Supreme Nonwoven opens first US manufacturing plant in North Carolina

North Carolina Governor Josh Stein has announced that Supreme Nonwoven Inc, a manufacturer of advanced nonwoven materials and products, will establish its first manufacturing facility in the United States in Lexington. The project is expected to create 50 new jobs in Davidson County and involve an investment of $25.8 million.

The company, which has built a strong reputation over the past four decades, serves customers across the apparel, automotive, filtration, and industrial sectors through its broad portfolio of material technologies and value-added solutions.

Supreme Nonwoven Inc will invest $25.8 million to establish its first US manufacturing facility in Lexington, North Carolina, creating 50 jobs.
The 200,000-square-foot plant will serve apparel, automotive, filtration, and industrial customers across North America, while strengthening technical collaboration and supporting the company’s regional growth strategy.

Stein said, “Our state is a premier destination for textile innovation. Our history in this industry is enhanced by a skilled workforce that is ready to support global companies seeking to establish and expand their presence in the US.”

The new facility, spanning more than 200,000 square feet, will function as a centre for technical collaboration, allowing the company to work more closely with North American customers and partners on customised material solutions. The site is expected to enhance responsiveness, support tailored applications, and provide access to the latest developments in nonwoven technologies.

Amit Kavrie, managing director of Supreme Group said, “We see this as an important step in bringing our material technologies and development capabilities closer to customers in the region while building a foundation for long-term growth.”

“Lexington offers us a strong base from which to support customers with responsiveness, technical collaboration, and reliable execution,” said Manoj Swain, director of international operations of Supreme Group adding, “As we build this operation, our focus will be on creating the right competencies locally while also drawing on the broader capabilities of the Group to serve regional customer requirements over time.”

The new positions will offer an average annual salary of $55,800, above Davidson County’s average wage of $54,395. The project is expected to generate an annual payroll impact of approximately $2.79 million for the local economy.

To support the investment, the company has been awarded a performance-based grant of $100,000 from the One North Carolina Fund.

North Carolina Senator Steve Jarvis said, “Investments like this create good jobs, strengthen our local economy, and demonstrate confidence in the business-friendly climate we have worked hard to build across North Carolina. I look forward to the positive impact this project will have on our community and families for years to come.”

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (CG)

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Johnson & Johnson Announces Another $1B US Manufacturing Plant

Johnson & Johnson announced plans to invest more than $1 billion in another new, US-based manufacturing site, this time in Florida. 

The global pharmaceutical manufacturer’s aim in building the new, Jacksonville facility is to strengthen its Vision operations by scaling US-based manufacturing, packaging, and distribution capabilities, according to a company news release. 

The investment also includes advanced manufacturing and packaging technologies to expand capacity and meet growing demand for Johnson & Johnson’s Acuvue brand contact lenses, used by more than 40 million patients worldwide, according to the company. The global pharmaceutical company manufactures more than 1.7 billion Acuvue contact lenses annually for US patients.

“This investment reinforces our long-standing conviction that advanced manufacturing in the United States is essential to delivering innovative, high quality healthcare solutions to patients at home and around the world,” Joaquin Duato, chairman and chief executive officer of Johnson & Johnson, said in the news release. 

Related:Lilly to Acquire 3 Vaccine Manufacturers

Duato added in the news release that the investment will bolster the resilience of Johnson & Johnson’s US supply chain. 

The global pharmaceutical manufacturer stated in the news release that it initially established a presence in Jacksonville in 1981 and has more than 1.5 million square feet of manufacturing, research, distribution, and operations facilities in the city today. 

The new facility is part of the pharmaceutical manufacturer’s previously announced $55 billion US investment in manufacturing, research and development, and technology through early 2029. Construction of the new facility is underway. J&J expects it to be fully operational in 2028.

The investment builds on J&J’s $6 billion annual economic impact in Florida, and supports the continued growth of its Jacksonville operations, strengthening opportunities for the 3,500 employees based in the area while reinforcing the regional economy.

In February, the global drug maker announced another investment of more than $1 billion in a next-generation cell therapy manufacturing facility in Montgomery County, PA. Additionally, in North Carolina, Johnson & Johnson is building a $2 billion drug product manufacturing facility.

The considerable investment is part of a larger push by pharmaceutical manufacturers to onshore or reshore their facilities, in part to avoid tariffs. Companies that are investing in building and expanding US-based facilities and research centers as part of three-year agreements include: 

Related:How CDMOs Turn “Undruggable” Into “Developable”

The multinational drug maker also announced plans to invest in a new Pennsylvania-based manufacturing facility — to the tune of more than $3.5 billion — in February.

