The Leading Source for Manufacturing News & Insight
Judge Gives Final Approval To A123 Bankruptcy Plan
May 20, 2013 1:59 pm | by Randall Chase, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsA Delaware bankruptcy judge has given final approval to the reorganization plan of failed battery maker A123 Systems Inc., which was the recipient of a $249 million Department of Energy grant. Monday's court hearing resolved minor outstanding issues following the sale of most of the company's assets to the U.S. arm of Wanxiang Group Corp. for nearly $257 million.
Marine Who Dumped Toxins Felt Illness Was Payback
May 20, 2013 1:55 pm | by Allen G. Breed, AP National Writer | News | CommentsAs a young Marine electronics technician at Camp Lejeune in the mid-1970s, the Massachusetts man figured he'd dumped hundreds of gallons of toxic solvents onto the ground. It would be decades before he realized that he had unknowingly contributed to the worst drinking water contamination in the country's history.
Ex-Saab Execs Arrested On Accounting Charges
May 20, 2013 1:46 pm | News | CommentsProsecutor Olof Sahlgren says the three are "suspected of aggravated attempts to avoid tax controls" by allegedly falsifying parts of Saab's accounts between 2010 and 2011 — a crime that carries a sentence of up to four years in prison.
Special K Churns Out Products In Brand Evolution
May 20, 2013 1:44 pm | by Candice Choi, AP Food Industry Writer | News | CommentsThe new line, which promises to fill people up with 8 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber, reflects Special K's push to move in step with evolving trends. Until now, Special K products largely gave dieters low-calorie imitations of their fantasy foods.
Royalty Pharma Increases Bid For Elan
May 20, 2013 1:40 pm | News | CommentsRoyalty Pharma is raising its offer to buy Elan on the condition that shareholders reject the Irish drugmaker's push to refocus its business through a string of recently announced deals. Royalty says it will pay $12.50 in cash for each share of Elan Corp. PLC. That adds up to a total value of about $7.5 billion.
Building A Secure Manufacturing Infrastructure
May 20, 2013 1:06 pm | by Grant McDonald, Product Marketing Manager for Symantec SMB & .cloud | Articles | CommentsAs we develop more ways to collaborate and share information, criminals are also working on new ways to steal it. Information is the new currency among thieves, and the right individuals will pay top dollar for a competitive advantage, whether through outright theft or by disabling critical systems.
Survey: 12-Month High In English Manufacturing SME Confidence
May 20, 2013 12:59 pm | by Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) | News | CommentsGrowth prospects amongst English manufacturing SMEs is at a twelve month high according to the latest Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) Barometer, which reveals nearly two thirds (64 percent) of companies questioned are expecting to increase sales over the next six months.
What Do We Eat? New Food Map Will Tell Us
May 20, 2013 10:45 am | by Mary Clare Jalonick, Associated Press | News | CommentsResearchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are trying to change that by creating a gargantuan map of what foods Americans are buying and eating. Part of the uniqueness of the database is its ability to sort one product into what it really is — thousands of brands and variations.
U.S.: Pakistan Moves To Curb Dangerous Fertilizers
May 20, 2013 10:43 am | by Rebecca Santana, Associated Press | News | CommentsA top American military officer says Pakistan has taken steps to prevent fertilizers made in Pakistan from being used for roadside bombs targeting American troops in Afghanistan. Brig. Gen. Robert P. Walters Jr. spoke Monday in Islamabad on ways to counter the bombs often referred to as improvised explosive devices.
Warren Buffett Meets With Young Entrepreneurs
May 20, 2013 10:42 am | News | CommentsBillionaire Warren Buffett is spending his day listening to business pitches from a select group of kids, but the ideas aren't likely to generate new acquisitions for Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway. The kids, who are between 7- and 16-years-old, are all finalists in an online contest tied to Buffett's "The Secret Millionaire's Club" cartoon.
Court: Should Whistleblower Protection Be Wider?
