US Steel approves $300M in factory investments, JD Fields expands to Maryland

Manufacturing and its role in the United States is top of mind for companies as they look to strengthen their supply chains and operations while navigating the Trump administration’s business and trade policies, key among them tariffs.

Companies have poured billions of dollars into fortifying their U.S. footprint or securing deals with partners that have operations on American soil to maintain and grow their market share in the U.S. economy.

Here are some of the latest expansions, openings and deals happening across manufacturing.

US Steel greenlights two factory upgrades, totaling $300M

U.S. Steel is moving forward with plans to build a slag recycler at its Edgar Thomson plant outside of Pittsburgh, and improve its hot strip mill in Gary, Indiana, as part of a larger effort to upgrade and enhance its domestic operations.

The company’s board of directors approved the two projects this week, with plans to use $300 million of Nippon Steel’s $11 billion commitment for the investments.

U.S. Steel has submitted an air construction permit” for the slag recycler and is awaiting approval from the Allegheny County Health Department. Once approved, construction is expected to begin next year. The company said the investment will cost about $100 million.

The board of directors also greenlit plans to invest $200 million in Gary Works, U.S. Steel’s largest manufacturing plant, so it can handle heavy gauge line pipe and automotive steel production.

Earlier this month, U.S. Steel said it will move production from its mill in Granite City, Illinois, to other locations. It also had no plans to lay off the Illinois plant’s workers. President Donald Trump invoked the U.S. government’s “golden share” to block the steelmaker from shutting down Granite City Works, AP News reported.

Trump approved Japan-based Nippon Steel’s acquisition of U.S. Steel this summer under the condition that the federal government has veto power over certain decisions.

Fujifilm Biotechnologies opens manufacturing center in Holly Springs, North Carolina

Fujifilm Biotechnologies has officially opened its $3.2 billion manufacturing center in Holly Springs, North Carolina. It is considered to be one one of the largest commercial-scale cell culture biomanufacturing sites in North America.

As part of phase one, the company has eight 20,000-liter bioreactors ready for drug product and drug substance manufacturing, with plans to add finished goods capabilities next year. Its phase two expansion, which would double the site’s capacity to 16 bioreactors, is expected to be completed by 2028.

“Securing strategic manufacturing capacity is crucial to our ‘Partners for Life‘ strategy, to help ensure a stable supply chain for our customers,” Fujifilm Biotechnologies Chairman Toshihisa Iida said in a statement.

Pharmaceutical giants Johnson & Johnson and Regeneron have already secured space at the Holly Springs facility through multibillion-dollar deals.

The location employs more than 680 people and is on track to reach 750 by the end of the year, according to a news release. Fujifilm Biotechnologies has a goal of hiring 1,400 people for Holly Springs by 2031.

Houston-based steel fabricator expands to Baltimore with $50M facility

Joint venture JD Fields HDM Spiralweld Mill is expanding to the East Coast with plans for a 200,000-square-foot pipe pile fabrication center in Edgemere, Maryland.

The $50 million investment will create 150 high-skill jobs for the area and be the venture’s first expansion from its headquarters in Houston, according to a news release. JD Fields HDM Spiralweld Mill is a partnership between JD Fields & Co. and Turkish manufacturer HDM Steel Pipe.

The 13-acre project, slated for the southeast portion of Tradepoint Atlantic’s Sparrows Point peninsula, will convert international and domestic steel plates and coils into “specialized structural steel” used for construction, according to the release. Its proximity to breakbulk facilities and marine infrastructure was a factor in site selection.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said the state’s commerce department is working to approve a $1 million conditional loan to help with project costs. The joint venture will also be eligible for up to $750,000 in state job creation tax credits and a $100,000 conditional loan from Baltimore County to support facility expenses.

The facility is scheduled to be done with construction by the end of 2026 and be operational by early 2027.

New Balance completes $65M expansion in Central Maine

Sneaker brand New Balance has completed a 120,000-square-foot expansion of its factory in Skowhegan, Maine.

The $65 million investment added to the company’s existing five-story building originally purchased in 1981. New Balance said the expansion allows for its regional associates to join together at a “best-in-class” manufacturing operation. An additional 20,000 square feet of the existing building is also being renovated.

The Central Maine factory employs 400 people who make New Balance’s premium line of “Made in USA” shoes. New Balance announced plans to close its Norridgewock, Maine, facility last year, and move its operations to Skowhegan, the Bangor Daily News reported.

“U.S. manufacturing has always been at the core of our company culture,” New Balance President and CEO Joe Preston said in a statement. “We believe that when we think global but act local, we can better serve the local communities where our associates live and work, while also enhancing our focus on the craftsmanship and quality integral to our global business.”

The Boston-based brand has five manufacturing facilities across Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire, where 1,200 U.S. employees work on shoes and shoe components. The Londonderry, New Hampshire, location is scheduled to open this fall. 

Owens Corning selects Prattville, Alabama for shingle plant

Building products maker Owens Corning has selected Prattville, Alabama, as the site for a 250,000-square-foot shingle plant to meet growing demand for its roofing products.

The facility will create 100 manufacturing jobs and operate advanced automation technology to support the “largest asphalt shingle region in the country,” according to a news release. It will also operate a four-wide laminator capable of producing 6 million squares of laminate shingles per year.

Owens Corning’s Roofing President Nico Del Monaco said the location will service the company’s growing contractor network and strengthen its U.S. manufacturing footprint. The company has 16 asphalt roofing and components plants across the country, excluding the Prattville site.

The project is supported by a $4.9 million investment from the Growing Alabama program and workforce development services valued at $885,000, according to the Alabama Department of Commerce. A spokesperson with Owens Corning declined to disclose financial details about the project.

Construction on the facility is expected to start early next year, with production to begin in 2027.