Olympic Back Warmth and Ballistic Materails: So That Happened
Editor’s note: Welcome to So That Happened, our editors’ takes on things going on in the manufacturing world that deserve some extra attention. This will appear regularly in the Member’s Only section of the site.
Honeywell Spinout Solstice Goes Ballistic in Virginia
The leaders of Solstice Advanced Materials Inc. on Jan. 13 said they’ll plow more than $220 million into a Virginia factory that makes fibers and composite materials for primarily military use.
The plans by Solstice—which was spun out of Honeywell Inc. last October as part of the latter’s plan to focus on automating buildings, processes and factories—will steadily add equipment and technology through September 2030. Along the way, managers will hire 100 people at the plant in Colonial Heights, a short drive south of Richmond.
For those looking to geek out a bit—that would be us, actually—the Colonial Heights plant develops, tests and manufactures ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fibers that are up to 15 times stronger than steel and 65% lighter than aromatic polyamide fabrics. (Most of us likely know the latter type of material best as Kevlar, which is made by Solstice rival DuPont.)
Many of those products become vests, helmets and other protective gear for soldiers and law enforcement personnel.
Such work isn’t a huge part of Solstice’s business: In the third quarter, the company’s safety and defense group rang up sales of $53 million, which amounted to 5.5% of Solstice’s total top line of $969 million and was up 6% year over year. That growth has been notable enough for President and CEO David Sewell to call out on several occasions late last year—and again this week.
“This investment underscores Solstice’s commitment to maintaining technology leadership in high-performance protective materials, strengthening U.S.-based manufacturing and enhancing supply chain resiliency for defense-critical materials,” Sewell said. “Our advanced fibers and composites deliver critical protection across defense, law enforcement and industrial applications—all of which represent significant growth markets for Solstice.”
—Geert De Lombaerde
Federal Funds Fuel Apprenticeship Advancement
In a four-year, $35.8 million cooperative agreement with the Arkansas Department of Commerce, the U.S. Department of Labor announced the American Manufacturing Apprenticeship Incentive Fund, aimed at encouraging employers to join, develop or expand registered manufacturing apprenticeship programs throughout the country.
Following a pay-for-performance model, employers will receive $3,500 for each new apprentice who is hired and completes a 90-day probationary period. The state of Arkansas is the sole grantee and national administrator of the project.
“Advanced manufacturing plays a critical role in the nation’s economy, and a highly skilled, trained workforce is essential to sustaining growth and innovation in this sector,” says Hugh McDonald, Arkansas secretary of commerce. “We’ve seen registered apprenticeships deliver results across industries in Arkansas, and we’re well-positioned to help drive the expansion of advanced manufacturing apprenticeships nationwide.”
The initiative will promote advanced industrial talent development in over 120 approved occupations. To determine eligibility and receive incentive funds, sponsors and employers must complete an application process. The application portal will open Jan. 28.
“The Department of Labor’s confidence in Arkansas reflects years of work to streamline how apprenticeships operate and better align them with employer needs,” says Cody Waits, executive director of Arkansas Workforce Connections within the Department of Commerce. “We’re proud to bring that approach to the national stage and help manufacturers across the country build the skilled workforce they need to compete.”
—Anna Smith
US Patents: By the Numbers
The U.S. innovation space appears to have taken a step backward in 2025, according to recently released data from IFI Claims Patent Services.
By innovation, we’re talking about U.S. patents, which declined both in the number of applications and the number of patents granted last year compared with 2024.
The number of applications dipped sharply, down 9%, while the number granted slid by less than 1% to 323,272.
IFI is keeping an eye out to see whether the dip is the start of a trend.
“Right now, we’re wondering if other companies are quietly adopting patent strategies similar to the one IBM announced a few years ago,” said IFI marketing manager Lily Iacurci. (Big Blue said back in 2020 that it would stop pursuing leadership in patent numbers and instead take a more selective approach.)
Alternatively, “Are R&D departments relying more on trade secrets to protect IP? Or is it a lingering impact from COVID?” Iacurci asked.
IFI Claims Patent Services annually compiles a list of the top 50 patent grantees, the 2025 top 10 of which are listed below, including the number of patents granted.
- Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. 7,054
- Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. TSMC Ltd. 4,194
- Qualcomm Inc. 3,749
- Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. 3,052
- Samsung Display Co. Ltd. 2,859
- Apple Inc. 2,722
- Canon Inc. 2,623
- Toyota Motor Corp. 2,406
- Dell Products LP 2,301
- LG Electronics Inc. 2,284
Of note: The first three companies listed held the exact same ranks in 2024, while neither Toyota nor Dell appeared in the Top 10 in 2024.
—Jill Jusko
Toledo MEP Struggles to Keep Food on the Table
Earlier this week, we reported on the restructuring and deep staff cuts that MAGNET, Northeast Ohio’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership, made after federal and state funding freezes to the state’s MEP program, given with three weeks’ notice and totallng nearly $6 million.
The Toledo MEP affiliate, CIFT (Center for Innovative Food Technology) is a smaller operation with a slew of success stories helping startups scale up their products for mass production. A licensed, shared commercial kitchen with specialized equipment was home to 112 small businesses.
