The Leading Source for Manufacturing News & Insight
Endo Will Explore Options For 2 Businesses, Cut Jobs
June 6, 2013 1:59 pm | News | CommentsThe company said it will consider options for its HealthTronics urology business and for its branded drug development platform. It also plans to eliminate about 15 percent of its staff positions and reduce annual spending by about $325 million.
R.J. Reynolds Ordered To Pay Vt. $8.3M
June 6, 2013 1:57 pm | News | CommentsThe attorney general's office has sued the company for advertising its Eclipse cigarettes as a "risk reduction" product. Judge Dennis Pearson ruled in March 2010 that R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. had violated consumer protection law and another order by not having adequate scientific studies to back up its advertising claims.
Chinese-Americans Hope Summit Boosts Sino-U.S. Ties
June 6, 2013 1:50 pm | by Amy Taxin, Associated Press | News | CommentsMany Chinese-Americans hope that the high-level visit of the Chinese leader to meet with Obama on Friday and Saturday at the secluded Sunnylands estate in the desert near Palm Springs will enhance rapport between the two men and pave the way for closer ties between the two nations.
GM To Offer Free Oil Changes On Most 2014 Models
June 6, 2013 1:48 pm | News | CommentsGeneral Motors says it will offer free oil changes, tire rotations and inspections for two years on most of its 2014 models in an effort to boost customer loyalty. The company announced the offer at its annual stockholders meeting in Detroit on Thursday.
Gov't Proposes Safety Labels For Tenderized Beef
June 6, 2013 1:41 pm | by Mary Clare Jalonick, Associated Press | News | CommentsBeef tenderized by machines before it is sold in grocery stores could soon carry labels warning customers to cook the meat thoroughly. The Agriculture Department is proposing to require the new labels and cooking instructions for the meat, which is poked with needles or blades to increase tenderness.
AP: Economists See No Stock Market Bubble
June 6, 2013 1:39 pm | by Christopher S. Rugaber, AP Economics Writer | News | CommentsThree-quarters of the economists say stocks, which are at their lowest point in a month but are up 19 percent since November, aren't overvalued. Many point to strong corporate profits as justifying the surge in stock prices, which have more than doubled since bottoming in 2009.
MAPI Forecast: Sluggish Pace, Volatility, Optimism
June 6, 2013 1:37 pm | News | CommentsThe Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation (MAPI) Quarterly Economic Forecast predicts that inflation-adjusted gross domestic product (GDP) will expand 1.8 percent in 2013 and 2.8 percent in 2014, showing no change from MAPI’s February 2013 report.
Five Step Plan To Attract Next-Generation Manufacturing Talent
June 6, 2013 1:30 pm | by Bobby Rudder, Director of Marketing & Communications, Godlan Inc. | Articles | CommentsAs manufacturing specialists visits facilities throughout the U.S. each week, one consistent theme continues to come into focus: the knowledge and skill-level that is exiting organizations through retirement is becoming increasingly difficult to replace with today’s applicant pool.
Senators Seek Bangladesh Action On Labor Rights
June 6, 2013 11:51 am | News | CommentsAn influential Democratic senator is calling for the Obama administration to consider suspending Bangladesh's duty-free privileges unless it takes significant action to improve labor conditions following the global garment industry's worst accident.
Retailers Report Modest Gains For May
June 6, 2013 10:46 am | News | CommentsIn the latest sign that Americans are feeling better about the job market and overall economy, stores across the country had a pickup in revenue in May. According to a preliminary tally of 12 retailers by the International Council of Shopping Centers, released Thursday, revenue at stores open at least a year rose 3.2 percent in May from last year.
Procter & Gamble Reorganizes Business Units
June 6, 2013 10:43 am | by Mae Anderson, Associated Press | News | CommentsProcter & Gamble has reorganized its business into four new divisions, the first big change at the world's largest consumer products maker since A.G. Lafley returned as CEO nearly two weeks ago.Each of the four divisions will be headed by a group president, expanding the responsibilities for four current executives.
Unemployment Benefit Applications Fall To 346K
June 6, 2013 8:45 am | by Christopher S. Rugaber, AP Economics Writer | News | CommentsThe number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell 11,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 346,000, a level consistent with steady job growth. The Labor Department says applications dropped from 357,000, which was revised up from an initially reported 354,000. The less volatile four-week average rose 4,500 to 352,500.
Should Robot Soldiers Kill—Or Be Killed?
June 6, 2013 8:36 am | by Karl Stephan, Consulting Engineer, Texas State University, San Marcos | Articles | CommentsBesides his better-known inventions of three-phase power, induction motors, and high-voltage Tesla coils, Tesla founded a field he called “telautomatics” which we would refer to today as radio-controlled vehicles. Visitors to his New York City laboratory in the late 1890s could watch Tesla as he pointed out a model boat on a stand, complete with battery-powered motor and rudder.
U.S. Officials To Meet Over Cellphone Thefts
June 6, 2013 8:21 am | by Terry Collins, Associated Press | News | CommentsGascon and Schneiderman said they plan to meet with representatives from Apple Inc., Google Inc., Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. and Microsoft Corp. and urge them to create new technology to permanently and quickly disable stolen smartphones, making them worthless to thieves.
Koreas Agree To Hold Talks On Reopening Complex
June 6, 2013 8:08 am | by Sam Kim, Associated Press | News | CommentsNorth and South Korea on Thursday agreed to hold talks on reopening a jointly run factory complex and other cross-border issues, after months of deteriorating relations and a day before a U.S.-China summit in which the North is expected to be a key topic.
Chrysler To Recall 630,000 SUVs Worldwide
June 6, 2013 8:06 am | by Tom Krisher, AP Auto Writer | News | CommentsThe automaker will recall more than 409,000 Jeep Patriot and Compass small SUVs across the globe from the 2010 and 2012 model years to fix air bag and seat-belt problems. It's also recalling 221,000 Jeep Wranglers worldwide from 2012 and 2013 to fix transmission fluid leaks.
Lenovo Marks First U.S. Manufacturing Plant
June 6, 2013 8:04 am | by Emery P. Dalesio, Associated Press | News | CommentsThree business reasons — quicker, closer and custom — prompted computer maker Lenovo Group to open its first U.S. manufacturing operation in North Carolina instead of low-cost foreign locations like Mexico or China, its North American president said.
Israel Leads Global Drone Exports As Demand Grows
June 6, 2013 7:58 am | News | CommentsIn an expansive hangar in central Israel, workers toil on one of the world's most contentious aircraft, fitting dozens of drones with advanced sensors, cameras and lasers before they are shipped to militaries worldwide to perform highly sensitive tasks.
Toyota To Exempt Workers With Young Kids From Nightshift
June 6, 2013 7:46 am | News | CommentsToyota will also consider bearing part of the cost of hiring babysitters for those employees working at its factories not equipped with nurseries, the sources said Wednesday. The automaker is planning for babysitters to cover early morning hours for its workers until kindergartens open.
Feds: Engineer Tried To Steal Firm's Trade Secrets
June 6, 2013 7:44 am | News | CommentsU.S. Attorney Paul Fishman announced Wednesday that 36-year-old Ketan Maniar, an Indian national, was charged with stealing trade secrets for his own economic benefit from a worldwide medical technology company headquartered in Franklin Lakes. The company is among the world's leading suppliers of medical devices.
