motors and Samsung SDI formed their original partnership in April 2023 and selected New Carlisle as the plant site two months later. The joint venture intended to make nickel-rich prismatic and cylindrical cells, achieve a capacity of 30 gigawatt-hours, create 1,600 jobs and begin production in 2026. However, in August 2024, the companies delayed the production start to 2027 after construction had begun.GM’s decision to sell its stake follows a January 8 SEC filing in which the automaker said it expected to record approximately $6 billion in charges in the fourth quarter of 2025 following its review of EV capacity and investments. The announcement comes as automakers scale back EV plans after the loss of a $7,500 EV federal tax credit last September.#GM, #GeneralMotors, #SamsungSDI, #EV, #ElectricVehicles, #EVBatteries, #BatteryManufacturing, #EnergyStorage, #Manufacturing, #IndianaManufacturing, #Automotive, #BatteryTechnology, #SupplyChain, #IndustrialNews, #ManufacturingNews

August 11, 202617 min

LISTEN: Gen Z in Manufacturing: What Makes a Factory Feel Outdated to Gen Z

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 Jacob Collier, a 24-year-old assistant specialist on the IT team at Yaskawa Motoman Robotics, a company that provides automation products and solutions for various industries and robotic applications and features a product line of more than 150 robot models.Collier previously spent over two years as an intern at Yaskawa Motoman, where helped the company implement the Limble CMMS. He now supports various IT systems and assets across the company’s manufacturing facility and contributes to other operations like the in-house print center, which produces manuals and stickers for robots built on-site.In this episode, Collier discusses: (1:12) What young people expect from internships (5:32) The biggest disconnect between IT and manufacturing teams (10:09) How Gen Z likes to learn (13:14) Signs of a dated facility that Gen Z will noticePlease make sure to like and share this episode of Gen Z in Manufacturing. To view previous episodes, visit manufacturing.net. If you are a member of Gen Z and would like to discuss your experience in the manufacturing industry, please get in touch with me, Nolan Beilstein, at nolan@ien.com.

August 11, 20261 min

LISTEN: Milwaukee Tool Thief Gets 5 Years

Last year, an employee at Milwaukee Tool was arrested for stealing more than $1 million in tools from the Wisconsin tool maker. Matthew Yang worked in the company's IT department and manipulated the Milwaukee Tool ordering system to send tools to multiple addresses, including his own. On Friday, 32-year-old Yang was sentenced to five years in prison, which will be followed by five years of extended supervision. Yang must also pay Milwaukee Tool $1.08 million in restitution and will be on probation for nine years, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The sentence was part of a plea deal that saw Yan plead no contest to five felonies to have nine other charges dropped. Police were contacted in April 2025 after Yang had some 9,000 pounds of tools sent to his apartment complex, which is unordinary. The freight company reached out to Milwaukee Tool’s customer service to confirm the address, but the tool maker couldn’t find the order in its system, according to the local Fox affiliate. Yang would create the orders, have them shipped, but then delete the order before payment processing. He did this for some 115 orders. Milwaukee Tool caught six of them, which means 109 made it to their destinations. Yang had a unique knowledge of Milwaukee Tool’s operation. He worked with the company for about eight years, starting in the supply chain department before he moved to IT. During the investigation, law enforcement also found that Yang visited a local casino at least 140 times and sustained some significant losses.

August 7, 20262 min

LISTEN: The Air Force B-52 Modernization Program Has Hit Some Snags

The Air Force hopes to get another 25 years out of its B-52 Bomber fleet but it’s running into some cost, scheduling and performance challenges.The B-52 was first introduced in 1955 and the Air Force is hoping that a series of updates can keep the fleet in the air until 2050. It intends to spend $21 billion to improve the engines, radar, communications, software and weapon systems for the more than 70 B-52s still in service.The Air Force already has the B-1 and B-2 along with the in-development B-21, but it said the B-52 still remains critical to the U.S.’s ability to deploy nuclear capabilities. Plus, it can fly nearly 9,000 miles without refueling and carry up to 70,000 pounds.However, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that the Commercial Engine Replacement Program (CERP), which represents the bulk of modernization costs, has increased by about $3 billion since a 2023 estimate, and initial operational capability has been delayed more than 15 months. While 10 out of the 13 B-52 modernizations experience challenges, the GAO said the Air Force still wants to proceed with engine production before critical flight testing is completed.#B52, #USAirForce, #Defense, #Military, #Aerospace, #MilitaryAviation, #Aircraft, #DefenseIndustry, #Engineering, #Manufacturing, #Government, #GAO, #Aviation, #NationalSecurity, #MilitaryTechnology

