IEN Radio

Eric Sorensen

Radio for manufacturing and engineering professionals. New industrial products, news and technical articles.

  1. LISTEN: Blue Origin May Take Over Former ‘Balloon’ Factory

    Jun 20

    LISTEN: Blue Origin May Take Over Former ‘Balloon’ Factory

    Blue Origin, the commercial space exploration company owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, is expanding and possibly moving into the “balloon” factory formerly owned by now-defunct space tourism company Space Perspective. According to Florida Today, Blue Origin is in negotiations with the current owners of Space Perspective to acquire a 700-foot-long facility located at Space Coast Regional Airport. The 49,000-square-foot fabric-walled factory features two 600-foot-long production tables, ideal for making really big balloons. But now, as the report points out, the site will likely help support “future manufacturing and bulk outdoor storage operations” for Blue Origin. For Space Perspective, the sale of the facility marks an end to its fairly unique space tourism dream. The company’s space capsule, which was claimed to be the largest human spacecraft outside of the space station, was designed to be carried to the edge of space by a hydrogen balloon, giving passengers views of Earth from miles above. The company had planned to charge passengers $125,000 per trip but had also offered up free trips through a partnership with Oreo. It would have given ordinary people the chance to fly to the stratosphere without having to endure the rigors of traditional space travel. But the company, which was founded in 2018, earlier this year received an eviction notice after falling behind in rent payments at its Florida facility. It also furloughed most of its 140 employees. Now it looks like the balloon is officially popped, with Blue Origin stepping in to fill the vacuum. But things haven’t been all smooth sailing for Bezos and company. Blue Origin last month announced a $600 million production expansion project at its Rocket Park campus at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. Just a few days later, Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket exploded on the launch pad, causing a major setback for the company and raising several concerns from nearby residents.

    2 min
  2. JBS Shutting Down Multiple Plants, Eliminating Over 2,000 Jobs

    Jun 17

    JBS Shutting Down Multiple Plants, Eliminating Over 2,000 Jobs

    JBS USA plans to close two facilities in Pennsylvania and Tennessee and a portion of another Tennessee site in a move expected to eliminate more than 2,000 jobs.  According to a WARN Notice, the company will lay off 1,485 workers at its beef production facility near Philadelphia. ABC 24 Memphis reported that the closure of the value-added Empire Packing site in Tennessee will affect 208 jobs. Additionally, JBS-owned Pilgrim’s Pride plans to close Chattanooga's harvesting operation and lay off 348 employees, as part of a $75 million expansion in Ellijay, Georgia. JBS said its nationwide network would absorb production from the Philadelphia and Memphis locations.  Meanwhile, Pilgrim’s said its changes will increase harvesting and portioning capacity in Georgia, enabling the facility to produce a broader mix of boneless chicken products. The company will continue to use Chattanooga’s deboning infrastructure to support the expansion and added that the project would not impact the region’s grower base. JBS USA said the closures represent a strategy focused on modernization, growth and long-term competitiveness. CEO Wesley Batista Filho [FEEL-oh] stated that the company is “investing where we are growing and making difficult adjustments where needed.” JBS Beef North America reported an adjusted operating income loss of $279.4 million in its Q1 2026 earnings report, compared to a $158.4 million loss a year ago. The segment said rising live cattle prices outpaced the change in cutout values due to limited cattle availability. It also cited continued restrictions on live cattle imports from Mexico. #JBS, #PilgrimsPride, #FoodManufacturing, #Manufacturing, #ManufacturingNews, #Layoffs, #FactoryClosure, #FoodIndustry, #MeatProcessing, #BeefIndustry, #PoultryIndustry, #SupplyChain, #Workforce, #IndustrialNews, #AmericanManufacturing, #Operations, #BusinessNews, #Production, #FactoryJobs, #IndustryNews

    2 min
  3. LISTEN: Gen Z in Manufacturing: Digitization Opportunities Hiding in Plain Sight

    Jun 16

    LISTEN: Gen Z in Manufacturing: Digitization Opportunities Hiding in Plain Sight

    Welcome to another episode of Gen Z in Manufacturing, a podcast that asks young people about their journeys in manufacturing, how they intend to influence the industry and what they are looking for from an employer. For this episode, I welcome Jerry Klein, a 27-year-old technical support specialist for Artec 3D, a supplier of handheld and portable 3D scanners for multiple industries, including manufacturing, reverse engineering and quality inspection.  Klein’s duties at Artec 3D include one-on-one product training, product development, responding to customer inquiries and contributing to 3D scanning projects worldwide. In this episode, Klein discusses: (:56) A fresh way to save time and money(3:19) Where Gen Z is making a difference through 3D scanning(5:37) How young people handle training(7:40) Where Gen Z sees more opportunities for digitization in manufacturingPlease make sure to like and share this episode of Gen Z in Manufacturing. To view previous episodes, visit manufacturing.net. If you are a member of Gen Z and would like to discuss your experience in the manufacturing industry, please get in touch with me, Nolan Beilstein, at nolan@ien.com. #GenZInManufacturing, #Manufacturing, #ManufacturingPodcast, #3DScanning, #Artec3D, #Industry40, #DigitalTransformation, #AdvancedManufacturing, #ReverseEngineering, #QualityInspection, #ManufacturingTechnology, #IndustrialTechnology, #WorkforceDevelopment, #GenZ, #Engineering, #Innovation, #SmartManufacturing, #FutureOfWork, #Automation, #TechInManufacturing