In September, it started construction of its new active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) manufacturing plant in North Chicago, and announced a $1.95 billion investment to expand API production in the US in August 2025.

Related:Sun Pharma to Acquire US Drug Maker

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STATS Group Expands North American Operations with New Texas Manufacturing Plant | 2026 – News and Statistics

May 24, 2026

STATS Group has significantly expanded its North American operations, according to a report from OGN/TradeArabia News Service. The company has opened an 80,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Rosenberg, Texas, marking its first dedicated production site in the United States and representing the largest capital investment in the organization’s history.

Facility and Production

The new site will manufacture pipeline fittings, specifically hot tap and line stop components. It includes a modern machine shop tailored to support STATS Group’s proprietary equipment.

Strategic Goals

The expansion is designed to reduce lead times, enhance product quality, and address increasing customer demand for locally manufactured solutions within the U.S. energy sector. The facility is supported by the company’s existing Houston office, which strengthens STATS Group’s end-to-end service capability across North America.

According to the company, the investment reflects rising demand for faster delivery, greater responsiveness, and improved manufacturing control. STATS Group expects the U.S. manufacturing base to substantially boost service delivery and aligns the move with its broader global growth strategy, which prioritizes local investment, scalability, and closer alignment with client needs.

1. 1. INTRODUCTION

   Making Data-Driven Decisions to Grow Your Business

   1. REPORT DESCRIPTION
   2. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND THE AI PLATFORM
   3. DATA-DRIVEN DECISIONS FOR YOUR BUSINESS
   4. GLOSSARY AND SPECIFIC TERMS

2. 2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

   A Quick Overview of Market Performance

   1. KEY FINDINGS
   2. MARKET TRENDS This Chapter is Available Only for the Professional EditionPRO

3. 3. MARKET OVERVIEW

   Understanding the Current State of The Market and its Prospects

   1. MARKET SIZE: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
   2. CONSUMPTION BY COUNTRY: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
   3. MARKET FORECAST TO 2035

4. 4. MOST PROMISING PRODUCTS FOR DIVERSIFICATION

   Finding New Products to Diversify Your Business

   1. TOP PRODUCTS TO DIVERSIFY YOUR BUSINESS
   2. BEST-SELLING PRODUCTS
   3. MOST CONSUMED PRODUCTS
   4. MOST TRADED PRODUCTS
   5. MOST PROFITABLE PRODUCTS FOR EXPORT

5. 5. MOST PROMISING SUPPLYING COUNTRIES

   Choosing the Best Countries to Establish Your Sustainable Supply Chain

   1. TOP COUNTRIES TO SOURCE YOUR PRODUCT
   2. TOP PRODUCING COUNTRIES
   3. TOP EXPORTING COUNTRIES
   4. LOW-COST EXPORTING COUNTRIES

6. 6. MOST PROMISING OVERSEAS MARKETS

   Choosing the Best Countries to Boost Your Export

   1. TOP OVERSEAS MARKETS FOR EXPORTING YOUR PRODUCT
   2. TOP CONSUMING MARKETS
   3. UNSATURATED MARKETS
   4. TOP IMPORTING MARKETS
   5. MOST PROFITABLE MARKETS

7. 7. PRODUCTION

   The Latest Trends and Insights into The Industry

   1. PRODUCTION VOLUME AND VALUE: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
   2. PRODUCTION BY COUNTRY: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)

8. 8. IMPORTS

   The Largest Import Supplying Countries

   1. IMPORTS: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
   2. IMPORTS BY COUNTRY: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
   3. IMPORT PRICES BY COUNTRY: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)

9. 9. EXPORTS

   The Largest Destinations for Exports

   1. EXPORTS: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
   2. EXPORTS BY COUNTRY: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
   3. EXPORT PRICES BY COUNTRY: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)

