A team from NCDMM, Boeing and SwRI was awarded a $6.7 million contract by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory to develop software and technology for reusable advanced robotics in aerospace manufacturing and maintenance.

EnviroSep, a maker of modular chiller, boiler and pump packages, is expanding its existing Georgetown County operations with at least a $5.2 million investment expected to create 100 new jobs over five years.

Gateway Extrusions is adding a new 9-inch, 2,750-ton aluminum extrusion press at its Union, Missouri facility as part of a multi-phase expansion, increasing throughput by at least 50%.

Siemens will supply two Industrial Trent 60 gas turbines and two generators to the Bayonne Energy Center in the US, increasing the facility's power output to 640 MW. Siemens also received an extension to its long-term service contract.

Evonik Corporation is building a precipitated silica plant at the Charleston International Manufacturing Center in Goose Creek, South Carolina. The $120 million investment will create more than 50 jobs. Construction begins December 2016, completion expected by mid-2018.

Lenzing AG approved a €275 million investment to build a state-of-the-art lyocell fiber plant in Mobile, Alabama, with a capacity of 90,000 tons per year. Operations are scheduled to start in Q1 2019.

KOBELCO Construction Machinery USA announced an increase in manufacturing capacity at its Spartanburg, South Carolina facility to include the SK350LC-10 excavator model. The facility already produces 20 and 35 ton class models.

Synalloy Corporation, through its subsidiary Bristol Metals, signed a definitive agreement to acquire the stainless steel pipe and tube operations of Marcegaglia USA for $15-16 million, expected to close by March 1, 2017.

Evonik Industries is building a world-scale precipitated silica plant near Charleston, South Carolina, with an investment of about $120 million, to be completed in 2018.

CarterBrothers Services and Williams Industrial Services Group formed a contractual joint venture named CarterBrothers Williams (CBW) to provide maintenance, modification and construction services to power generation, industrial and infrastructure markets in the U.S.

In a parallel deal, Newell Brands is buying US company Smith Mountain Industries, maker of WoodWick home fragrance candles, for US$100 million.

Ball Corporation will close its Reidsville, North Carolina beverage can plant next year, eliminating about 150 jobs. The company expects an after-tax charge of about $18 million, mostly for severance, pensions, impairments and shutdown costs.

New-Indy JV Corp. has agreed to acquire triPAQ, Inc., a family-owned corrugated packaging company with plants in Santa Ana and Cerritos, California, and in Mexicali and Tijuana, Mexico. Terms were not disclosed.

Strata Worldwide completed the acquisition of certain assets of A.L. Lee Corporation, the market leader in rock dusting machinery and other underground mining equipment.

Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems (MHPS) has released the M501JAC, an enhanced air-cooled J-Series gas turbine with a combined cycle output of 540 MW and efficiency exceeding 63 percent. Seven technical selections by utilities and IPPs have been made in recent months.

The Angelus Corporation, an aerospace and defense products and services company, has acquired CertifyNation, an engineering design firm located in Elmhurst, IL. CertifyNation will relocate to Angelus's global headquarters in Sussex, WI and operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary.

Evonik Industries AG acquired the silica business of J.M. Huber for $630 million, expanding its position in North America and Asia in the silica market.

Raytheon received a $101.97 million contract from the U.S. Navy for repair support of AN/ALR-67(V)3 radar warning receiver assemblies for F/A-18 aircraft, with work through December 2020.

Medical device manufacturer Insulet Corp. will soon break ground on a new 195,000-square-foot assembly plant in Acton, Massachusetts.

Automotive supplier NTK Precision Axle Corp. plans to expand its operations in Indiana by establishing a new axle assembly plant in Anderson, Indiana. The company plans to create nearly 200 jobs over the next five years.

Aerojet Rocketdyne plans to build a new state-of-the-art factory in Huntsville, Alabama, to build the company's next-generation rocket engine. The facility is expected to create 800 jobs.

Wabash National acquired the recently-shuttered Larson Boat plant in Little Falls, Minnesota, and plans to invest $11 million to renovate and equip the facility. The company hopes to employ 70 people by 2019 and 100 or more within five years.

Continental is investing more than $40 million to expand its brake systems assembly plant in Morganton, North Carolina. The expansion is set to be completed in early 2018.

Elio Motors has named BASF Coatings as its official supplier of paints, coatings and finishes for its three-wheel vehicle manufacturing at the Shreveport, Louisiana facility. BASF previously operated at the same site for nearly 30 years supporting General Motors.

