Made in America: GE Aviation to invest $4.3 billion in global manufacturing operations

Made in America is a roundup of manufacturing-related news.

GE AVIATION TO INVEST $4.3 BILLION IN GLOBAL MANUFACTURING OPERATIONS
Buoyed by record production on a new generation of jet engines, engine components and aircraft systems, GE Aviation investments reached $4.3 billion in its expanding U.S. operations during 2011-2016 with another $1.1 billion invested in its international sites. The U.S. investments include $214 million to establish five new plants in Ellisville, Mississippi; Auburn, Alabama; Asheville, North Carolina; Lafayette, Indiana; and Huntsville, Alabama. About two million square feet of new manufacturing floor space is being created.

In addition, GE Aviation has upgraded current U.S. operations, including expansions in West Jefferson, NC; and Hooksett, New Hampshire; and created centers for emerging technologies such as additive manufacturing, digital engine monitoring, ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) and electrical distribution. In advancing additive manufacturing, GE Aviation has created an Additive Development Center in northern Cincinnati and a component production operation in Auburn where more than 40 additive machines are mass producing commercial and military engine components.

KRAFT MAKES $143 BILLION BID FOR RIVAL UNILEVER
U.S. food company Kraft Heinz Co made a surprise $143 billion offer for Unilever Plc in a bid to build a global consumer goods giant, although it was flatly rejected on Friday by the maker of Lipton tea and Dove soap, Reuters reported Friday (Feb. 17). A combination would be the third-biggest takeover in history and the largest acquisition of a U.K.-based company, according to Thomson Reuters data.

It would bring together some of the world’s best known brands, from toothpaste to ice creams, and combine Kraft’s strength in the United States with Unilever’s in Europe and Asia. The global packaged food industry is grappling with slowing growth, new competition from upstart brands, deflation in developed markets and more health-conscious consumers. Although Kraft, which is controlled by U.S. billionaire Warren Buffett and private equity firm 3G Capital, said it looked forward to talking terms, Unilever said it saw no reason to discuss a deal without financial or strategic merit.

IMPORT PRICES FROM CHINA DECREASE 1.7% OVER THE YEAR ENDING JANUARY 2017
Prices for imports from China fell 0.1% in January, after recording no change in December and fell 1.7% over the past 12 months, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The price index for imports from China has not recorded a monthly increase since the index rose 0.1% in December 2014.

Import prices from Japan declined 0.3% in January, the first decrease for the index since a 0.1% drop in January 2016 and the largest decline since the index fell 0.3% in August 2015. Prices for imports from Mexico and the European Union also fell in January, declining 1.3% and 0.1%, respectively. In contrast, import prices from Canada advanced 1.8% in January, driven by higher fuel prices.