Reshoring and New Factories: Latest Plant Announcements in North America
October 14, 2026 | ATN Trade & Finance
The domestic manufacturing buildout that accelerated after the pandemic has reached a new scale in 2026, with the Reshoring Initiative's mid-year report counting more than $400 billion in new US manufacturing commitments since January 2025. US manufacturing employment hit 13.2 million in April 2026 — the highest level since 2008, according to BLS data.
The October Headlines
Two major announcements landed in the first two weeks of October. Anduril Industries committed $3.7 billion to a new facility at Tradepoint Atlantic in Baltimore County, Maryland — dubbed "Arsenal-2" — to produce components for Virginia-class submarines, with more than 3,100 jobs expected. Days later, Bayer announced a $2.2 billion modular pharmaceutical campus in New Albany, Ohio, focused on oncology, cardiovascular, and renal drug production, creating approximately 600 jobs.
September's Active Pipeline
September was one of the busiest months of the year for plant announcements. Highlights include Pirelli's $1.2 billion tire factory in Rome, Georgia; Caterpillar's $1 billion expansion in Sanford, North Carolina, increasing compact track loader and telehandler capacity; Ultium Cells (the GM–LG Energy Solution joint venture) investing $1 billion to retrofit its Spring Hill, Tennessee battery plant for next-generation lithium manganese-rich cells; and Hitachi Energy committing $528 million to a new grid equipment plant in Gallman, Mississippi.
Sectors Leading the Wave
Defense and aerospace are a standout driver. RTX's Pratt & Whitney broke ground in April on a $2.1 billion engine component facility in Asheville, North Carolina. Northrop Grumman is investing $900 million to expand B-21 bomber production infrastructure in Palmdale, California. In pharmaceuticals, Eli Lilly broke ground in Alabama as part of a $27 billion four-site US expansion plan. In semiconductors, Samsung's $17 billion fab in Taylor, Texas has resumed construction and is targeting production this year, while Texas Instruments is bringing its $11 billion 300mm wafer facility in Lehi, Utah online.
What this means for businesses: The factory wave is no longer concentrated in one or two sectors — it now spans defense, pharma, semiconductors, EV batteries, energy infrastructure, and traditional industrials. For suppliers, logistics providers, and workforce planners, the Southeast and Midwest remain the most active geographies, but the Baltimore and Ohio announcements this month signal that Mid-Atlantic and Great Lakes industrial corridors are absorbing significant new demand.
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