Industrial and manufacturing firms announced major capital deployments, including Chobani's $1.2 billion Pennsylvania investment and LG Energy Solution's $1.5 billion lithium supply deal. Waymo expanded its robotaxi fleet to three new markets, while ACG Metals and Greenland Mines advanced key mining operations. Additionally, BOXABL secured a major home purchase agreement, though FedEx Freight terminated a top executive over conduct violations.
01Company specific
Waymo and Zoox Expand Robotaxi Services to Additional U.S. Cities
Deploying custom-built minivans in new markets shifts the autonomous vehicle race from software validation to unit economics, testing whether purpose-built hardware can drive profitability.
Alphabet unit Waymo is expanding its commercial robotaxi service to Denver, San Diego, and Tampa, bringing its total footprint to 14 U.S. cities. The rollout pushes the company's fleet of Jaguar I-Pace hatchbacks and new Ojai minivans to more than 4,000 vehicles. Waymo provides over 500,000 weekly robotaxi rides in the United States and targets 1 million weekly rides by the end of 2026. Amazon-owned Zoox is scaling up in parallel, adding testing operations in Houston and San Diego to reach 12 markets. The expansion intensifies competition with Tesla as the firms race to capture a domestic robotaxi market projected by Goldman Sachs Research to reach $3 billion next year before expanding to $19 billion in 2030 and $48 billion in 2035.
U.S. Robotaxi Market Projections ($B)
U.S. robotaxi revenue is projected to reach $48 billion by 2035.
ACG Metals Achieves First Copper Concentrate Production at Turkish Mine
Transitioning an open-pit mine from oxide ore to deeper copper sulphides shifts revenue from short-term precious metal yields to long-term industrial base metal contracts.
ACG Metals produced its first copper concentrate from the Gediktepe mine in Turkey, shifting the company away from precious metals as it targets steady-state sulphide production by the end of 2026. The operation was delivered safely and on budget, moving directly into a ramp-up phase focused on increasing throughput and recoveries. ACG targets 20,000 to 22,000 tonnes of copper-equivalent production this year, with annual output expected to reach 20,000 to 25,000 tonnes once the sulphide operation matures. Shares in ACG gained 1.5% to close at £21 in London, valuing the company at approximately £486 million.
BOXABL Signs Multiyear Purchase Agreement for Up to 1,500 Homes With LC Vegas Acquisitions
Non-binding purchase agreements in modular construction create top-line option value for factory-built housing without providing the guaranteed off-take required to underwrite manufacturing scale.
BOXABL entered into a multiyear purchase agreement with LC Vegas for up to 1,500 factory-built homes over a three-year period. The arrangement contemplates phased deliveries of approximately 500 homes annually, utilizing BOXABL's modular housing platform for large residential developments. The agreement does not obligate the developer to buy any minimum number of units and remains subject to conditions including site readiness and regulatory approvals. BOXABL stated that actual deliveries and may differ materially from the referenced quantities.
Chobani to Invest $1.2 Billion in Pennsylvania Manufacturing and Warehouse Campus
Pairing an equity buyback with contract manufacturing enables beverage strategics to divest capital-intensive processing footprints while retaining product distribution.
Chobani is investing $1.2 billion over the next five years to build a 1.5-million-square-foot manufacturing and warehouse campus in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The yogurt maker acquired the facility at 7356 Industrial Blvd. in Upper Macungie Township from Keurig Dr Pepper for $125 million. The project will house 10 production lines and create 900 jobs while processing 3 billion pounds of milk annually from Pennsylvania dairy farms. The coincided with Keurig Dr Pepper selling its $800 million stake back to Chobani so the beverage giant can pay down ahead of a planned split. Chobani will continue manufacturing select products for Keurig Dr Pepper at the site, and Keurig Dr Pepper will maintain distribution of ready-to-drink La Colombe beverages.
Chobani Pennsylvania Campus Metrics (count)
The new campus will span 1.5M square feet and create 900 jobs.
Greenland Mines Completes Acquisition of Sarfartoq Rare Earth Project
Adding an NdPr-enriched carbonatite deposit gives Greenland Mines a non-Chinese rare earth asset whose high pre-tax returns depend on successfully scaling pilot metallurgy to production.
Mining.com reports that Greenland Mines has completed the of the Sarfartoq rare earth project from Neo Performance Materials for $35 million. The transaction brings the carbonatite-hosted deposit, which is strongly enriched in neodymium-praseodymium, directly into the buyer's mining . An independent Initial Assessment for the project's ST1 deposit demonstrates a pre-tax net present value of roughly $2.05 billion alongside a pre-tax internal rate of return of 118.6%. The spans a 191-square-kilometer mineral exploration license featuring five additional untested rare earth occurrences along its outer ring structure. Greenland Mines president Dr. Bo Møller Stensgaard stated that production from ST1 alone could represent roughly a third of all NdPr oxide refined outside China during each of its nine scheduled operating years. The technical team has returned to the site to advance targeted infill drilling, pilot-scale metallurgical testing, and mine engineering planning toward a pre-feasibility study.
LG Energy Solution Signs Lithium Supply Deal With US Developer
Securing domestic material via Direct Lithium Extraction allows battery makers to satisfy Inflation Reduction Act non-Foreign Entity of Concern rules while insulating regional energy storage manufacturing from import restrictions.
LG Energy Solution has signed a 10-year supply agreement with Smackover Lithium for 80,000 tons of lithium carbonate, completing a domestic North American with an estimated transaction value of $1.5 billion. Deliveries begin in 2029 at an annual rate of 8,000 tons, providing enough material to power approximately 1.8 million high-performance electric vehicles. The lithium will be produced at the Southwest Arkansas project using Direct Lithium Extraction technology, satisfying both Reduction Act tax credit rules and non-Foreign Entity of Concern standards. Surging demand for lithium iron phosphate batteries within the regional energy storage system market drove the procurement push. Smackover Lithium operates as a joint venture between Standard Lithium and Equinor. LG Energy Solution will channel the Arkansas-sourced material directly into its eight manufacturing facilities across North America.
FedEx Freight Terminates Chief Commercial Officer After Internal Probe
Executive departures directly preceding a corporate spinoff disrupt leadership continuity during the critical phase when the standalone LTL carrier's commercial strategy undergoes independent public market valuation.
Freightwaves.com reports that FedEx Freight terminated Mike Lyons, its chief specialized services and commercial officer, following an internal investigation. Lyons violated the company Code of Conduct and no longer met employment standards, according to an SEC filing. The dismissal does not relate to financial reporting, internal controls, strategy, or customer relationships. Lyons assumed the role in June 2025 ahead of the carrier's planned from FedEx Corp, bringing a 19-year tenure with the company to an end. Other executives will absorb his duties while the company searches for a replacement.
Heavy capital investments across autonomous transport, mining, housing, and battery supply chains show strong expansion momentum. Whether long-term execution timelines and executive leadership disruptions will hinder these ambitious scaling efforts stays uncertain.
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