Manufacturing Archives

North Carolina town that produces quartz needed for tech products is devastated by Helene

SPRUCE PINE, N.C. (AP) — Two North Carolina facilities that manufacture the high-purity quartz used for making semiconductors, solar panels and fiber optic cables have been shut down by Hurricane Helene. No reopening date is in sight. Sibelco and The Quartz Corp both shut down operations in the Appalachian town of Spruce Pine on Thursday. The town is home to mines that produce some of the world’s highest quality quartz. Since the storm, both companies have issued statements saying that their top priorities are making sure their employees are safe. Sibelco says some employees are “unreachable due to ongoing power outages and communication challenges.”… Continue Reading

Trump calls for 100% tariffs on cars made in Mexico as part of US manufacturing plan

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — Donald Trump has pledged to stop U.S. businesses from shipping jobs overseas and to take other countries’ jobs and factories by relying heavily on sweeping tariffs. That’s despite economists’ persistent warnings that doing so could also dramatically raise prices for domestic consumers. The former president laid out a broad array of economic proposals during a speech in the key swing state of Georgia on Tuesday, promising to create a special ambassador to help lure foreign manufacturers to the U.S. and further entice them by offering access to federal land. He placed a special emphasis on auto manufacturing, saying, “I want German car companies to become American car companies.”… Continue Reading