10. 10. PROFILES OF MAJOR PRODUCERS

    The Largest Producers on The Market and Their Profiles

11. 11. COUNTRY PROFILES

    The Largest Markets And Their Profiles

    This Chapter is Available Only for the Professional Edition
    PRO

    1. 11.1

       United States

       • Market Size
       • Production
       • Imports
       • Exports

    2. 11.2

       China

       • Market Size
       • Production
       • Imports
       • Exports

    3. 11.3

       Japan

       • Market Size
       • Production
       • Imports
       • Exports

    4. 11.4

       Germany

       • Market Size
       • Production
       • Imports
       • Exports

    5. 11.5

       United Kingdom

       • Market Size
       • Production
       • Imports
       • Exports

    6. 11.6

       France

       • Market Size
       • Production
       • Imports
       • Exports

    7. 11.7

       Brazil

       • Market Size
       • Production
       • Imports
       • Exports

    8. 11.8

       Italy

       • Market Size
       • Production
       • Imports
       • Exports

    9. 11.9

       Russian Federation

       • Market Size
       • Production
       • Imports
       • Exports

    10. 11.10

        India

        • Market Size
        • Production
        • Imports
        • Exports

    11. 11.11

        Canada

        • Market Size
        • Production
        • Imports
        • Exports

    12. 11.12

        Australia

        • Market Size
        • Production
        • Imports
        • Exports

    13. 11.13

        Republic of Korea

        • Market Size
        • Production
        • Imports
        • Exports

    14. 11.14

        Spain

        • Market Size
        • Production
        • Imports
        • Exports

    15. 11.15

        Mexico

        • Market Size
        • Production
        • Imports
        • Exports

    16. 11.16

        Indonesia

        • Market Size
        • Production
        • Imports
        • Exports

    17. 11.17

        Netherlands

        • Market Size
        • Production
        • Imports
        • Exports

    18. 11.18

        Turkey

        • Market Size
        • Production
        • Imports
        • Exports

    19. 11.19

        Saudi Arabia

        • Market Size
        • Production
        • Imports
        • Exports

    20. 11.20

        Switzerland

        • Market Size
        • Production
        • Imports
        • Exports

    21. 11.21

        Sweden

        • Market Size
        • Production
        • Imports
        • Exports

    22. 11.22

        Nigeria

        • Market Size
        • Production
        • Imports
        • Exports

    23. 11.23

        Poland

        • Market Size
        • Production
        • Imports
        • Exports

    24. 11.24

        Belgium

        • Market Size
        • Production
        • Imports
        • Exports

    25. 11.25

        Argentina

        • Market Size
        • Production
        • Imports
        • Exports

    26. 11.26

        Norway

        • Market Size
        • Production
        • Imports
        • Exports

    27. 11.27

        Austria

        • Market Size
        • Production
        • Imports
        • Exports

    28. 11.28

        Thailand

        • Market Size
        • Production
        • Imports
        • Exports

    29. 11.29

        United Arab Emirates

        • Market Size
        • Production
        • Imports
        • Exports

    30. 11.30

        Colombia

        • Market Size
        • Production
        • Imports
        • Exports

    31. 11.31

        Denmark

        • Market Size
        • Production
        • Imports
        • Exports

    32. 11.32

        South Africa

        • Market Size
        • Production
        • Imports
        • Exports

    33. 11.33

        Malaysia

        • Market Size
        • Production
        • Imports
        • Exports

    34. 11.34

        Israel

        • Market Size
        • Production
        • Imports
        • Exports

    35. 11.35

        Singapore

        • Market Size
        • Production
        • Imports
        • Exports

    36. 11.36

        Egypt

        • Market Size
        • Production
        • Imports
        • Exports

    37. 11.37

        Philippines

        • Market Size
        • Production
        • Imports
        • Exports

    38. 11.38

        Finland

        • Market Size
        • Production
        • Imports
        • Exports

    39. 11.39

        Chile

        • Market Size
        • Production
        • Imports
        • Exports

    40. 11.40

        Ireland

        • Market Size
        • Production
        • Imports
        • Exports

    41. 11.41

        Pakistan

        • Market Size
        • Production
        • Imports
        • Exports

    42. 11.42

        Greece

        • Market Size
        • Production
        • Imports
        • Exports

    43. 11.43

        Portugal

        • Market Size
        • Production
        • Imports
        • Exports

    44. 11.44

        Kazakhstan

        • Market Size
        • Production
        • Imports
        • Exports

    45. 11.45

        Algeria

        • Market Size
        • Production
        • Imports
        • Exports

    46. 11.46

        Czech Republic

        • Market Size
        • Production
        • Imports
        • Exports

    47. 11.47

        Qatar

        • Market Size
        • Production
        • Imports
        • Exports

    48. 11.48

        Peru

        • Market Size
        • Production
        • Imports
        • Exports

    49. 11.49

        Romania

        • Market Size
        • Production
        • Imports
        • Exports

    50. 11.50

        Vietnam

        • Market Size
        • Production
        • Imports
        • Exports

12. LIST OF TABLES

    1. Key Findings In 2025
    2. Market Volume, In Physical Terms: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    3. Market Value: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    4. Per Capita Consumption, by Country, 2022–2025
    5. Production, In Physical Terms, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    6. Imports, In Physical Terms, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    7. Imports, In Value Terms, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    8. Import Prices, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    9. Exports, In Physical Terms, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    10. Exports, In Value Terms, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    11. Export Prices, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)

