Legrand will begin construction of a new plant in Ulyanovsk, Russia, in late April or early May 2017, investing over 1 billion rubles and creating 300 jobs. The plant will produce cable channels, circuit breakers, and transformers.

China XD Plastics signed an agreement with the People's Government of Shunqing District, Nanchong City, Sichuan Province, to build a facility producing 300,000 metric tons of bio-composite materials and additive manufacturing materials and 20,000 metric tons of functional masterbatch.

AO Basaltovyye Proyekty plans to invest 2.7 billion rubles in a plant producing continuous basalt fiber in the Mogilino SEZ, Pskov region. The project is scheduled for 2017-2019 and aims to increase Russian production from 2,500-3,000 tons to 5,000 tons per year.

OOO Istrem plans to invest about 350 million rubles in a plant producing technical textiles with polyurethane coating in the Mogilino SEZ, Pskov region. The project is scheduled for 2018-2019 with an annual capacity of about 1 million sq m.

Thermax Ltd. breaks ground on a new production unit in Sri City, India, on a 40-acre plot with an investment of INR 1.5 billion (approx. USD 23 million). The plant will produce chillers, steam generators, and boilers, creating about 200 jobs, and is expected to be commissioned by March 2018.

Imas, manufacturer of Milleral and Viteral machinery solutions for the flour, semolina and feed milling industries, has opened a new factory in Konya, Turkey.

American company Chassix will build a new foundry in Ostrava, Czech Republic, for $50 million (nearly 1.3 billion CZK) to produce aluminum chassis and powertrain components, creating up to 350 jobs. Production is expected to start in early 2018.

Polyguard Products bought a new facility in Corsicana, Texas, that more than doubles its manufacturing capacity, with the site set to open in mid-2017 and most manufacturing moving from Ennis.

Atlas Copco has started production at its new 180,000 sq. ft. facility in Rock Hill, South Carolina, with the first XAS 185 portable air compressor, replacing its original Rock Hill site.

Bayer has opened a new $16.7 million breeding and research station in Lubbock, Texas, focusing on drought-resistant cotton, creating 25 new jobs.

PT XD Sakti Indonesia officially opened a power transformer plant in Cikarang, West Java, with an annual capacity of 10,896 MVA. The plant is a joint venture between XD Group China and Central Cipta Murdaya Group, with an investment of US$80 million.

Hanwha Chemical announced it will build a 50,000-ton-per-year petroleum resin production plant in Yeosu National Industrial Complex, South Korea, with a total investment of 130 billion won. Commercial production is targeted for 2019.

Palmeraie Industries et Services launched its new Dolidol factory in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire for polyurethane foam and bedding. The investment was MAD 125 million, creating 300 direct jobs, with annual capacity of 6,000 tons of foam and 1,500 mattresses per day.

Uflex will start commercial operations at its new aseptic liquid packaging plant in Sanand, Gujarat in April 2017. The investment is Rs 580 crore and the plant will employ about 250 people.

Parker Products broke ground on a new 90,000-square-foot facility in Fort Worth, Texas, expected to open in early 2018, tripling total production capacity.

Interceramic announced plans to build a US$80 million ceramic tile plant in San Luis de la Paz, Guanajuato, Mexico. The first phase will produce up to 9 million square meters of floor tile per year and create 140 direct jobs.

The Competition Commission of India approved a joint venture between Trafigura Pte Ltd and Polycab Wires to set up a copper rod production facility in Halol, Gujarat, with an annual capacity of 240,000 tonnes and a total investment of USD 25 million. The plant is expected to be operational by the end of 2017.

Koenig & Bauer laid the foundation stone on 14 March 2017 for a new Demo Center for digital and flexo presses at its Würzburg headquarters, with about 2,100 square metres of usable area. The investment totals about 16 million, covering 6 million for building and infrastructure and about 10 million for demo presses.

Gentherm Corporation inaugurated a new plant at the Amistad Sur Industrial Park in Celaya, Guanajuato, after a US$15.7 million investment, expecting to generate 1,500 jobs during its first stage.

Boeing, in cooperation with COMAC, will begin construction of a 737 assembly plant in Zhoushan, China at the end of March 2017. The plant will assemble 100 aircraft per year and is expected to deliver its first aircraft next year.

Aircraft Composites Sachsen GmbH (acosa), a subsidiary of Elbe Flugzeugwerke GmbH, held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new EUR40 million plant in Kodersdorf, Germany, to produce cargo compartment linings and floor panels for Airbus A320/A321 aircraft. The plant will create 120 jobs and aims to produce 200,000 panels in its first full production year (2019).

Merz Pharma is constructing a new production plant costing EUR 15 million to produce dermal fillers at its site in Dessau, Germany. The plant is due for completion in summer 2018, creating 25 new jobs.

Belgian company Sonaca inaugurated a factory in Moldovenesti, Cluj county, to produce components for the Airbus A320. The investment was EUR 11.8 million, creating 200 jobs.

Georg Fischer started construction of a new innovation and production centre in Biel, Switzerland, for its Machining Solutions division. The 24,000 m² facility will employ about 450 people and create 60 new jobs. Investment is CHF 80 million, with operations expected by end of 2018.

Sumitomo Riko announced it will establish a new production base for flexographic plates in Turin, Italy, to be operated by its subsidiary Dytech-Dynamic Fluid Technologies. The investment is approximately EUR 5 million, with operations expected to start in early 2018.

