*By Conor White*
With the company's first manufacturing plant in China up and running, the chief executive of Align Technology, the maker of Invisalign orthodontics, isn't concerned about a possible trade war between the United States and China.
"By the end of the year we'll have a good, contained business in China, and be able to service our Chinese business," said Joe Hogan, the CEO of Align Technology. "So I feel great about the moves we've made there, given the talks that are going on."
Align's stock was the top performer on the S&P 500 in the last year, soaring 132 percent in 2017. The company's management has said sales could top $2 billion by 2020.
To reach that goal, the company is reaching out directly to consumers who may need its Invisalign products: clear, plastic teeth aligners taking the place of traditional metal braces.
"We have a really strong consumer business, in the sense that we advertise to consumers, and direct them toward doctors," Hogan said in an interview Tuesday with Cheddar. "So the consumer awareness part of this is a big part of this strategy also."
Consumers are increasingly aware: Invisalign shipments are up more than 30 percent year-over-year in the first quarter of this year.
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/stars-align-for-invisalign).
The House of Representatives recently passed a bill aimed at increasing transparency in healthcare.
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With high healthcare costs, bills can quickly add up. In some cases, it is possible to negotiate your medical bills. Barak Richman, law professor at George Washington University, joined Cheddar News to discuss the easiest way to talk to medical debt companies about what's owed.
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The European Union is investigating Elon Musk's X over alleged illicit content and disinformation on its platform. Cheddar News breaks it all down and discusses what it could mean for users.
Adobe and Figma called off their $20 million merger, Southwest Airlines gets fined, Nippon Steel is buying U.S. Steel and oil and gas prices surge after a pause in shipments.
With more employees being called back to the office, many workers are suddenly protesting by being in the office for as little time as possible. As the term suggests, coffee-badging means coming in for just enough time to have a cup of coffee, show your face, and swipe your badge.
Japan's Nippon steel is buying U.S. Steel for $14.9 billion.
Southwest Airlines will pay a $35 million fine as part of a settlement over a 2022 holiday season disaster that saw the airline cancel thousands of flights and leave millions of people stranded.
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