    9 min
  4. LISTEN: Strike to End at GM Supplier; Workers Win Significant Increases

    Jun 13

    LISTEN: Strike to End at GM Supplier; Workers Win Significant Increases

    On Wednesday, some 1,000 union workers who were on strike at GM supplier Dauch Corporation, formerly American Axle, in Three Rivers, Michigan, reached a tentative deal with the company. The new contract will secure the workers' topline demand of $30 per hour by 2030, a more than 36% increase to the top wage rate over the next four years.  Members of the UAW Local 2093 walked out on strike at midnight on June 1, 2026. The plant  makes axles for GM’s GMC Sierra and Chevy Silverado pickup trucks and commercial vans.  In a statement, UAW President Shawn Fain, said, "After 18 years of sacrifice, these workers are finally winning back a big chunk of what was taken from them." According to the union, American Axle workers made major sacrifices to save the Three Rivers facility from closure during the Great Recession in 2008.  "Many long-time workers who were making as much as $29 an hour in 2008 saw their wages slashed to $14.50," the UAW said.  UAW members hired before May 31, 2012, including those who went from $29 per hour in 2008 to $14, will see an immediate $8 per hour increase once the new contract is ratified. Union workers will also see more paid days off and won't have to make any concessions on their current health care costs. For example, workers won’t experience any healthcare premium cost increases over the next four years. The union also won time off to celebrate Martin Luther King Day and Veteran's Day, as well as more days off for Christmas. Workers with at least one year of seniority will receive an additional nine vacation days per year as well as a $2,000 ratification bonus. #UAW, #UnitedAutoWorkers, #LaborNews, #Strike, #Manufacturing, #ManufacturingNews, #Automotive, #AutoIndustry, #GeneralMotors, #GMSupplier, #FactoryWorkers, #UnionStrong, #LaborUnion, #MichiganManufacturing, #IndustrialNews, #SupplyChain, #AmericanManufacturing, #Workforce, #ShawnFain, #AutoParts

    3 min
  5. LISTEN: Retired EV Batteries to Support Power Grid in Calif., Texas

    Jun 11

    LISTEN: Retired EV Batteries to Support Power Grid in Calif., Texas

    The robotaxi company Waymo has announced new capabilities that provide benefits completely distinct from its primary business model. Waymo says that the large, heavy, power-intensive batteries that power its fleet will no longer go to a recycling center at the end of their lives. Instead, they have a new use: supporting the power grid. Through a new partnership with B2U Storage Solutions, Waymo’s batteries will be repurposed in order to store clean energy. But rather than in one-off implementations, the goal for this effort is to establish grid-scale storage systems.  Adam Lenz, head of Sustainability & Environment at Waymo, “Our shared fleet of EVs provide a massive opportunity to support the growth of clean energy on the electricity grid while expanding the circular economy,” adding it was important to the company that the batteries continue to provide “economic and environmental value” after they were retired from the road. The plan goes hand in hand with solar power, according to Waymo, who contends that the batteries will primarily be used to store the surplus energy produced during peak hours – namely the middle of the day when the sun is at its highest point. The batteries will then distribute that power during peak demand in the evenings. They say the process is largely plug-and-play, with batteries coming from cars and capable of being online in this power storage capacity within a matter of days. The first deployments derived from the partnership will take place in Texas and California – two states who not only have a significant need for electrical grid support but who also happen to already host Waymo fleets. Fellow automaker GM also recently revealed that it was expanding into different battery cell chemistries for varied uses – notably to increase its vehicle-to-grid capabilities. The automaker hopes to take advantage of the growth in AI data center development and use its batteries to help offset the strain on the nation’s utilities. #Waymo, #Robotaxi, #AutonomousVehicles, #EV, #ElectricVehicles, #BatteryStorage, #EnergyStorage, #RenewableEnergy, #SolarEnergy, #CleanEnergy, #PowerGrid, #BatteryTechnology, #Sustainability, #Manufacturing, #ManufacturingNews

    2 min

About

Radio for manufacturing and engineering professionals. New industrial products, news and technical articles.