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Maintenance Meets AI: A Proven Approach for Asset-Heavy Industries

William Attardi on September 26, 2026

Embedding the latest AI and technology within day-to-day operations is transforming maintenance from a cost center into a significant driver of value. I is rewriting an operational playbook that for decades has governed the way asset-heavy industries manage maintenance. New technology and approaches are advancing the frontier of what is possible in asset management, increasing efficiency at every step of the maintenance and reliability process and improving the availability of mission-critical equipment. The transformation opportunity is significant. Maintenance is one of the largest controllable cost buckets in manufacturing and capital-intensive organizations such as airlines, mining, energy, and rail. And with a direct impact on operational continuity, the maintenance function has a critical influence on revenue generation and customer experience. Every day that a critical piece of equipment is unavailable, or that an airplane can’t fly, can represent millions of dollars in revenue and production losses. AI-driven maintenance: An approach for asset-heavy industries | McKinsey

Hitachi Energy to Invest $528 Million in New Transformer Factory in Mississippi by Laila Kearney And Kaori Kaneko

William Attardi on September 18, 2026

Hitachi Energy plans to build a $528 million factory in Mississippi to produce electrical transformers, marking the single-biggest investment the company has made as part of its U.S. manufacturing expansion. The country’s record-high power demand – driven by the proliferation of the technology industry’s giant data centers and the electrification of buildings and transportation – has butted up against a lack of critical electrical infrastructure like transformers and circuit breakers. The Gallman, Mississippi, plant, which is expected to start operations in 2029, will be roughly double the size of Hitachi Energy’s existing Crystal Springs facility in the state. The Gallman plant will produce the mid-range transformers that are used in data center projects, semi-conductor plants and other industrial operations with large power needs. Hitachi’s new Mississippi investment will complete the $1.5 billion the company is spending to boost its production capacity in the U.S. Hitachi Energy to invest $528 million in new transformer factory in Mississippi

Montreal Manufacturer Explores a Move to the U.S. as Tariff War Escalates

William Attardi on September 18, 2026

A recent survey found four in 10 Canadian manufacturers have either made the move or are considering it. Canada’s retaliatory tariffs were the tipping point for Aeris Protective Packaging Inc. Founder and president Michael Leiberman, a born-and-raised Montrealer, is opening a manufacturing plant south of the border to keep his business alive. The local company’s move highlights a growing exodus of Canadian manufacturers driven across the border by escalating trade crossfire and uncompetitive domestic business costs. As cross-border tariffs continue to hurt small and medium-sized businesses, industry experts warn that Canada’s economy is ill-equipped to sustain a prolonged trade war with its largest partner. Montreal manufacturer explores a move to the U.S. as tariff war escalates – Montreal Gazette

Expanding the Skilled Manufacturing Workforce with AI

William Attardi on September 11, 2026

AI could help US manufacturers address one of their most pressing workforce challenges: finding and developing more technicians. US manufacturing is increasingly defined by sophisticated, high-precision products that rely on advanced and interconnected production technologies, automation, and capital-intensive processes. In this new paradigm, multiskilled technicians with expertise across multiple technical domains, such as mechanical, electrical, and control systems, have become crucial enablers of operational success. At the same time, applicant shortages and skills gaps have made it difficult for manufacturers. Artificial intelligence could create a new opportunity to address these challenges. By embedding expertise directly into daily work, AI can help workers, including those with less experience and others transitioning from adjacent industries, develop and apply knowledge and skills in manufacturing roles, thereby broadening the technician talent pool. To explore this opportunity, Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute embarked on a study in May 2026 to map the technician ecosystem across manufacturing and adjacent industries and examine how generative and agentic AI could help reshape technician roles to improve business outcomes and enhance their appeal to current and future workers. The skilled manufacturing workforce and AI | Deloitte Insights

Siemens Announces More Than $200 Million in U.S. Manufacturing Investments and 1,500 New Jobs

William Attardi on August 24, 2026

Building on its recent milestone of more than $1 billion invested in U.S. manufacturing over the past five years, Siemens announced a combined investment of over $200 million in new manufacturing facilities in Pendergrass, GA, and Grand Prairie, TX, that will expand its U.S. electrical infrastructure manufacturing footprint and create more than 1,500 jobs. More than $185 million of this investment is dedicated to a new 550,000-sq-ft manufacturing facility in Pendergrass, GA. The facility will produce critical low-voltage electrical infrastructure products and systems for the data center market, supporting America’s growth in AI infrastructure and cloud computing. Concurrently, Siemens is developing a $19 million Grand Prairie, TX, facility that will increase the capacity of its nearby flagship switchgear factory. Siemens Announces More Than $200 Million in U.S. Manufacturing Investments and 1,500 New Jobs | Electrical Wholesaling

