Samsung, GM & Ford: Top Manufacturing News This Week
8 April
Samsung Electronics has moved into the equipment installation and commissioning phase of its new semiconductor fab in Taylor, Texas, US.
Originally reported by The Korea Herald, this follows Samsung Electronics 2021 US$17bn investment in the manufacturing facility.
The news comes as Elon Musk announced plans to build his own semiconductor fabs in Texas, predicting that demand from his companies Tesla, SpaceX and xAI alone would outweigh global supply.
7 April
General Motors (GM) is implementing a production pause at its Detroit-Hamtramck assembly facility, known as Factory ZERO, as the automotive manufacturer recalibrates its electric vehicle (EV) output to match current market conditions.
The temporary shutdown will impact 1,300 manufacturing employees.
"Factory ZERO will temporarily adjust production to align EV production with market demand," Kevin Kelly, Senior Director of Corporate News Relations at GM, told Crain's Detroit Business.
The decision follows a US$6bn charge related to EV investments recorded in January 2026, alongside the elimination of 1,140 positions at the same facility in 2025.
8 April
US President Donald Trump’s administration has so far denied requests from Ford Motor and other US car manufacturers for relief from aluminium tariffs, according to the Wall Street Journal.
This comes after Ford was impacted by two fires that took place in Novelis’ aluminium plant in Oswego, New York.
Ford relies on Novelis’ Oswego plant for the exterior of some of its vehicles, including the F-150 truck which is Ford’s most popular vehicle.
Ford has recorded a US$2bn hit from the fires and expects to spend an additional US$1bn on imported aluminium.
6 April
The manufacturing landscape has faced endless disruption since 2020, from broken supply chains to global talent shortages. In this high-stakes environment, the traditional buyer-supplier dynamic may no longer be enough.
Manufacturers need strategic partners who bring more than just parts. They need technology ecosystems that deliver intelligent automation, AI integration and operational resilience. Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) is now much more crucial than just being a procurement checklist.
Zebra Technologies’ experts, Greg, Jason and Stephan, share their expertise on SRM with Manufacturing Digital.
See the full feature in the April 2026 edition of Manufacturing Digital.
8 April
Automation, AI and product evolution are changing factory floors at a pace that human workforces have struggled to match. The result is a widening skills gap that threatens to undermine the very productivity gains that technology promises to deliver.
A Q4 2025 outlook survey by the National Association of Manufacturers found more than half of manufacturers cited attracting and retaining a quality workforce as a top challenge.
See the full story in the April 2026 edition of Manufacturing Digital.
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