13. LIST OF FIGURES

    1. Market Volume, In Physical Terms: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    2. Market Value: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    3. Consumption, by Country, 2025
    4. Market Volume Forecast to 2035
    5. Market Value Forecast to 2035
    6. Market Size and Growth, By Product
    7. Average Per Capita Consumption, By Product
    8. Exports and Growth, By Product
    9. Export Prices and Growth, By Product
    10. Production Volume and Growth
    11. Exports and Growth
    12. Export Prices and Growth
    13. Market Size and Growth
    14. Per Capita Consumption
    15. Imports and Growth
    16. Import Prices
    17. Production, In Physical Terms: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    18. Production, In Value Terms: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    19. Production, by Country, 2025
    20. Production, In Physical Terms, by Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    21. Imports, In Physical Terms: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    22. Imports, In Value Terms: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    23. Imports, In Physical Terms, By Country, 2025
    24. Imports, In Physical Terms, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    25. Imports, In Value Terms, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    26. Import Prices, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    27. Exports, In Physical Terms: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    28. Exports, In Value Terms: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    29. Exports, In Physical Terms, By Country, 2025
    30. Exports, In Physical Terms, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    31. Exports, In Value Terms, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    32. Export Prices, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)

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AbbVie Expands US Manufacturing with $1.4B Plant Investment

AbbVie has announced plans to invest $1.4 billion in building a pharmaceutical manufacturing campus in Durham, NC, its largest capital investment to date. 

The new 185-acre campus will integrate advanced manufacturing and laboratory technologies with artificial intelligence (AI) to support the production of AbbVie’s immunology, neuroscience, and oncology medicines, according to a news release from the global drug maker. 

This is AbbVie’s first major investment in North Carolina. The AbbVie Durham campus, located near Research Triangle Park, was selected for the strength of the region’s local workforce and its ability to support future expansion, the biopharmaceutical company added in the news release. 

Construction will begin this year, with completion expected by the end of 2028.

“Our investment in North Carolina represents a significant milestone for AbbVie as our largest capital investment to date and an important expansion of our manufacturing footprint into a new region of the United States,” Robert A. Michael, chairman and chief executive officer of AbbVie said. 

Related:International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering Announces 2026 Facility of the Year Winners

Over the next four years, AbbVie plans to hire 734 people, including engineers, scientists, manufacturing operators and laboratory technicians. The project will also generate more than 2,000 construction jobs during campus development. 

The first phase of construction will include small volume parenteral (SVP) drug product manufacturing facilities, next-generation laboratories, a warehouse, administrative offices, and employee wellness facilities.

Small volume parenterals are sterile injectable pharmaceutical products with volumes typically less than 100 mL, including vials, prefilled cartridges, and prefilled syringes containing medicines for injection or infusion. When completed, this campus will serve as AbbVie’s US center of excellence for SVP manufacturing and deliver medicines to patients in the US and worldwide.

This project is part of the pharmaceutical company’s $100 billion commitment to US research and development (R&D) and capital investments, including manufacturing, over the next decade. 

In March, AbbVie announced a $380 million investment to build two new active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) manufacturing facilities at its North Chicago, IL, campus. The facilities will use advanced manufacturing technologies with AI to support the production of neuroscience and obesity medications.

Over the last several months, AbbVie has announced plans to significantly expand its API manufacturing capabilities and capacity in the US. In September 2025, AbbVie broke ground on the first phase of this investment, a new chemical synthesis facility that will enable the return of API production for some neuroscience, immunology, and oncology products from Europe and Asia to the US.

Related:2 More Pharma Companies Sell Medicines on TrumpRx

The Skyrizi and Rinvoq maker also announced plans in September 2025 to invest $70 million to expand its biologics R&D and manufacturing facility in Massachusetts.

Like more than a dozen other pharmaceutical manufacturers, AbbVie signed an agreement with the Trump Administration to lower prescription drug prices and invest in research domestically in exchange for a three-year tariff exemption. 

As part of the agreement, which AbbVie announced in January, the multinational pharmaceutical company will provide drugs through Medicaid at lower prices under most favored nation status.

