It’s just business: manufacturing moves from Boeing, GlobalFoundries, Integrated Power Services, and more

The business of manufacturing never stops. Mergers, investments and strategic expansions are necessary for industrial companies to keep competitive. Below, see five such recent actions manufacturers are making in the industrial space today, including the closure of a long-planned big-name aviation acquisition. 

Acquisition: Boeing Co. announced December 8 it had received FTC approval for its acquisition of Spirit Aerosystems for $8.3 billion. The deal unites Boeing with a manufacturer of its aircraft fuselages in a bit by the plane manufacturer to handle longstanding quality concerns. The FTC's approval is conditional on the divestment of some of Spirit Aerosystems assets to avoid antitrust concerns: To fulfill those requirements, Spirit has agreed to sell its Airbus fuselage construction to Airbus and a Malaysia aerostructures plant to an unidentified buyer known to Boeing. For more on this big aerospace deal, see Plant Services’ sister site, American Machinist.

Acquisition: Integrated Power Services announced December 3 it had acquired ENA Electronics Inc., effective November 26. IPS, which provides remanufacturing and electrical and mechanical servicing for manufacturers, did not specify a price for ENA, which provides system inspection, fault detection, component repair, replacement, electrical testing, maintenance and preventative maintenance services to customers. In statements, company leadership said ENA’s purchase will augment IPS’ offerings for electrical equipment, including for power utilities.

Partnership: BAE Systems and GlobalFoundries announced they would form a partnership dedicated to streamlining supply chains for semiconductors designed to work in space. In a December 2 release, the companies noted that microelectronics in low-Earth orbit or higher are exposed to cosmic radiation and particles normally blocked by the Earth’s magnetosphere. The partnership combines GlobalFoundries U.S.-based chip production capability with BAE Systems’ design experience in producing components hardened against radiation and other interference.

Expansion: Robinson Inc. recently announced it would lease a new 560,000-square-foot plant near Altoona, Iowa, to use as a new factory for custom metal products, especially enclosures for energy storage or pump systems. According to a December 2 release, the company will invest $76 million on upgrades there with construction starting at the end of the year and scheduled startup by January 2027. The company also said it expected to hire 100 people at the new site.

Expansion: Lexington Manufacturing, a door and window company, announced it would expand into a new location in Prineville, Oregon. The Coon Rapids, Michigan-based contract supplier said the new location would create 50 new jobs and include 7 lamination lines, 4 profile wrappers, 2 mould lines and other wood processing equipment in 600,000 square feet for manufacturing. The factory, which local news site Central Oregon Daily News reported formerly housed an Owens Corning plant, is expected to reopen by the end of the year.