Facilities and Operations
Nissan Increasing Pay At Tenn. And Miss. Plants
April 11, 2013 1:58 pm | by Jeff Amy, Associated Press | News | CommentsNissan Motor Co. will raise pay for its employees in Mississippi and Tennessee. The company has told its employees it will increase their wages starting in October at its Canton, Miss., and Smyrna, Tenn., assembly plants, as well as its Decherd, Tenn., engine plant.
German Leader Welcomes GM Investment
April 11, 2013 12:16 pm | News | CommentsGerman Chancellor Angela Merkel has welcomed General Motors' decision to invest another 4 billion euros ($5.3 billion) in European subsidiary Opel by 2016 as part of an attempt to turn the money-losing division around. Merkel met with GM Chairman and CEO Dan Akerson and other company officials Thursday in Berlin.
Secrets From The Potato Chip Factory
April 10, 2013 12:31 pm | Videos | CommentsNPR has recently released this pretty compelling video from the plant floor of Herr's, which makes potato chips on a massive scale today. While the plant, based in Nottingham, Pa., used to process just a few potatoes per hour, and most of the labor was manual. Today, they churn through a few tons of spuds an hour.
GM's Akerson Affirms Commitment To Opel
April 10, 2013 8:35 am | News | CommentsGM Chairman and CEO Dan Akerson said at a news conference Wednesday that GM was "fully supportive of the Opel turnaround plan" and that the Detroit-based group "must have a strong presence in Europe and especially here in Germany." Akerson added that GM was committed to investing $5.22 billion in Europe by 2016.
Boeing Planning $1B Expansion In South Carolina
April 10, 2013 8:28 am | by Bruce Smith, Associated Press | News | CommentsBoeing Co. is expanding in South Carolina and will invest another $1 billion, creating 2,000 new jobs during the next eight years, the aerospace giant announced Tuesday. Company spokeswoman Candy Eslinger said the company that operates a 787 assembly plant in North Charleston will expand its operations.
Court Approves Sale Of Last Of Core Hostess Assets
April 10, 2013 8:14 am | News | CommentsHostess Brands Inc. won approval Tuesday to sell off the last of its major cake and bread brands, bringing the total proceeds from its liquidation to about $860 million. A U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge in New York approved the two deals, said Hostess spokeswoman Anita-Marie Laurie.
Fiat-Chrysler Merger Path To Clarify
April 9, 2013 2:34 pm | by Colleen Barry, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsMarchionne has jointly managed the two companies since buying a 20 percent stake in 2009. Fiat has since built up its holding in the U.S. company to 58.5 percent. However, his ambitions to fully merge the two companies have been stalled by a dispute between Chrysler's minority shareholder, the autoworkers union pension health trust.
Wal-Mart Donates $1.6M To Promote Fire Safety
April 9, 2013 2:08 pm | News | CommentsWal-Mart Stores Inc. says it will donate $1.6 million to toward health and safety education in Bangladesh, three months after a fire swept through a factory there, killing 112. The fire raised questions about safety in Bangladesh's garment industry, which exports clothes to leading Western retailers.
Kubota Corp. Opens New Plant In Ga.
April 9, 2013 4:01 am | News | CommentsGeorgia Gov. Nathan Deal Monday announced the grand opening of the new Kubota Corp. plant in Jefferson — about 20 miles northwest of Athens. Deal says the 522,000 square-foot plant has brought 200 jobs to the city. Officials say the plant will produce Kubota's 30 to 50-horesepower compact tractor models.
Factories That Ran On Korean Cooperation Go Silent
April 9, 2013 2:42 am | by Kim Yong-Ho and Youkyung Lee, Associated Press | News | CommentsOn Tuesday, the roads leading to Kaesong, the North's third biggest city, were empty of the normal line of cargo trucks and vehicles carrying supplies and people. Inside the complex, a couple of North Korean soldiers, clad in olive green uniforms and riding Chinese motorcycles, patrolled streets.
DuPont To Dismantle Old Pipeline At Belle Plant
April 8, 2013 2:16 pm | News | CommentsDuPont will soon begin dismantling a gravity-powered hillside pipeline that once provided water for the production of ammonia next to the company's plant in Belle. Plant manager Jim O'Connor says the pipeline was cutting-edge technology when it opened in 1930, slashing energy costs for ammonia production by about 70 percent.
Iowa Governor Touts Economic Development Fund
April 8, 2013 2:08 pm | News | CommentsBranstad on Monday released a study on the activities of the Demonstration Fund, which is managed by the Iowa Economic Development Authority. The fund was started in 2007 and offers funding to help grow manufacturing, science and information technology firms.
