A new semiconductor manufacturing facility powered by hydroelectric energy became operational.
With data centers emerging as a bright spot in an otherwise flat manufacturing economy, companies are increasingly capitalizing on the computing infrastructure needed to support artificial intelligence systems. Trane Technologies, a company headquartered in Wisconsin dating back to 1885 but claiming Ireland as its headquarters for tax purposes, this week purchased Florida-based Stellar Energy International's data center business. Karin De Bondt, chief strategy officer at Trane Technologies, noted that "the data center ecosystem is growing rapidly and evolving toward more agile, sustainable solutions, which is where Stellar Energy excels with leading co-engineered, modular solutions and a proven business model."
Cooling represents a critical need in the data center sector, as most facilities run thousands of computers using graphic processing units (GPUs) from NVIDIA rather than central processing units made by Intel or AMD. Originally designed to enhance computer game graphics, GPUs generate significant heat; tightly packed GPU-heavy computers in data centers could easily overheat without high-tech cooling options, risking equipment destruction and fire hazards. This demand is creating new applications for traditional manufacturing technologies such as hydraulic pumps in the high-tech world.
Meanwhile, Atkore Inc., ranked No. 317 on the IndustyWeek U.S. 500, is divesting its Tectron steel tube division, which operates a mill in De Pere, Wisconsin, to Lock Joint Tube. President and CEO Bill Waltz stated the sale follows "a review of strategic alternatives to enhance focus on our electrical infrastructure portfolio," reflecting the company's effort to shed business segments that don't support electrical products for data centers and other industries.
In workforce development news, Mitsubishi Logisnext Americas announced it is accepting applications for its 2026 Cat Lift Trucks Scholarship Program, which will award a Houston-area high school senior $5,000 to pursue higher education in the material handling business. Berry Mansfield, president of Mitsubishi Logisnext Americas, stated that the company is "proud to commemorate the 22nd anniversary of the Cat Lift Trucks Scholarship Program," which since its launch has awarded $150,000 in educational assistance to 29 students. Applicants must plan to enroll in an accredited college, university or technical school within Texas, with applications due by January 23.
Despite challenging conditions in the short-cycle industrial economy, ITT Inc. is gaining market share through operational excellence. CFO Emmanuel Caprais told the UBS Global Industrials and Transportation Conference on December 2 that the company is "not seeing any signs of pickup, for sure," but confirmed the company's $1.4 billion industrial process business—which makes pumps, valves and monitoring systems—is capturing share from competitors. Caprais explained: "We've been really working on lead times, working on delivering, improving our on-time delivery. We're seeing a bunch of demand from customers that can't get the product as fast with [others]." In a transition from racing to defense, Joe Gibbs Racing has offloaded Joe Gibbs Manufacturing Solutions to private equity firm Torque Capital Group, which is rebranding the company as JGA Space & Defense to "reflect its evolution from performance racing into a focused space and defense supplier." The rebranded operation, which previously manufactured advanced specialty composites and assemblies for solid rocket motor propulsion systems and precision machined components for aerospace and racing applications, will focus on space exploration and the U.S. industrial base, including next-generation hypersonic rocket nozzles, with approximately 60,000 square feet of manufacturing space.