Thompson Pump & Manufacturing bought 15 acres off Williamson Boulevard in Port Orange from the city for $1 million, closing March 2, 2017, to build a new U.S. headquarters with 100,000-square-foot main building; groundbreaking planned for 2018.

Tiandingfeng (Chuzhou) Nonwovens Co., Ltd. began construction of a nonwovens research and production base in Chuzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone, with an investment of 1.18 billion yuan. Phase 1 is expected to start production in early 2018.

Strip-tillage specialist Mzuri announced a joint venture with Polish firm An-Agro to build a new manufacturing facility in Bydgoszcz, Poland, to meet growing demand in export and home markets. Most machinery produced will be for Central and Eastern Europe.

Shimtech Industries Limited announced the opening of a new plant in Hermosillo, Sonora, to manufacture components for the Boeing 787, with an investment of US$15 million.

Bidell Gas Compression, a subsidiary of Canadian Total Energy Services Inc., will repurpose a 100,000-square-foot decommissioned machine shop in Weirton, West Virginia, to fabricate, sell, lease and service natural gas compression equipment. The operation expects around 60 jobs in 2017, rising to 130 by 2019.

Biomerics, a medical device plastics manufacturer, will build a new 200,000 square foot corporate headquarters in Utah, adding up to 380 jobs and an estimated $38.5 million in capital investment.

Austrian company Vossloh Kiepe will start production in March 2017 at a facility in Novi Sad, Serbia, investing €1.5 million and initially employing up to 100 workers. The company manufactures heating, ventilation, and air conditioning equipment for rail vehicles.

Faurecia Clean Mobility plans to open a $4 million, 137,500-square-foot production facility in Fort Wayne, Indiana, creating up to 144 jobs by next year.

hGears signed a lease for a new 17,000 sqm miniGears Suzhou plant at 9 Yangpu Road in Suzhou, China, to support e-mobility growth. The site's inauguration is planned for October 2017 and hGears plans investments of more than EUR 3 million.

Lindal Group finalized plans to build a $20 million, 100,000-square-foot manufacturing facility on 15 acres in the Woodside Northwest Industrial Park in Columbus, Indiana, consolidating its three local facilities. Peterson Co. of Indianapolis was chosen to build it, with groundbreaking planned for spring 2017.

Qualcomm, ASE Group and the Brazilian government signed a memorandum of understanding to form a joint venture to build a high-capacity semiconductor factory in Brazil, with a planned investment of US$200 million.

Catapult Environmental Inc. signed an agreement with Crew Energy Inc. to design and build a water treatment facility in northeast B.C. to treat flow-back and produced water for reuse in oil and gas operations. The plant will take one year to build.

Saint-Gobain plans to build a gypsum wallboard plant in the Tlumach district of Ivano-Frankivsk region, Ukraine. The EUR 65 million project includes two units: a construction materials plant by end of 2017 and a wallboard plant by early 2018, creating around 300 jobs.

GF Machining Solutions held the groundbreaking ceremony for a new innovation and production center in Bözingenfeld, Biel. The plant will produce machine tools and spindles, house R&D and application centers, and create around 450 jobs. GF is investing CHF 80 million, with completion expected by end of 2018.

HIPOWER SYSTEMS announced it is finalizing the purchase of a $24 million, 515,000 sq. ft. industrial building in Olathe, Kansas, for its new corporate headquarters and manufacturing facility. The company will invest an additional $11 million in machinery, with operations starting in September 2017 and up to 75 new jobs over the next few years.

ONGC Petro additions Limited (OPaL) inaugurated its grass root integrated petrochemical complex at Dahej SEZ in Gujarat. The plant, dedicated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will produce 1.4 million metric tonnes of polymers and 500,000 metric tonnes of chemicals annually.

Avangard Innovative LP will invest $10 million in a new 35,000-square-foot plant to recycle LDPE film at its existing site in Houston. Construction begins in June 2017, production in August, and full capacity by October. Annual processing capacity will be 48 million pounds.

AKRAS India has acquired a 12,000 m² building site in Tamil Nadu, South India, for a new production facility for flavours. The facility is expected to go into operation at the end of 2018.

Nikkiso announced it will construct a new factory (second factory) for its subsidiary Nikkiso Vietnam in Hung Yen Province, with a total investment of US$2850 million.

Plastic Omnium SA will build a plant in Smyrna, Tennessee, to mold fuel systems for Nissan.

Cencorp Automation will build a new production plant in Salo, Finland, on the former Nokia/Microsoft campus. The 5,700 m² facility will triple existing capacity and create 10-20 new jobs.

Finnish packaging group Huhtamaki will open a new paper cup production unit in Kyiv, Ukraine, producing a full range of cups for hot and cold drinks. Production is expected to start in 2018 and create about 50 jobs.

LG Algeria plans to build a plant in Algeria to assemble washing machines and air conditioners, in partnership with a local investor. Production of 30,000 washing machines is expected to start in July 2017, creating 100 jobs.

Sino Zimbabwe Cement has secured funding for a $50 million brick and tile manufacturing plant in Gweru, Zimbabwe. The project, a joint venture with the Industrial Development Corporation of Zimbabwe, is expected to create 200 jobs and produce 60 million bricks annually.

Siemens signed a preliminary deal to build a plant in Parand, Iran, for manufacturing power equipment such as transformers under Siemens license. The final contract is expected within two months.