May 20, 2013 10:40 am | News | CommentsThe justices on Monday agreed to hear appeals from Jackie Hosang Lawson and Jonathan M. Zang. The two of them complained of retaliation for whistleblower activities from the privately-held parent company and subsidiary companies that run the Fidelity family of mutual funds.
Does Your Storeroom Database Do This?
May 20, 2013 10:36 am | by Mike Dyson and James Rogers, Storeroom Solutions, Inc. | Articles | CommentsQuite simply, if you can’t be sure about finding the right parts at the right time, you are putting planned maintenance compliance, if not the performance of the whole plant, at risk. Many maintenance technicians address this risk by keeping their own unofficial and potentially unauthorized stores; the practice is so common that many plants have an “amnesty day” when technicians can safely reveal those “private” stashes of parts.
Silicon Valley-Area Hub Becomes Factory Town
May 20, 2013 8:28 am | by Martha Mendoza, AP National Writer | News | CommentsFrom Tesla Motors, making cutting-edge cars, to Solaria, making solar panels, manufacturers are drawn to Fremont by incentives including a five-year waiver on business taxes, an expedited regulatory process, proximity to Silicon Valley firms and a skilled labor force.
Consumer Group Flags High SPF Ratings On Sunscreen
May 20, 2013 8:21 am | by Matthew Perrone, AP Health Writer | News | CommentsA survey of 1,400 sunscreen products by the Environmental Working Group finds that most products meet new federal requirements put in place last December. The rules from the Food and Drug Administration ban terms like "waterproof," which regulators consider misleading, and require that sunscreens filter out both ultraviolet A and B rays.
At Least 12 Dead In China Factory Explosion
May 20, 2013 8:10 am | News | CommentsThe force of the blast flung broken glass, smashed concrete, and other debris as far as 200 meters (600 feet), reports said. Walls in outlying buildings were flattened and glass shattered. A total of 34 people were inside the factory at the time of the blast, and survivors were rushed to hospital. The cause of the blast and condition of those injured were not immediately known.
Whirlpool Cancer Cluster Lawsuit Will Take Years
May 20, 2013 7:55 am | by John Seewer, Associated Press | News | CommentsThe wait for answers is far from over for parents who for years have lived with the worry of not knowing what's behind the mysterious cancers that have sickened dozens of children in a rural area of northern Ohio. Despite a federal civil lawsuit that points toward a possible cause, the issue is far from settled.
1 Millionth Jeep Wrangler Built At Toledo Plant
May 20, 2013 7:52 am | News | CommentsAuto workers in Toledo celebrated a milestone this past week. The 1 millionth Jeep Wrangler rolled off the assembly line at Chrysler's assembly plant that opened in 2006. Chrysler marked the occasion Friday with a ceremony at the production line.
3-D Printers An Emerging Industry
May 20, 2013 7:45 am | by Jared Hunt, Charleston Daily Mail | News | Comments3-D technology isn't just for movie theatres and comic books anymore. In fact, it may very well reshape the landscape for American manufacturing. It's all thanks to advances in 3-D printing, also called additive manufacturing, which has seen tremendous growth in the last few years.
'Pink Slime' Maker Continues To Struggle
May 20, 2013 7:42 am | News | CommentsThe meat BPI separates from trimmings with heat and treats with ammonia to kill bacteria used to be widely used in hamburger, but consumers objected to it after media reports depicted it as unsavory. Many schools and retailers pledged to stop using BPI's products after the "pink slime" reports, and the company saw demand fall.
Actavis Buying Warner Chilcott In $8.5B Deal
May 20, 2013 7:39 am | News | CommentsActavis is buying Warner Chilcott in an all-stock transaction valued at about $8.5 billion which would create the third-biggest specialty pharmaceutical company in the U.S. The new company is expected to be called Actavis PLC and will be incorporated in Ireland, where Warner Chilcott is currently incorporated.