Vestas' Colo. Factories Benefit From Canada Order
April 8, 2013 2:02 pm | News | CommentsThe Danish company announced Monday that it has received an order to make 166 wind generators for the Blackspring Ridge Wind Project near Alberta. It will also provide service and maintenance under a 20-year contract for the project, which is expected to be the biggest in western Canada.
Japan Experts Say New Nuclear Safety Plans Too Lax
April 8, 2013 1:42 pm | by Mari Yamaguchi, Associated Press | News | CommentsThe investigators told parliament on Monday that the recently formed Nuclear Regulation Authority is merely rubber-stamping TEPCO's work at the plant, which is still using makeshift equipment put together after the March 2011 disaster, caused by a massive earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan.
Airbus Breaking Ground On Alabama Plant
April 8, 2013 10:21 am | News | CommentsAirbus is breaking ground on its new aircraft assembly plant in Mobile. Top executives will be in the port city Monday for a ceremony to mark the start of construction on the Airbus plant at Brookley Aeroplex. The $600 million factory is expected to employ 1,000 people once production of the Airbus A320 jet begins around 2015.
North Korea Recalling Workers From Jointly Run Factory
April 8, 2013 8:18 am | by Hyung-Jin Kim, Associated Press | News | CommentsNorth Korea said Monday it will suspend operations at a factory complex it has jointly run with South Korea, pulling out more than 53,000 North Korean workers and moving closer to severing its last economic link with its rival as tensions escalate.
CertainTeed Corp. To Build $100M Facility In Mo.
April 5, 2013 8:19 am | News | CommentsA Pennsylvania-based maker of building materials says it plans to build a $100 million facility in eastern Missouri to make and distribute asphalt roofing shingles. CertainTeed Corp. said Thursday the new complex in Jonesburg will employ about 100 people within the next few years.
Explosion At Ga. Power Plant Under Investigation
April 5, 2013 7:55 am | News | CommentsThe explosion happened at Unit 2 of Plant Bowen while it was offline for maintenance work, said Chuck Eaton, chairman of the Georgia Public Service Commission, which regulates power utilities. Eaton said he was briefed by Georgia Power officials.
Turkish Company Plans Steel Pipe Plant In Texas
April 3, 2013 1:58 pm | News | CommentsA Turkish company has announced plans to build a $148 million steel pipe-making plant near Houston. Gov. Rick Perry says about 250 jobs are expected to be created at the facility planned for Baytown. Perry on Tuesday announced Borusan Mannesmann will receive $1.6 million from the Texas Enterprise Fund in support of the project.
GE Building Global Research Center In Oklahoma
April 3, 2013 1:46 pm | News | CommentsGE Chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt made the announcement Wednesday alongside Gov. Mary Fallin. The company has not yet picked a specific location for the center but says that selection should happen soon. GE says it's evaluating locations with proximity to academic institutions like the University of Oklahoma and the skilled workforce in Oklahoma City.
Lawsuit: Eli Lilly Thieves Had Security Report
April 2, 2013 1:42 pm | News | CommentsA federal lawsuit alleges that thieves who broke into an Eli Lilly and Co. warehouse in Connecticut three years ago and stole more than $60 million worth of drugs obtained a copy of a report that revealed weaknesses in the building's security system.
U.S. Factory Orders Up 3 Percent
April 2, 2013 10:43 am | by Martin Crutsinger, AP Economics Writer | News | CommentsU.S. factories rose sharply in February from January on a surge in demand for volatile aircraft. The gain offset a drop in key orders that signal business investment. The Commerce Department said Tuesday that factory orders increased 3 percent in February.
Honda To Resume Construction Of 2nd Plant In India
April 2, 2013 8:30 am | News | CommentsThe Indian subsidiary of Honda Motor Co. said Tuesday it will resume construction of its second auto plant in India, suspended since the 2008-2009 global financial crisis. Honda Cars India Ltd. aims to complete the plant in the western Indian state of Rajasthan next year, and to boost its annual vehicle production capacity in India to 240,000 vehicles.
Sanofi Building New Factory In Vietnam
March 29, 2013 2:10 pm | by Linda A. Johnson, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsThe move is part of a fast-growing trend among major international pharmaceutical companies to put factories and research centers in emerging markets that the industry increasingly is targeting for growth. Paris-based Sanofi said it plans to spend about $75 million to build the factory in Ho Chi Minh City.
Wildeck Introduces SaferGate Pedestrian Crossing Gate
March 29, 2013 10:25 am | Products | CommentsWildeck, Inc. has responded to consumer requests for a rugged, long-lasting pedestrian crossing gate with the SaferGate, which has been designed for an easy retrofit. According to the company, the self-closing swing gate installs in minutes on new or existing Wilgard double or triple guard rail columns.
