It’s just business: manufacturing moves from Samsung Biologics, IFS, FloWorks 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 a South Korean pharmaceutical company's entry into U.S. medicine production and an AI startup's entry into warehousing software.

Giga Energy announced December 16 it would build a new 60,000-square-foot factory in Houston, Texas, for manufacturing medium-voltage transformers. The factory is scheduled to start production in early 2026 and scaling to an annual capacity of 15 gigawatts. In a company release, Giga Energy said the expansion would initially create 25 jobs, with 75 more to come as the plant scales up.

Kalogon, a Melbourne, Florida-based manufacturer of wheelchair cushions and other seating products, announced December 16 it would open a new million factory to meet growing demand. According to a company release, the company is outgrowing its original production at a nonprofit incubator and moving out. The company says the new factory will have enough production capacity to support $50 million in annual business.

Samsung Biologics announced December 21 it would establish its first U.S. manufacturing location as part of its agreement to purchase GSK’s human genome sciences division. The South Korean pharmaceutical said in a release it would pay GSK $280 million for the Rockville, Maryland campus, a move company leadership said would expand its global footprint. Samsung will retain the 500 employees at the plants, which together produce 60,000 liters of drug substance annually.

Floworks announced December 22 that it had purchased Cranford Equipment Co. for an undisclosed sum. The purchase unites Floworks’ flow control portfolio with Cranford’s filtration products. In a company statement, FloWorks Ceo Scott Jackson said the purchase would let FloWorks offer “more complete solutions.” Bart Cranford, Cranford CEO, said the purchase would expand his company’s reach.

IFS, a company selling industrial AI software, announced December 22 it had agreed to purchase Softeon, a provider of warehouse management software, for an undisclosed sum. The deal is expected to close early next year. According to a company statement, the purchase represents a “natural evolution” of IFS’ current offerings, which focus on manufacturing operations. IFS CEO Mark Moffat, in a statement, claimed AI products would be able to make warehousing more intelligent and autonomous.