The Leading Source for Manufacturing News & Insight
2 Companies To Expand Operations In Puerto Rico
May 16, 2013 7:57 am | News | CommentsOne of the largest eye care companies in the U.S. is expanding its operations in Puerto Rico. Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla says CooperVision will invest $250 million to build 15 new production lines, a project that will create some 350 new jobs. The company currently employs 1,600 workers at a plant in the southern town of Juana Diaz.
Kobe Aluminum To Expand In Bowling Green, Ky., Create 100 Jobs
May 15, 2013 3:47 pm | by Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce | News | CommentsKentucky Governor Steve Beshear today joined company and local officials to break ground on an 87,000 square foot addition to Kobe Aluminum Automotive Products (KAAP), LLC advanced manufacturing facility in Bowling Green, representing $66 million of new capital investment and the addition of 100 new full-time employees.
Wholesale Prices Fall 0.7 Pct., Most In 3 Years
May 15, 2013 2:11 pm | by Christopher S. Rugaber, AP Economics Writer | News | CommentsSharp drops in fuel and food costs reduced a measure of wholesale prices last month by the most since February 2010, indicating inflation has slowed. The Labor Department says the producer price index, which measures price changes before they reach the consumer, fell a seasonally adjusted 0.7 percent in April from March. It was the second straight decline.
Foes Of S. Ind. Fertilizer Plant Cite Texas Blast
May 15, 2013 2:09 pm | News | CommentsOpponents of a proposed southern Indiana fertilizer plant are arguing that state officials should block the project because of dangers highlighted by last month's deadly explosion at a Texas fertilizer manufacturer. An Illinois businessman is seeking permission to build a fertilizer plant projected to cost $950 million near the Ohio River city of Rockport.
EU: China May Be Dumping Mobile Network Equipment
May 15, 2013 2:05 pm | News | CommentsA senior EU official says China may be illegally dumping and subsidizing the import into Europe of mobile telephone networks and their essential elements.The Commission said China's export of telecommunication network equipment to the EU market amounts to 1 billion euros ($1.3 billion) per year.
Senate Pushes Bill To Regulate Compound Pharmacies
May 15, 2013 2:02 pm | News | CommentsThe effort responds to last year's outbreak tied to contaminated compounded drugs that sickened more than 740 Americans and killed 55 others. The wave of fungal infections was identified in September and linked to a large Massachusetts compounding pharmacy, which regulators said was operating more like a manufacturer.
Exploring The Artsy Side Of 3-D Printing
May 15, 2013 1:55 pm | by Jennifer Forker, Associated Press | News | CommentsAlready, desktop 3-D printers can make doodads, such as plastic rings, figurines, and small gears and parts. Sarafan prints his own robotic parts. A colleague printed a record that plays music. There are umpteen projects for printing cell phone covers.
Eurozone's Struggling Economies Mired In Recession
May 15, 2013 1:51 pm | News | CommentsThe eurozone is stuck in recession — its longest since the euro was founded in 1999. The latest figures from the European Union's statistics office show that the economy of the 17 EU countries that use the euro shrank for a sixth straight quarter, slumping by 0.2 percent in the January-March period.
Experts: Smartphones Another Avenue For Hackers
May 15, 2013 1:46 pm | by Tony Winton, Associated Press | News | CommentsVast amounts of personal data are stored in emails, texts and other applications, and personal information is increasingly easily found on social media. Organized crime operations also see smartphones as the most vulnerable entry point into the electronic financial system, according to the Federal Reserve.
Students In Ghana Launch Mini-Satellite
May 15, 2013 1:42 pm | by Robbie Corey-Boulet, Associated Press | News | CommentsTheir project might not sound like much: The college students on Wednesday launched a tiny model of a satellite the size of a Coke can on a big yellow balloon. It went aloft to a height of 165 meters (yards) and then came back down on a red parachute.
Where Has All The Training Gone?
May 15, 2013 11:53 am | by Robert Allen and Kathleen Bellemare, Connecticut Spring & Stamping | Articles | CommentsTraining for skilled manufacturing positions has been hit by a perfect storm of budget cuts and the mistaken idea that all young workers should go to college. At Connecticut Spring & Stamping (CSS), the situation had become so desperate that to meet its capacity and continue to grow, the company has had to replace formerly state-funded training with its own programs.
U.S. Bank Equipment Finance To Sponsor The Reshoring Initiative
May 15, 2013 10:58 am | News | CommentsU.S. Bank Equipment Finance announced today that it will sponsor the Reshoring Initiative, a Chicago-based group established to educate manufacturers on the benefits of bringing their operations and corresponding jobs back to the United States.
Factory Output Falls 0.4 Percent In April
May 15, 2013 10:50 am | by Martin Crutsinger, AP Economics Writer | News | CommentsU.S. factories cut back sharply on production in April, as auto companies cranked out fewer cars and most other industries reduced output. The weakness in manufacturing suggests economy growth may be slowing this spring. The Federal Reserve said Wednesday that manufacturing output dropped 0.4 percent in April from March.
Vietnam Changes Law To Get Around EU Execution Ban
May 15, 2013 8:37 am | by Chris Brummitt, Associated Press | News | CommentsVietnam has issued a new law allowing domestically produced chemicals to be used in lethal injections, a change that should enable it to resume the currently stalled executions of more than 530 people on death row. The holdup was a result of an EU ban on its factories exporting chemicals used in lethal injections.
Woman: China Police Ask To Ax White House Petition
May 15, 2013 8:22 am | News | CommentsPolice in Chengdu, the capital of southwestern Sichuan province, have declined to comment. But B.Y.'s petition problem last week highlights how prickly Chinese authorities are about Internet dissent, perhaps especially when it involves the United States.
Chains Grapple With How To Improve Safety
May 15, 2013 8:19 am | by Anne D'Innocenzio, AP Retail Writer | News | CommentsBut in the latest sign that there's a clash between what U.S. companies and overseas firms think should be done to solve the issues in Bangladesh, several North American retail groups led by the National Retail Federation on Tuesday said they are working on a separate factory safety plan.
Tobacco Mass Litigation Trial Wrapping Up In W.Va.
May 15, 2013 8:16 am | News | CommentsA mass litigation trial against the nation's largest tobacco manufacturers is wrapping up in Charleston. The cases were filed on behalf of about 700 plaintiffs against Philip Morris, R.J. Reynolds, American Tobacco Co., Brown and Williamson and Lorillard. The plaintiffs claim they were harmed by tobacco use.
Fridge Staple Hellmann's Mayo Turns 100
May 15, 2013 8:09 am | by Mae Anderson, Associated Press | News | CommentsTo celebrate Hellman's centennial birthday, owner Unilever is launching a marketing campaign to drum up attention for the country's top-selling mayonnaise, whose formula remains almost the same as it was a century ago. Media spending is undisclosed, but it's the largest ever campaign for the brand.
Japan Watchdog To Halt Test Reactor Over Safety
May 15, 2013 8:01 am | by Mari Yamaguchi, Associated Press | News | CommentsThe Nuclear Regulation Authority's decision is the latest blow to the Monju fast-breeder reactor and Japan's nuclear fuel cycle program. The government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is hoping that Monju will be a key part of Japan's plans for disposing of atomic waste and reducing the nation's plutonium stockpile.
Bill Squeezing Out Tesla Passes N.C. Senate
May 15, 2013 7:55 am | News | CommentsThe electric car manufacturer says the bill that passed the Senate unanimously Monday effectively bars it from selling to state residents through its Internet-based model. The bill would require Tesla to go through the state's system of 7,000 franchised dealers by amending the definition of a dealer.