Additionally, the drug maker will participate in TrumpRx, the direct-to-consumer platform, expanding its direct-to-patient offerings for medicines including Alphagan, Combigan, Humira, and Synthroid, making them available at significant discounts. The agreement to sell medications on the platform reportedly will allow patients without insurance coverage of the drugs and Medicaid access to rates comparable to other developed countries.

Related:ISPE Announces 2026 Europe Conference Keynotes, Sessions

Nearly a dozen other drug companies, including J&J, Amgen, Bristol Myers Squibb, Boehringer Ingelheim, Genentech, Gilead Sciences, GSK, Merck, Novartis, and Sanofi, AstaZeneca, Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, and Pfizer have signed agreements to sell some medications at discount prices on the direct-to-consumer platform, over the last several months.

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stow Group’s new U.S. manufacturing plant and storage portfolio 

This week, stow Group (Booth B13128) is showcasing a range of racking and semi-automated solutions and highlighting its unique position as a full-service warehouse optimization provider. The company is announcing the opening of a new state-of-the-art racking production plant in Georgia, marking a major milestone in stow’s North American expansion strategy. The new site opened this month.

“stow Group acts as a premium partner for all shelving, racking, semi-automated and fully automated warehouses with Movu Robotics,” said CEO Jos De Vuyst, CEO. “We’re continuously expanding, now also with a footprint in the United States in Adairsville, where we’re building a new 240,000 square foot racking production site.”   

A focal point of stow’s Modex exhibit is the stow Atlas 4.0, which it’s now offering to the U.S. market. The company is exhibiting alongside Movu Robotics (a brand under the stow Group umbrella), to demonstrate the synergy between high-quality static storage and fully automated robotics. 

Modern’s complete Modex coverage can be found at: mmh.com/modex.

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Whirlpool Expands U.S. Manufacturing with New Ohio Plant

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Whirlpool’s latest investment in U.S. manufacturing showcases the company’s commitment to producing premium, high-quality appliances domestically.Clyde Today

Whirlpool Corporation announced it will invest more than $60 million to establish a new manufacturing facility in Perrysburg, Ohio, creating between 100 and 150 jobs over the next two years. The new plant will be Whirlpool’s 11th U.S. factory and its sixth in Ohio, supporting nearby operations by producing appliance components and subassemblies for washers and dryers.

Why it matters

This expansion reflects Whirlpool’s continued confidence in American manufacturing and its commitment to producing high-quality, innovative products in the U.S. despite recent Wall Street concerns. It also underscores the company’s broader U.S. manufacturing strategy, with about 80% of major appliances sold domestically made in the United States.

The details

Whirlpool is repurposing an existing building in Perrysburg, formerly used for solar panel production, into a modern, technology-driven facility. Once complete, the new plant will blend automation with skilled labor to support nearby Ohio operations. This investment follows a larger $300 million expansion announced last fall to increase laundry production capacity in Clyde and Marion, Ohio, which is expected to create 400 to 600 additional jobs.

• Whirlpool announced the new $60 million investment on April 11, 2026.
• The new Perrysburg plant is expected to be operational and create 100-150 jobs over the next two years.

The players

Whirlpool Corporation

A major American home appliance manufacturer headquartered in Benton Harbor, Michigan, with a strong domestic manufacturing footprint, particularly in Ohio.

Marc Bitzer

The chairman and CEO of Whirlpool Corporation, who stated that this investment reflects the company’s confidence in American workers and its determination to produce high-quality, innovative products in the U.S.

Kristin Day

Whirlpool’s vice president of U.S. manufacturing, who said the new facility will blend automation with skilled labor to build the future of domestic production for the industry.

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What they’re saying

“When there is a level playing field, our American workers can out-compete anyone in the world. This investment is proof of our confidence in that workforce and our determination to win by producing high-quality, innovative products in the U.S.”

— Marc Bitzer, Chairman and CEO, Whirlpool Corporation

“We are not just building appliances—we are building the future of domestic production for our industry. Our people remain the foundation of our success.”

— Kristin Day, Vice President of U.S. Manufacturing, Whirlpool Corporation

What’s next

Whirlpool’s new Perrysburg, Ohio plant is expected to move forward pending final approval of state and regional incentives, with a formal ribbon-cutting anticipated later this year.

The takeaway

This expansion demonstrates Whirlpool’s ongoing commitment to U.S. manufacturing, with about 80% of its major appliances sold domestically produced in the United States. The new Ohio plant is the latest in a series of recent investments that underscore the company’s confidence in American workers and its determination to maintain a strong domestic production footprint.