August 6, 20261 min

LISTEN: Company Reverses Decision to Close Ohio Glass Plant

A western Ohio glass plant that was slated to close by the end of this year will not only remain open, but also expand its production and add jobs, company and economic development officials said last week.Vitro, a producer of glass for automotive, architectural and consumer goods companies, announced in the fall of 2024 that it would close its facility in Crestline, Ohio, which makes glass for automotive OEMs. State officials said that the decision came amid “sharp headwinds” in the industry and was part of a broader plan to reshuffle Vitro’s manufacturing footprint, but over the following months, improving macroeconomic conditions and “new business opportunities” prompted Vitro to weigh other options to meet demand — including, potentially, modernizing, rather than shuttering, the Crestline plant.State economic development agency JobsOhio, also with other state officials and local economic development groups, said that it lobbied company executives to invest in Crestline instead of its other U.S. facilities, and officials announced last Monday that Vitro would move forward with a project to improve efficiency and bolster production capacity at the Ohio location. The move would retain its current workforce of 265, as well as add another 53 new jobs.Carlos Bernal, the president of Vitro Automotive Glass, called the announcement “an important step” in strengthening the company’s competitiveness, and that it remains “committed to continuously evaluating opportunities to improve our manufacturing network.”The Ohio Tax Credit Authority approved an eight-year tax incentive package to support the project, which includes a 1.302% tax credit over that span.

August 5, 20261 min

LISTEN: Kawasaki Settles Multi-Million Dollar Suit Over Stolen Semiconductor Tech

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 million on lost royalties. However, the $48.35 million verdict didn't end there as Kawasaki tried to triple the damages to some $145 million due to the willful infringement finding. #Manufacturing, #Robotics, #Semiconductors, #Patent, #PatentInfringement, #Kawasaki, #Rorze, #SemiconductorManufacturing, #IndustrialRobotics, #Automation, #ManufacturingNews, #Technology, #LegalNews, #Innovation, #Engineering

August 4, 20261 min

LISTEN: 117-Year-Old Candy Company to Shutter Factory

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 operating its St. Paul plant.Pearson’s is perhaps best known for the Salted Nut Roll – a peanut and nougat confection that was invented during the Depression to serve as a sweet treat that was also filling, all for the price of a nickel.Other favorites produced by the plant over the years include the Nut Goodie, Bun Bar, and Mint Patty.The company changed hands many times throughout its century-plus in operation, and its been producing its goods from this specific St. Paul plant since 1959.Most recently, a 2023 merger placed Pearson’s under the Promise Confections umbrella of companies, which means production of these long-standing sweets could be moved to another facility within the group, though it’s unclear at this time what - and whether - that happens.Former Pearson’s maintenance director Scott Kieland told Minnesota Public Radio that the continuous slate of private equity owners had failed to invest adequately in the aging plant.Alex Allen, a former Pearson’s VP, added that increasing production and ingredients costs made the closure feel “a little bit… inevitable” and that even the biggest companies in this space were feeling those same pressures.#cybersecurity, #infosec, #cybersecurityawareness, #ethicalhacking, #hacking, #cyberattack, #datasecurity, #networksecurity, #informationsecurity, #cybercrime, #tech, #technology, #ai, #ransomware, #malware, #cloudsecurity, #zerotrust, #phishing, #soc, #cyberdefense, #itsecurity, #cybernews, #security, #penetrationtesting, #digitalsecurity

July 31, 20261 min

LISTEN: Ohio Aerospace Plant Files for Bankruptcy

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 to $100 million.The Chapter 11 process typically allows companies to continue operating their assets; the filing would reportedly authorize company officials to pursue a restructuring or reorganization, as well as a sale of the facility or liquidation, if necessary.Magellan, based in suburban Toronto, makes complex assemblies and systems for aircraft manufacturers, engine makers and space agencies across the globe from production facilities in North America, Europe and India. The company says the Middletown plant manufactures high-temperature, vacuum-brazed honeycomb structures for exhaust systems and control surfaces and offers assembly of titanium- and nickel-based alloy components and aluminum structures.The facility traces its roots to 1928, when a company eventually known as Aeronca was founded in Cincinnati; it moved to suburban Middletown following a 1937 flood, and was acquired by Magellan predecessor Fleet Aerospace 40 years ago.Magellan officials indicated in a corporate resolution this month that bankruptcy would be in the best interests of the company along with those of its creditors, employees and other stakeholders. The Journal-News said that the company did not respond to multiple requests for comment.#Manufacturing, #Aerospace, #AerospaceManufacturing, #Bankruptcy, #Chapter11, #Ohio, #MagellanAerospace, #Aviation, #SupplyChain, #IndustrialNews, #ManufacturingNews, #Aircraft, #Factory, #BusinessNews, #Industry