Eli Lilly Bets Big on Lehigh Valley With $3.5B Weight-Loss Drug Plant

Eli Lilly will build a $3.5 billion manufacturing facility in Fogelsville, Pennsylvania (Lehigh Valley) to expand U.S. production of injectable medicines and delivery devices. The site is expected to create about 850 permanent jobs and generate roughly 2,000 construction jobs, with construction starting this year and completion targeted for 2031.

The plant is slated to produce medicines including retatrutide, a once-weekly obesity drug candidate still in clinical studies and not yet available to the public. The announcement fits Lilly’s broader domestic expansion as demand surges for its obesity and diabetes therapies, led by Zepbound and Mounjaro.

Insight: S&P 500 Industrials moved up 2.6% over the past week, reflecting positive sentiment in the manufacturing sector.

🏭 EPA Reconsiders the “Good Neighbor Plan” on Cross-State Ozone Pollution

Manufacturers praise the shift as protecting energy reliability and economic growth, while environmental groups warn it could weaken smog safeguards and harm public health.
Read the full story at Manufacturing Dive →

🏭 Navigating the Compensation Upsurge and Junior Staff Downturn: What Manufacturing Pros Need to Know

The 2026 Plant Engineering Salary Survey shows most manufacturing professionals are earning more and remain satisfied, with many making over $100K and bonuses tied to performance.
Read the full story at Plant Engineering →

🏗️ German Manufacturing Sees Surprising Surge in Factory Orders, Signaling Potential Industry Revival

German factory orders surged 7.8% in December 2025 (the strongest monthly rise in two years), far above expectations, suggesting demand may be turning a corner for the country’s industrial sector.
Read the full story at Bloomberg Economics →

🧠 Redefining Manufacturing Sustainability: A Former Investment Banker's Quest to Revolutionize Waste Management

Michael Martin says the waste problem is broken infrastructure, not litter, and pushes reuse as the real fix. His company r.World runs closed-loop reusable packaging systems (wash + logistics + tracking) to scale reuse at venues and campuses.
Read the full story at Packaging World →

📊 This Week's Chart

Insight: Manufacturing employment remained stable with minimal change over this period, reflecting steady labor demand in the industry.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

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