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Siemens is opening a railcar manufacturing plant in North Carolina

Siemens Mobility has officially inaugurated a railcar manufacturing plant in North Carolina, representing an investment of USD 220 million.

Government officials and leaders from the rail industry gathered today at Siemens Mobility’s rail manufacturing and service center in Lexington to mark a significant milestone in U.S. rail manufacturing. Construction of the facility is complete, production is underway, and the first locally built passenger railcars are scheduled for delivery in the summer of 2026.

The Lexington railcar factory is Siemens Mobility’s newest production facility in the United States and will play a key role in meeting the growing demand for passenger rail transportation nationwide. First announced in March 2023, the new Lexington site includes ten buildings on a 200-acre site.

The facility is dedicated to the production of Siemens Venture passenger railcars—among the most modern and innovative on the North American market—and will serve as a rail service hub on the East Coast, providing maintenance and major repair support for bogies, locomotives, and railcars, with the potential to service light rail vehicles in the future.

Once fully operational, this state-of-the-art facility will be the first in North America to offer both railcar and locomotive refurbishment and will utilize advanced digital technologies, including artificial intelligence, robotics, real-time analytics, and augmented reality, to streamline operations, improve decision-making, and set a new global standard for automated manufacturing.

Marking the beginning of a new generation of American rail transport, the facility was strategically designed with a dedicated rail bridge connected directly to the main line, enabling the efficient shipment of completed trains to customers on the East Coast and in other regions.

“Siemens Mobility’s investment in North Carolina manufacturing underscores the importance of rebuilding America’s transportation infrastructure right here at home. The impact of this facility will be felt for decades, supporting passenger rail services such as Amtrak on the Northeast Corridor and helping to deliver modern, reliable trains for travelers across the country,” said Steven Bradbury, Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Hundreds of Employees at the North Carolina Railcar Plant

With over 375 employees already on board, the facility is on track to meet its goal of creating 500 new jobs by 2028, strengthening North Carolina’s economy and helping transform rail transportation across the country

Located in Davidson County, in the heart of the Piedmont Triad region, the city of Lexington offers access to a strong workforce and essential transportation networks. Partially supported by a Job Development Investment Grant from the state of North Carolina, estimated to add USD 1.6 billion to the state’s economy over 12 years, the Lexington site reinforces Siemens’ broader commitment to the U.S. industry.

Across all business sectors, Siemens employs approximately 45,000 people in the United States, works with 12,000 suppliers, and operates 24 manufacturing facilities nationwide, investing USD 700 million in U.S. manufacturing and over USD 20 billion in its technology infrastructure since 2007 to support the next era of digital and data-driven transformation.

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Shionogi sets sights on US antibiotic plant with $119M from BARDA

Japan’s Shionogi is joining the spate of drugmakers to announce manufacturing commitments in the U.S. since last year, albeit under slightly different circumstances than many of its peers.

The Osaka-headquartered company on Wednesday unveiled a new contract through the U.S.’ Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) to bolster the domestic supply of Fetroja (cefiderocol) and potentially expand the antibiotic’s purview to tackle “high biothreat pathogens” like plague and melioidosis. 

Fetroja won its first U.S. green light back in 2019 as a treatment for complicated urinary tract infections, following that up a year later with a second FDA nod in hospital-acquired bacterial pneumonia and ventilator-associated bacterial pneumonia (HABP and VABP). 

In its April 8 announcement, Shionogi noted that the deal positions Fetroja as a “critical countermeasure” against those difficult-to-treat infections, plus other biological threats to U.S. national health security. 

BARDA, part of HHS’ Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), has funded the contract with an initial $119 million, although “multiyear options” could ultimately net Shionogi up to $482 million if exercised, the company said. 

With that cash, Shionogi says it will establish a dedicated U.S. manufacturing site for Fetroja, with the funding also expected to help support the med’s procurement. The company did not elaborate on expected capacity or a potential location for the upcoming production plant. 

At the same time, the drugmaker will hunker down to advance development of Fetroja to treat infections caused by “high priority biothreat pathogens” like melioidosis (Burkholderia pseudomallei) and plague (Yersinia pestis), plus Shionogi will seek an FDA expansion to treat HABP and VABP in pediatric patients. 

“Shionogi is proud of our ongoing commitment to combating antimicrobial resistance, as shown by the continued investment in Fetroja since its introduction in 2020, expanding our portfolio with the acquisition of Qpex Biopharma, Inc. in 2023, and further investing in Qpex to establish a new research facility dedicated to advancing antimicrobial research and development in 2025,” Nathan McCutcheon, president and CEO of Shionogi Inc., Shionogi’s U.S. subsidiary, said in a statement. 

