The Leading Source for Manufacturing News & Insight
Solar Industry Pushes For More Use In Georgia
May 22, 2013 2:09 pm | by Ray Henry, Associated Press | News | CommentsThe solar industry in Georgia is pushing a power monopoly to expand its use of solar energy as it plans to meet the state's electricity needs over the next two decades. State utility regulators heard testimony Tuesday on the energy plans from Southern Co. subsidiary Georgia Power, which must submit new plans every three years.
Italy Seizes $1.5B From Steel Family
May 22, 2013 2:05 pm | News | CommentsProsecutors allege in the order Wednesday that the real estate, stocks and other financial assets belonging to the Riva family were obtained through the misuse of funds belonging to the Ilva steel plant. Brothers Emilio and Adriano Riva, founders of the company that owns the plant, are currently under investigation for fraud.
New Show Brings Messy Workplaces To Television
May 22, 2013 2:03 pm | by David Bauder, AP Television Writer | News | CommentsIn its initial incarnation, employees were given the power to determine who should be laid off within companies that needed to shrink for economic reasons. The show drew awful advance publicity — one magazine called it a step toward public executions — and never aired.
Business Agreements: What Did I Just Sign?
May 22, 2013 11:57 am | by Robert A. Stone, CPA, ABV, CFF | Articles | CommentsSigning a business or partnership agreement is usually a time for celebration. The alliance has been thoroughly discussed, you understand the value each party contributes, and you’re excited to have a new partner for your manufacturing company. But in the process of creating an exciting new venture, entrepreneurs often fail to examine the specifics of the agreement. The details in a business agreement don’t seem important, until they are.
Combatting Counterfeiting On All Fronts
May 22, 2013 11:30 am | by Martin Berman, Managing Director, Micro-Pak Ltd | Articles | CommentsMany manufacturers, retailers and consumers alike might naively believe that counterfeiting is a problem that only companies like Louis Vuitton or Coach suffer from. After all, who could guess that functional packaging material could produce the same response as the latest Alma bag?
Manufacturers Gather In Baltimore To Share Knowledge, Discuss Efforts To Prepare An Advanced Manufacturing Workforce
May 22, 2013 11:25 am | EventsSharing information, driving innovation in manufacturing and preparing an advanced manufacturing workforce will be the focus of the 2013 Society of Manufacturing Engineers Annual Conference to be held June 2-4, 2013, at the Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel in Baltimore, Md.
Lea Industries Recalls 63,000 Children's Beds
May 22, 2013 10:21 am | News | CommentsLea Industries is recalling more than 63,000 children's beds in the U.S. and Canada because a support rail could break, putting users at risk of falling. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said Tuesday that two injuries have been reported since 2009. There have been 22 reports of incidents involving the recalled beds in the U.S. and one in Canada.
Boeing Examining Speed-Ups On 787, 737
May 22, 2013 10:19 am | News | CommentsIt's already doubling 787 production, from 5 per month last year, on its way toward 10 per month by the end of this year. The efficiency of the 787, Boeing's newest plane, has made it very popular with airlines. The company has orders for more than 800 that it hasn't built yet.
Evian Giving Its Water Bottle A Makeover
May 22, 2013 10:17 am | by Candice Choi, AP Food Industry Writer | News | CommentsEvian is giving itself a facelift to keep up with its sleek, young competitors on store shelves. The water, which is owned by French food and beverage company Danone, is unveiling a new bottle for the first time in 14 years as it looks to reinvigorate its image and win back market share in the premium water category.
Japan Watchdog: Nuke Plant Sits On Active Fault
May 22, 2013 10:13 am | by Mari Yamaguchi, Associated Press | News | CommentsIt was the first time Japanese regulators had officially recognized an active fault underneath an existing reactor, virtually acknowledging that the risk at Tsuruga had been overlooked for decades by both the operator and regulators despite warnings by some experts.
Fiat Industrial Considers Making Tax Home In UK
May 22, 2013 10:09 am | News | CommentsFiat Industrial is considering moving its tax home to Britain after it completes the merger with its U.S.-based subsidiary CNH. The possible move by the maker of heavy trucks, farm and construction vehicles would be a blow to the new Italian government of Enrico Letta, which is struggling to put public finances in order.
Japanese Execs Face Prison For Price Fixing
May 22, 2013 8:19 am | News | CommentsTwo executives at Japanese auto supplier Denso Corp. are facing more than a year in U.S. federal prison for fixing prices on auto parts. Yuji Suzuki and Hiroshi Watanabe have pleaded guilty to charges that they fixed prices and allocated bids for electronic control units and heater control panels that were sold to Toyota Motor Corp. in the U.S. and elsewhere.
Should We Let Wunderkinds Drop Out Of High School?
May 22, 2013 8:17 am | by Beth J. Harpaz, Associated Press | News | CommentsSome folks in Silicon Valley and elsewhere say a conventional education can't possibly give kids with outsize talents what they need. Others, like Vivek Wadhwa, a fellow at Stanford Law School who teaches and advises startup companies, say dropping out to pursue a dream is like "buying a lottery ticket."
United Tech CEO Sees Stronger Economy, Airlines
May 22, 2013 8:11 am | News | CommentsCEO Louis Chenevert told analysts that airline profitability looks better for 2013 than in recent years. Chenevert said North American commercial construction is improving — good news for its Carrier heating and ventilating business. And orders were up 22 percent in emerging markets in Brazil, Russia, India and China.
Cuba Lifts Ban On Energy-Hogging Appliances
May 22, 2013 8:09 am | by Anne-Marie Garcia, Associated Press | News | CommentsThe change could strain even further the already-overstuffed cargo holds of flights from places like Miami, Ecuador and Panama to Havana. Cuba-bound travelers who routinely check bulky bundles and multiple plasma-screen TVs will now start thinking about things like air conditioners, chest freezers, microwaves and ovens.
Technology Could Let Users Disable Guns
May 22, 2013 7:58 am | by Martha Mendoza, AP National Writer | News | CommentsThe new Yardarm Technologies LLC system would trigger an alarm on an owner's cellphone if a gun is moved, and the owner could then hit a button to activate the safety and disable the weapon. New guns would come with a microchip on the body and antennas winding around the grip.
Ex-Ford Execs Charged In Argentine Torture Cases
May 22, 2013 7:49 am | by Michael Warren, Associated Press | News | CommentsThe 150-page indictment written by Judge Alicia Vence reads like a history lesson, going to considerable lengths to explain why their actions constitute crimes against humanity and why it has taken nearly four decades to result in criminal charges.
U.S. Auto Factories Cutting Back On Summer Downtime
May 22, 2013 7:43 am | by Dee-Ann Durbin, AP Auto Writer | News | CommentsThe three Detroit carmakers traditionally shut factories for 14 days around July 4 to do maintenance and change the machinery for new models. But they don't have that luxury this year. U.S. demand for new cars and trucks has been strong, up 7 percent through April, led by soaring demand for full-size pickup trucks.
Safety Board: ATF Blocking Plant Blast Probe
May 22, 2013 7:38 am | News | CommentsFederal agents and the state fire marshal have effectively barred a federal safety panel from the site of a Texas fertilizer plant blast that killed 15 people and injured about 200 others, hampering its investigation, the panel's chairman said.
Indian Guest Workers Sue Company In Miss., Texas
May 22, 2013 7:35 am | News | CommentsDozens of Indian guest workers are suing an Alabama-based marine and fabrication company, claiming it financially exploited them and forced them to live in squalid conditions after bringing them to work at Gulf Coast shipyards after Hurricane Katrina.
