Read CMTA’s round-up of manufacturing news from June 2026. The articles below don’t reflect the views of the manufacturing industry or CMTA. They are a collection of the latest industry news from this past month.
Latest Industry News
CalPortland Company Expands Across California
CalPortland Company, a CMTA board member company, announced it completed the acquisition of the Vulcan Materials ready-mix concrete business assets in the San Diego and San Francisco Bay Areas.
The company welcomes the new employees with this strategic investment poised to enhance its core capabilities, expand its reach, and reinforce consistent performance and quality products.
Sacramento Battery Maker Wins $11.3 Million Grant for Manufacturing Expansion
Battery manufacturer LiCap Technologies Inc. received an $11.3 million grant from the California Energy Commission’s CalSTART program to build out its new manufacturing site in Sacramento.
The company’s patented technology uses a dry manufacturing process to make cathodes, a major component in batteries. LiCap’s technology is moving forward for electric cars and energy storage applications.
Read more from Sacramento Business Journal
Rocket Lab Shatters Responsive Space Record
CMTA member Rocket Lab launched the VICTUS HAZE mission just 16 hours and 42 minutes after receiving the U.S. Space Force’s Notice to Launch, beating the previous record by more than 10 hours. Rocket Lab delivered a turnkey solution for space-as-a-service, with design, build, launch, and now 24/7 orbit operations.
The company also announced it will acquire Iridium, a leading provider of global voice, data, and positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) satellite services. More on the acquisition here.
Lockheed Martin-Built Aircraft Expand California’s Wildfire Response Capabilities
California strengthened wildfire response capabilities with the addition of a fourth C-130 Hercules airtanker and the opening of its 11th Helitack base—home to a new S70i Fire Hawk helicopter at Ramona Airport in San Diego County.
Both aircraft are built by Lockheed Martin, a CMTA board member company, underscoring manufacturers’ vital role in equipping first responders with the tools to protect lives, property, and communities.
General Atomics Receives $20 Million Tax Credit to Advance Fusion Energy Development
General Atomics has received a $20 million California Competes Tax Credit to support a new fusion energy testing facility in San Diego.
The facility will test critical fusion components, strengthen California’s leadership in advanced energy manufacturing, and support the growth of high-skilled jobs as the technology moves closer to commercialization.
Read more from General Atomics
Qualcomm to Buy Startup Modular in AI Software Push
Qualcomm announced it would buy AI startup Modular in an all-stock deal valued at nearly $4 billion, to boost its artificial intelligence software capabilities amid the data center build-out.
The deal pits Qualcomm against CUDA, the software platform that has helped underpin Nvidia’s AI dominance, by tying millions of developers to the $5 trillion company’s chips.
California Launches Dashboard to Track AI-Related Unemployment Claims
Governor Gavin Newsom announced that California would begin tracking AI-related unemployment claims.
The Employment Development Department and researchers at the UC California Policy Lab launched the AI-Unemployment Tracker dashboard to provide near-real time data on workers claiming unemployment insurance and whether AI played a role.
Read more from The Sacramento Bee
Manufacturing Policy News
Lawmakers Revise Transportation Bill Following Industry Concerns
A California transportation bill, AB 2560, aimed at embedding the state’s climate goals into law has advanced after lawmakers removed provisions that would have required agencies to consider alternatives to highway expansion and deprioritize capacity-adding projects.
This came after concerns from business groups, including CMTA, that the original language lacked flexibility for the state’s transportation and infrastructure needs.
Read more from The Sacramento Bee
Senate Bill Extends CHIPS Act Tax Credits to Space-Based Semiconductor Factories
A new bipartisan Senate proposal would expand CHIPS Act tax credits to include experimental space-based semiconductor manufacturing.
The move signals continued federal investment in next-generation chip production and long-term support for the U.S. semiconductor ecosystem.