“This contract complements our existing work with the U.S. government and enables us to advance our ongoing expansion efforts in the U.S. at greater pace and scale,” McCutcheon added.

Shionogi notes that it has discovered and brought six novel antibiotics to market over a 70-year span. 

The Fetroja contract falls under BARDA’s Project BioShield, which aims to accelerate R&D, procurement and availability of medical countermeasures meant to tackle chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear agents. 

Apart from the antibiotic focus on display in its Shionogi tie-up, BARDA has laid out several major prophylactic supply pacts in recent years. 

Beyond deals for U.S. supplies of COVID-19 vaccines—plus therapeutics and diagnostics—during the pandemic, BARDA has helped shore up American stockpiles of vaccines for smallpox and mpox through Bavarian Nordic, and the agency has engaged with GSK, Sanofi and CSL to shore up inventories of bird flu shots, too. 

More recently, Cidara Therapeutics snagged a BARDA award worth up to $339 million in October to support domestic manufacturing for its experimental non-vaccine flu preventive, CD388, and help establish an “initial commercial supply chain” for the asset. Since then, the biotech has been bought out by Merck for $9.2 billion.

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Ardena reaps rewards from CDMO specialization plays, US plant buy

As biotechs face increasingly tight development timelines, scale-up headaches, and, more recently, unpredictable policy fluctuations, one way to stand out as a CDMO partner is by picking a specialty and mastering it. 

That was one of Jeremie Trochu’s goals when he joined as Ardena’s CEO in 2024—aiming to steward the CDMO toward a new phase of growth by expanding its international footprint, refining its strengths and ensuring that recent acquisitions entered the fold smoothly. 

In the ensuing years, Ardena has worked to bolster a range of CDMO capabilities without overloading its clients with potential service offerings, Trochu said in a recent virtual interview with Fierce in tandem with DCAT Week 2026. 

“You want to be holistic, but within a particular specialty,” he explained. 

The CDMO’s current business revolves around its advanced oral solid services, from formulation development through to clinical manufacturing and small-scale commercial production, plus its capabilities related to nanomedicines and advanced conjugates, according to Trochu. 

Ardena has integrated those constituent pieces into its overall focus on precision medicine, specifically working with clients on therapies tailored to smaller patient populations, Trochu continued. 

The CEO speculated that more biotechs are likely looking for one-stop-shop CDMOs such as Ardena given the accelerated development and regulatory timelines they’re operating under in places like the U.S. 

When companies developing drugs for rare or undertreated conditions win FDA fast track or orphan drug designations, the pressure increases “to quickly pivot from successful results in phase 2 all the way through to your commercial launch on an accelerated timeframe,” Trochu explained. 

Newer technologies, such as artificial intelligence, also have the potential to increase the pace of development cycles, he added. 

“If you’re not integrated as an operation, and if you’re not specialized in the capabilities you are offering to your client, you are not going to be able to have the agility and the speed necessary and required by your biotech customers,” Trochu said of the resultant expectations placed on CDMOs.

Breaking down some of Ardena’s recent specialization moves, Trochu homed in on nanomedicine, which he noted the CDMO has been engaged with since “before it was cool,” alluding to the lipid nanoparticles that rose to prominence as delivery vehicles for mRNA in COVID-19 vaccines earlier in the decade. 

Over its history, Ardena has worked on more than 100 nanomedicine programs, by Trochu’s tally, and 30 of those are actively in the clinic now, per the CEO. To support its nanomedicine strategy, Ardena established a facility dedicated to the technology in the Netherlands several years back, he added. 

On the other side of the equation, Ardena hasn’t hesitated to downsize in areas where it feels its resources could be better spent.

Case in point: Earlier this year, Ardena agreed to sell a manufacturing facility in Södertälje, Sweden, to local drugmaker Nanologica for nearly $1 million. As Trochu put it, Ardena was “not in a position to truly invest in the next chapter of growth” at the site.

As for the company’s purpose-built Dutch facility, Trochu said Ardena designed the plant to address a “gap” in the market for nanomedicine developers, pointing out that the site has continued to garner strong international interest from clients despite a strained geopolitical environment. 

“When you have a unique set of capabilities and you have a track record along [with] those capabilities, people from the U.S., people from Asia, definitely people from Europe, will find you,” he said. 

Trochu addressed the recent geopolitical turbulence affecting markets and supply chains directly, noting that while there certainly have been pressures on the biopharma industry, “we’ve been pretty immune to those dynamics.” 