Over the holidays, CIFT, too had to whittle their staff with the funding freeze, in this case down to a nub: from 13 to 2.5 employees.
When IndustryWeek spoke with her in December, CIFT CEO and President Rebecca Singer said she was uncertain of the organization’s future but hoped to keep going in some capacity. She and her remaining staff were scrambling to find homes and support for the businesses in the commercial kitchen, and figure out what to do with its specialized equipment.
On Jan. 13, Singer had a small update: Thanks to local support, CIFT “is maintaining its entrepreneurship kitchen and small business program with 2.5 staff to accommodate the needs of the clients through March 31, 2026. We are actively seeking new funding opportunities and partnerships to continue operations beyond that date.”
—Laura Putre
Keeping Backsides Warm at the Milan Olympics
While the Olympic Games provide a venue for the best athletes in the world to perform, they offer a similar platform for manufacturing innovation. Between finding clever marketing tie-ins by sponsoring obscure teams to showcasing materials science in new skis to getting apparel brand logos on competitors, the games showcase manufacturing companies that want to win big.
Before the Milan Winter Olympics even begin, IndustryWeek is willing to crown a winner for the best product tie-in. Any parent of a child athlete knows the agony of bench seating –hours at track meets, swimming competitions, gymnastics meets (I loved watching my daughter compete for years, but four hours of waiting for four-to-six minutes of actual competition was a test of fortitude), hunched over with no back support.
Some clever companies offered clip-on backrests, and those producers earned my eternal thanks. But, Michigan-based Arden has taken that innovation outside. All of the pain and suffering that I mentioned at the hands of long aluminum bench seating? Imagine that for winter sports. Outdoor hockey games spent hunched over and covered by blankets, front-row seats for ice skating, where you could feel the cold emanating from the rink.
Arden took those clip-on backrests and added heaters… battery powered heaters that can be recharged via standard USB cables. Even for indoor, warm sports, parents with lower back pain across the globe salute you, Arden!
To promote the innovation, Arden has partnered with Minnesota’s mixed doubles curling team Korey and Cory – Korey Dropkin (left in photo) and Cory Thiesse (right). After a furious match of sliding giant stones and brushing ice, I’m sure those two appreciate some heat on their lower backs as well.
—Robert Schoenberger
About the Author
Geert De Lombaerde
Senior Editor
A native of Belgium, Geert De Lombaerde has been in business journalism since the mid-1990s and writes about public companies, markets and economic trends for Endeavor Business Media publications, focusing on IndustryWeek, FleetOwner, Oil & Gas Journal, T&D World and Healthcare Innovation. He also curates the twice-monthly Market Moves Strategy newsletter that showcases Endeavor stories on strategy, leadership and investment and contributes to other Market Moves newsletters.
With a degree in journalism from the University of Missouri, he began his reporting career at the Business Courier in Cincinnati in 1997, initially covering retail and the courts before shifting to banking, insurance and investing. He later was managing editor and editor of the Nashville Business Journal before being named editor of the Nashville Post in early 2008. He led a team that helped grow the Post's online traffic more than fivefold before joining Endeavor in September 2021.
Anna Smith
News Editor
News Editor
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-m-smith/
Bio: Anna Smith joined IndustryWeek in 2021. She handles IW’s daily newsletters and breaking news of interest to the manufacturing industry. Anna was previously an editorial assistant at New Equipment Digest, Material Handling & Logistics and other publications.
Jill Jusko
Bio: Jill Jusko is executive editor for IndustryWeek. She has been writing about manufacturing operations leadership for more than 20 years. Her coverage spotlights companies that are in pursuit of world-class results in quality, productivity, cost and other benchmarks by implementing the latest continuous improvement and lean/Six-Sigma strategies. Jill also coordinates IndustryWeek’s Best Plants Awards Program, which annually salutes the leading manufacturing facilities in North America.
Have a story idea? Send it to [email protected].
Laura Putre
Senior Editor, IndustryWeek
As senior editor, Laura Putre works with IndustryWeek's editorial contributors and reports on leadership and the automotive industry as they relate to manufacturing. She joined IndustryWeek in 2015 as a staff writer covering workforce issues.
Prior to IndustryWeek, Laura reported on the healthcare industry and covered local news. She was the editor of the Chicago Journal and a staff writer for Cleveland Scene. Her national bylines include The Guardian, Slate, Pacific-Standard and The Root.
Laura was a National Press Foundation fellow in 2022.
Got a story idea? Reach out to Laura at [email protected]
Robert Schoenberger
Editor-in-Chief
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/robert-schoenberger-4326b810
Bio: Robert Schoenberger has been writing about manufacturing technology in one form or another since the late 1990s. He began his career in newspapers in South Texas and has worked for The Clarion-Ledger in Jackson, Mississippi; The Courier-Journal in Louisville, Kentucky; and The Plain Dealer in Cleveland where he spent more than six years as the automotive reporter. In 2014, he launched Today's Motor Vehicles (now EV Manufacturing & Design), a magazine focusing on design and manufacturing topics within the automotive and commercial truck worlds. He joined IndustryWeek in late 2021.