AAR Mobility Systems has been awarded a sole-source IDIQ contract valued at $90 million by the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support to produce specialized shipping/storage containers and accessories. The containers will be manufactured in Cadillac, Michigan.

AAR Mobility Systems, a division of AAR Corp, was awarded a sole-source IDIQ contract by the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, with an estimated value of $90 million, to produce shipping and storage containers in Cadillac, Michigan.

Biewer Lumber expanded its sawmill in Newton, Mississippi, with a new 170-foot 25-ton log crane from Fulghum Industries, expected to increase mill production by over 100 million board feet per year and create over 30 new jobs.

The 402-megawatt gas turbine, a first of its kind for Siemens, is expected to be finished this summer at Duke Energy's Lincoln Gas Turbine plant near Denver, North Carolina.

Evonik Industries AG signed a purchase agreement to acquire Wilshire Technologies Inc., a U.S.-based supplier of phytochemicals and derivatives for cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. The transaction is expected to close by end of January 2020. Purchase price not disclosed.

Parker Hannifin is expanding its R&D capabilities for advanced hollow fiber filter membranes at the Parker Filtration Innovation Center in Columbia, Tennessee. Construction on a pilot line begins in late January 2020, with completion by end of 2020.

Martin-Baker announced the completion of the 600th US16E ejection seat for the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter program, part of a Lockheed Martin LRIP XII contract. The company will manufacture and deliver a further 180 seats by the end of 2020.

Clorox plans to build a manufacturing facility in Tabler Station Business Park, Berkeley County, West Virginia, to produce cat litter for Fresh Step and Scoop Away brands, with an expected investment of $190 million and 100 new jobs.

On January 16, 2020, Dunkel Bros. Machinery Moving, a heavy machinery moving specialist, was acquired by MEI Rigging & Crating. Terms were not disclosed.

Milliken has agreed to acquire Borchers Group from the Jordan Company for an undisclosed sum. Borchers, headquartered in Westlake, Ohio, makes additives for coatings, inks, and adhesives.

Atlas Copco acquired Hydra Flow West, a distributor of spare parts and accessories for compressor service based in Walnut, California. The purchase price was not disclosed. The announcement was made on January 16, 2020.

Cellphire Inc. was awarded a 6.5-year contract valued at $29.25 million by the U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity to develop an FDA-licensed cryopreserved platelet product.

Tulkoff Food Products expanded production capacity at its Baltimore, Maryland facility by integrating a custom mixing and emulsifying system, increasing shear-mixing capacity by over 200%.

A joint venture between Bladt Industries and Semco Maritime won a contract from Shell and EDPR to supply the offshore substation for the Mayflower Wind project, including foundation, electrical equipment, and inter-array cables.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles plans to invest nearly $400 million to expand and retool its Kokomo transmission plant in Indiana for production of the GMET4 engine, supporting over 1,000 workers including new hires.

Clearlake Capital Group, in partnership with management, has acquired rigid packaging maker Pretium Packaging from Genstar Capital. Pretium operates 19 automated plants in the US; financial terms were not disclosed.

The US Navy selected the Leonardo TH-119 helicopter, equipped with Genesys Aerosystems avionics suite, for the TH-73A training helicopter program. The contract is valued at $176,472,608 for 32 helicopters, with work expected to be completed by October 2021.

Australian-based Ferra Aerospace acquired C&M Machine Holding Inc., a Rogers, Arkansas manufacturer with 26 employees and a 24,000-square-foot facility. Financial terms were not disclosed.

The U.S. Navy has awarded AgustaWestland Philadelphia Corp., a Leonardo subsidiary, a $176.5 million contract to build 32 TH-73A training helicopters, with potential for up to 98 additional aircraft.

Pinnacle Textile Industries has acquired Topps Safety Apparel, a designer and manufacturer of flame-resistant industrial apparel based in Rochester, IN.

Power Grid Components has completed the acquisition of Royal Switchgear Manufacturing Company, a manufacturer of substation and transmission disconnect switches and power connectors. The transaction closed in December 2019.

Mudrick Capital Acquisition Corporation (MUDS) and Hycroft Mining Corporation have entered into a definitive purchase agreement for MUDS to acquire Hycroft's subsidiaries and assets. The transaction is expected to yield an enterprise value of approximately $537 million.

South Shore Controls relocated from North Perry Village to a new 35,000-square-foot building in Mentor, Ohio, with a total investment of over $3.2 million. The company employs 46 people and plans to add 15 jobs.

Air Industries Group, through its subsidiary Air Industries Machining Corporation, received a five-year Long-Term Agreement for thrust struts for the Pratt & Whitney Geared-Turbo-Fan jet engine, with potential sales of approximately $61.7 million. Shipping is expected to begin in the second half of 2020.

Nortek Air Solutions expanded its HVAC equipment manufacturing plant in Oklahoma City, investing $10 million and creating 200 jobs. It also invested $4.6 million in equipment at its coil plant and created 50 jobs at a research office. The expansion is for manufacturing the StatePoint Liquid Cooling system.