Electromechanical manufacturer G.W. Lisk will renovate a 17,000 sq ft research and development facility in Phelps, Ontario County, New York, and buy new equipment, creating 40 jobs within five years. Empire State Development offered up to $600,000 in Excelsior Jobs tax credits; completion is expected in spring 2017.

Chicago private equity firm Wind Point Partners has acquired Paragon Films, a manufacturer of cast stretch films headquartered in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, which operates three plants in Oklahoma, North Carolina and Washington state. Terms were not disclosed.

Patterson-UTI Energy agreed to acquire Seventy Seven Energy in an all-stock deal valued at about $1.76 billion, creating a larger US land drilling and pressure pumping fleet. Closing is expected late in Q1 2017.

Axalta Coating Systems entered an agreement to acquire the Spencer Coatings Group, a manufacturer of high-performance industrial coatings.

Cabot Corp. committed to build a new fumed silica plant in Carrollton, Kentucky.

IMCD N.V. signed an agreement to acquire the specialty chemicals distribution business of Bossco Industries Inc.

The Valspar Corp. expanded production capacity of its automotive refinish coatings products at U.S.-based manufacturing facilities.

Wacker Chemie AG officially started construction on its HDK pyrogenic silica plant adjacent to its Charleston, Tennessee, polysilicon plant.

Ravago Chemical, a subsidiary of Ravago Holdings America, acquired specialty chemicals distributor Pacific Coast Chemicals. The business will continue under the Pacific Coast Chemicals name.

Boeing and Iran Air announced an agreement for 80 aircraft, including 50 737 MAX 8s, 15 777-300ERs, and 15 777-9s, valued at $16.6 billion at list prices. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2018.

W.M. Sprinkman Corp. held a grand opening celebration of its new headquarters and expanded plant operations in Waukesha, Wisconsin. The company engineers process equipment for the food and beverage industry.

Landmark Ceramics, a subsidiary of Italy's Gruppo Concorde, hosted a grand opening for its newly constructed 700,000 sq ft tile production facility and North American headquarters in Mount Pleasant, Tennessee. The project represents a $90 million investment.

Burns & McDonnell Inc., an engineering and construction firm, has acquired industrial contractor AZCO Inc. AZCO operates a 71,000 sq ft fabrication center and will remain in Appleton, Wisconsin. The purchase price was not disclosed.

Samsung Electronics will supply semiconductors to Tesla Motors for self-driving features, according to a report by Electronic Times. The value of the order was not disclosed.

Phillips-Medisize Corporation announced plans to open a new 80,000 square foot manufacturing facility on its Menomonie, Wisconsin campus for high volume prefilled drug delivery systems, to be completed in 2017 and employing over 100 people.

Rassini was awarded a contract to supply brake rotors for the sixth-generation Ford Mustang from its Mt. Morris Township, Michigan facility, increasing its workforce by more than 10%.

Evoqua Water Technologies was selected to provide a Dystor dual membrane gas holder system to the city of Mansfield, Ohio, as part of its Wastewater Treatment Plant upgrade project.

Intersil Corporation stockholders approved the merger agreement with Renesas Electronics Corporation. The transaction is expected to close during the first half of 2017, subject to regulatory approvals.

Connecticut Water Service, Inc. received approval from the Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority to acquire Heritage Village Water Company, which serves about 4,700 water customers and 3,000 wastewater customers.

Stone Canyon Industries, via its BWAY Corp unit, is in exclusive talks to buy industrial packaging company Mauser Group from Clayton Dubilier & Rice for more than $2 billion, though no deal is certain.

SKS Bottle & Packaging plans to move to a 22-acre site off Geyser Road in Saratoga Springs, New York, with a 128,000-square-foot headquarters, warehouse and distribution center, with a long-term goal of 250,000 square feet.

Terumo Corporation reached an agreement to acquire St. Jude Medical's Angio-Seal and FemoSeal vascular closure products and Abbott's Vado steerable sheath business (via Kalila Medical) for $1.12 billion.

Medline will invest $20 million to expand its flush manufacturing plants in Wisconsin and New Jersey to broaden its SwabFlush product line.

Codman Neuro, part of Johnson & Johnson, announced the acquisition of Pulsar Vascular Inc., a developer of the PulseRider device for treating complex aneurysms. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Columbus McKinnon Corporation announced the proposed all-cash acquisition of STAHL CraneSystems, a business of Konecranes PLC, for $240 million with an earn-out potential up to $246 million.

Magna International won several seating supply contracts with BMW Group and began construction of a 230,000 sq. ft. plant in Spartanburg County, South Carolina, to fulfill the orders. The plant is expected to employ up to 480 people by 2020.