Ultimately, biotech clients are still looking for “best-in-class” partners to help solve their problems, and that desire tends to supersede challenges posed by governmental policy shifts, Trochu said. 

 

Heading West

 

For much of its history, Belgium’s Ardena has been “primarily an EU-based CDMO,” Trochu said. But the firm in 2024 made inroads into the U.S. with plans to purchase Catalent’s oral solids development and small-scale manufacturing facility in Somerset, New Jersey, which was put up for sale as part of the U.S. CDMO’s acquisition by Novo Holdings. 

Ardena completed the purchase in February of 2025. 

That timing turned out to be serendipitous, Trochu suggested, as a massive industry push to establish or expand U.S. production infrastructure kicked off soon after, largely in response to the threat of U.S. import tariffs under the Trump administration. 

“If you think about the last 15 to 18 months, it’s even more important to be able to supply clients on both sides of the pond,” he explained.

Trochu admitted that the “timing worked out” on the Catalent facility purchase.

“A year later, it would have been maybe a more competitive process to acquire a world-class GMP facility in the U.S., especially in light of a stronger regionalization trend,” he said. 

Ardena has added around 200 employees to its headcount through the purchase of the site, which is currently equipped for clinical and smaller-scale commercial manufacturing of oral drugs. But from the jump, the company’s strategy was to eventually bring its other capabilities online at the U.S. location, Trochu said. 

Some of those expansion efforts are already underway, with the CDMO’s first bioanalytical lab opening in Somerset soon, the CEO added. Meanwhile, Ardena is eyeing portions of the site’s greater GMP space to devote to nanomedicines in the future, he said. 

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After China outlay, Lilly plugs $126M into Japan manufacturing plant expansion

While much of the company’s recent focus has remained on beefing up its U.S. infrastructure, Eli Lilly has for the second time this week made moves to raise capacity for its medicines overseas, and once again in Asia. 

The company on Thursday unveiled a 20 billion Japanese yen (nearly $126 million) expansion at its Seishin plant in Kobe, Japan, where Lilly’s local unit plans to install a fresh production line and add a new warehouse by 2028, according to a Japanese-language press release (PDF). 

Lilly did not clarify which drugs the expansion will support, although Nikkei Asia reported on March 12 that the project will bolster manufacturing of medicines for diabetes and obesity. 

The Seishin plant was established in 1981 and currently boasts a headcount of around 315 employees, serving as Lilly’s lone in-house production facility in Japan, according to the release. 

Aside from the new manufacturing line and storage space, Lilly said the investment will promote digitalization and process optimization at the plant to help supply the Japanese market. 

Citing “increasing demand” in the country, Lilly noted that “it is important for us to respond quickly and flexibly to future supply expansions.”

The company pointed out that it previously invested 7 billion yen (around $44 million) at the Seishin facility between 2022 and 2025, which paved the way for new automated device sorting machines, quality testing lab improvements, a new factory building and a fresh packaging line. 

“This additional investment was made in response to the need for further expansion of our supply capacity,” Lilly said of the latest outlay. 

The plant currently occupies a footprint of 23,000 square meters (247,570 square feet) and is primarily involved in analytical testing, inspection and packaging of Lilly products, according to the company’s announcement. 

With its local partner Mitsubishi Tanabe, Lilly has in recent years launched its dual GIP/GLP-1 med tirzepatide across both diabetes and obesity (PDF) indications in Japan, and the company also won approval for its Alzheimer’s disease med Kisunla in the country back in 2024. 

Lilly’s Japan outlay comes on the heels of a major $3 billion investment in the company’s manufacturing operations in China, where the pharma giant has pledged to set up local production for oral solid drugs, and in particular its GLP-1 pill for obesity orforglipron, which is under regulatory review in multiple parts of the world. 

The project, which will play out over a decade, will also see Lilly work with multiple local manufacturing partners, with the first named being Beijing-based CDMO Pharmaron. 

The Indianapolis pharma has also recently committed to a $500 million investment in South Korea. Instead of manufacturing, the money is meant to attract clinical trials to the country, while also support opening an incubator as part of the Lilly Gateway Labs.

Back in the U.S., Eli Lilly has committed to multiple high-profile plant builds in recent months, most recently with plans for a $3.5 billion injectables and device facility in Pennsylvania. Prior to that, the company telegraphed new manufacturing sites in Virginia, Texas and Alabama. 

Those investments have arrived amid a spate of similar U.S. moves by Big Pharma companies looking to navigate the Trump administration’s pharmaceutical import tariff threats. 

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