Kohler expanded Nixon Power Services' authorized sales and aftermarket territory to include Alabama and Southern Georgia. Nixon is the world's largest Kohler Power generation distributor.

Packaging Corporation of America has built a $26 million corrugated cardboard box plant on a 42-acre Richland site bought from the city for $1.7 million. The plant opened with an estimated 65 workers, with the workforce expected to grow to 100-150.

Ball Corporation broke ground in Rome, Georgia on a new aluminum cups manufacturing facility next to its existing can plant, a multi-year investment of about $200 million that plans to hire approximately 145 employees.

VEGA Americas acquired about 50 acres in Mason, Ohio's Research and Development Park for a new North American headquarters and advanced manufacturing facility.

Hammond Power Solutions officially opened a new 36,000 sq ft warehouse in Reno, Nevada on January 13, 2020, replacing its Compton, California warehouse, to improve shipping lead times and accommodate growing product sales.

Douglas Machine is planning a $3.8 million addition to its facility at 3404 Iowa Street in Alexandria, Minnesota, adding about 45,900 square feet of warehouse, manufacturing and office space. The expansion is expected to add 15 full-time employees within two years.

Shimadzu Medical Systems USA signed a one-year renewable agreement with NZ Technologies to market and sell the TIPSO AirPad technology in the US healthcare market, announced on January 13, 2020.

Milliken & Company has signed an agreement to acquire Borchers Group, a specialty chemicals company, from The Jordan Company. The deal is expected to close in January 2020.

Galvatek has received two large orders for surface treatment plants for the aviation industry from two different customers in the United States. The total value of the orders is several million euros.

WESCO International, Inc. will acquire Anixter International Inc. in a transaction valued at approximately $4.5 billion, creating a premier electrical and data communications distribution company.

The US Air Force issued a $17.3 million contract to ArmorSource for the manufacture and delivery of up to 24,300 LGD Sniper Gen II Ballistic Helmets to active duty security forces squadrons. The ordering period runs through January 2023.

Konecranes signed a contract in November 2016 with the Virginia Port Authority to supply 86 Automated Stacking Cranes for Norfolk International Terminals and Virginia International Gateway. The deal was valued at €200 million.

Danieli Centro Cranes will provide two EOT charging cranes with lifting capacity of 310/100/25 short tons to North Star BlueScope Steel in Delta, Ohio, USA. The first crane will be commissioned by July 2020 and the second by end of October 2020.

Cott Corporation agreed to acquire Primo Water Corporation for $14.00 per share in cash and stock, valuing Primo at approximately $775 million. The deal will make Cott a pure-play water company and it will rebrand as Primo Water.

Bunzl Distribution announced the acquisition of Joshen Paper & Packaging, a distributor of packaging supplies with locations in 11 US states and about 450 employees.

Private equity firm Industrial Opportunity Partners has acquired Midwest Paper Group, a recycled containerboard mill in Combined Locks, Wisconsin. Terms were not disclosed.

Woodward, Inc. and Hexcel Corporation announced a definitive agreement to combine in an all-stock merger of equals to create a premier integrated systems provider serving the aerospace and industrial sectors. The combined company will be named Woodward Hexcel.

Fibertex Personal Care invested nearly $40 million to install a nonwovens printing line in Asheboro, North Carolina, USA. The line is expected to start production in the first half of 2021.

General Electric was awarded a $318 million contract by the U.S. Air Force for the engine component improvement program, including engineering changes and design modifications. Work will be performed in Cincinnati, Ohio, with completion expected by December 2029.

Joy Cone, a manufacturer of ice cream cones, will expand its cookie manufacturing operations in Hermitage, Pennsylvania, with a $10 million investment to meet increasing market demand for cookie and wafer products.

Goettl Air Conditioning & Plumbing acquired Will's All Pro Plumbing & Air Conditioning, a Texas-based provider of plumbing and HVAC services in San Antonio. The acquisition expands Goettl's footprint into Texas.

DeWys Mfg. Inc. is completing a 35,000-sq.-ft. building expansion to house its new Stainless Solutions business unit, which will produce stainless steel and aluminum parts. The expansion includes new equipment such as a Lissmac deburring machine, a 4,000-W laser, and an Amada press brake.

GFL Environmental Inc. has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire American Waste's solid and liquid waste businesses in Michigan and Pennsylvania. The transaction is expected to close in February 2020.

AUSA and JLG Industries have partnered to manufacture the SkyTrak 3013 compact telehandler, based on AUSA's T144H model, for the US market. JLG will launch the vehicle in February 2020 at the ARA Show.

Blount Fine Foods has purchased a former Harry's Fresh Foods plant in Portland, Oregon, adding 80,000 square feet of capacity. The company will invest $25 million in new processing equipment, creating about 50 jobs initially, with the plant expected to be fully operational in 2021.