Manufacturing Finds Opportunity as College Skepticism Grows by John Dorer

William Attardi on August 11, 2026

It’s nothing new. Manufacturers have been struggling for years to attract younger workers to the skilled trades—many of the roles that keep plants functioning. In recent years, however, the broader conversation about this type of work is evolving….. Many young Americans share growing skepticism of the traditional college pathas white-collar office jobs face increasing pressure. It’s a meaningful shift as the manufacturing industry continues to face a consistent labor gap. Recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that there were roughly 438,000 open manufacturing jobs in early 2026. Long-term projections show little relief, as it’s expected the sector will need 3.8 million workers by 2033.  But there may be a very important break in that chain, as a growing section of younger workers are questioning whether the traditional college path is right for them. Plant roles and skilled-trade careers can be presented not as fallbacks, but as stable and practical career options that offer real pay, advancement and long-term demand. Manufacturing Finds Opportunity as College Skepticism Grows | Workforce Development | advancedmanufacturing.org

NEMA Urges Expansion of Aluminum Tariff Incentives

William Attardi on August 3, 2026

New tariff incentives that reduce aluminum tariffs from 50% to 25% for companies committing to investing in US aluminum production are designed to spur domestic investment. NEMA, which previously called for tariff incentives, supports the action and is calling for similar moves to expand the program to include electrical steel, spurring further investments in US smelting and manufacturing. NEMA Senior Director for Global Policy Patrick Lozada said there’s “an opportunity to expand on the approach that they’re taking with aluminum,” adding that relief for critical inputs would help manufacturers. New aluminum incentives draw industry praise, leave questions about impact  | InsideTrade.com

Siemens Energy Breaks Ground on New Mississippi Factory

William Attardi on July 23, 2026

Siemens Energy broke ground on a new factory in Pearl, Mississippi, marking the next step in the company’s effort to expand manufacturing capacity for critical grid technologies. The company announced on February 3 that it is investing $300 million in Mississippi. The factory, Siemens Energy’s second in the state, will manufacture high-voltage switchgear and is expected to create up to 300 jobs. Governor Tate Reeves presided over the ceremony. Siemens Energy has been manufacturing in Mississippi since 1973 and has a factory in Richland that makes high-voltage switchgear. Earlier this year, the company announced that it was investing $1 billion to ramp-up manufacturing in the United States and significantly expand its workforce. Siemens Energy Breaks Ground on New Mississippi Factory – tEDmag

Cooper Lighting Solutions Is Certified ‘Make It American’ by NEMA

William Attardi on June 29, 2026

The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) announced that Cooper Lighting Solutions has become the first lighting manufacturer certified under NEMA’s Make It American™ program, extending the domestic content certification program into a major category of federally funded infrastructure and construction. The company manufactures residential, commercial, industrial, sports, and infrastructure lighting and controls. The certification gives contractors, government agencies, and procurement officials a new lighting-sector resource as they work to meet domestic requirements under the bipartisan Build America, Buy America Act. Cooper Lighting Solutions becomes the 12th company with at least one Make It American-certified facility listed. Cooper Lighting Solutions is Certified ‘Make It American’ by NEMA

NEMA Celebrates Make It American™ Program’s First Anniversary with Landmark Schneider Electric Certification Milestone

William Attardi on June 16, 2026

In a first for American manufacturing, the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) today announced that Schneider Electric has earned Make It AmericanTM certification for each of its 20-plus U.S. manufacturing facilities – the first company in the program’s history to certify its entire domestic manufacturing footprint. The milestone coincides with the one-year anniversary of the Make It American program’s launch and underscores the growing momentum among American manufacturers to demonstrate and validate their commitment to domestic production. NEMA Celebrates Make It American™ Program’s First Anniversary with Landmark Schneider Electric Certification Milestone – NEMA

The Creator of Baby Ruth Actually Sued Babe Ruth –The Baby Ruth candy bar was created by the Curtiss Candy Company in 1920 — the same year that baseball legend Babe Ruth hit a then-record 54 home runs. But the Great Bambino was irked that the company was selling a candy bar with such a similar name to his own without offering him any royalties. Rather than take the Curtiss Candy Company to court, the Sultan of Swat decided to make his own candy bar, and in 1926 he debuted Ruth’s Home Run bar. The Curtiss Candy Company responded by turning the tables and taking Ruth to court. They accused the slugger of trying to steal their trademark and capitalize on the success of their brand. In a 1931 deposition, Curtiss founder Otto Schnering insisted the candy was named after “Baby Ruth” Cleveland — the daughter of President Grover Cleveland.  He also attested that the company came up with the name in 1919 before the baseball player had become a household name and that the name was merely coincidental. While the validity of those claims is disputed to this day, the court nonetheless ruled in favor of the candy company, forcing Ruth to end his foray into the world of candy.