Facilities and Operations
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.
Koch Foods Expansion To Create 750 Jobs In Georgia
March 29, 2013 8:35 am | News | CommentsA food processing and distribution company is planning to expand a plant in western Georgia and looks to create 750 new jobs. Gov. Nathan Deal Thursday announced Koch Foods is planning to expand its plant in Hamilton — about 25 miles northeast of Columbus.
Japan Jobless Rate Up, Prices, Manufacturing Fall
March 29, 2013 8:29 am | by Elaine Kurtenbach, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsThe government data released Friday showed the main consumer price index fell 0.3 percent from a year earlier as deflation continued to defy the combined efforts of the government and central bank to move toward a 2 percent inflation target. However the CPI was up 0.1 percent from January's figure.
Seven Ways To Benefit From Mobile, From The Floor To The Field
March 27, 2013 12:45 pm | by Mutual Mobile | Articles | CommentsYes, there’s a place for mobile in manufacturing. Seven, actually. Today’s mobile solutions can help your business run more profitably and predictably, by putting the right tools and information right where they’re needed.
Q&A: Springing Forward With Pest Prevention
March 26, 2013 3:06 pm | by Lindsey Jahn, Associate Editor, Food Manufacturing | Articles | CommentsWith warmer weather on the horizon, it is important for food manufacturers to put prevention measures in place for warm-weather pests. Food Manufacturing spoke with Patricia Hottel about the steps processors can take to get a head start on spring pest prevention.
NJ Compounding Pharmacy Extends Closure In Recall
March 24, 2013 8:45 pm | News | CommentsA New Jersey compounding pharmacy that issued a national recall of all of its drugs has agreed to remain closed two more weeks. The New Jersey pharmacy board says Tinton Falls-based Med Prep Consulting Inc. continues to investigate the cause of contamination found in bags of magnesium sulfate that it formulated.
Troubled Calif. Nuke Plant Seeks Restart In Summer
March 23, 2013 3:51 am | by Michael R. Blood, Associated Press Writer | News | CommentsSouthern California Edison disclosed Friday it hopes the move could open the way for the Unit 2 reactor to be back in service by summer, when power demand typically soars in the region. San Onofre has been shut down since January 2012, after a small radiation leak led to the discovery of unusual damage to hundreds of tubes that carry radioactive water.
Bosch To Abandon Solar Energy Business
March 22, 2013 10:38 am | News | CommentsGermany's Bosch says it is abandoning its solar energy business because there's no way to make it economically viable amid overcapacity and price pressure in the industry. The engineering company said Friday that it will stop making components such as solar cells and wafers at the beginning of next year.
Report: Uncertainty Surrounds $1.1B Steel Mill Plan
March 21, 2013 9:20 pm | by Andrew DeMillo, Associated Press | News | CommentsState economic development officials overestimated the long-term benefits of a proposal to help finance a $1.1 billion steel mill proposed in northeast Arkansas, because they didn't consider uncertainties surrounding the project, according to report released Thursday by a consultant that lawmakers hired.
Opel Employees Reject Redevelopment Plan
March 21, 2013 8:59 pm | News | CommentsEmployees at GM's Opel plant in Bochum have rejected a redevelopment plan, which means production there could end by late 2014. German news agency dpa said 76.1 percent of the Bochum plant rejected a redevelopment plan, which implied that after the year 2016 there would have been only 1,200 jobs left. About 3,200 persons now work at the unit in Bochum.
Survey Finds China Manufacturing Bounce In March
March 20, 2013 10:58 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsChinese manufacturing rebounded modestly in March after dipping during the country's biggest public holiday the month before, a survey on Thursday showed, in a sign of gradual recovery in the world's second biggest economy. HSBC's preliminary version of its purchasing managers' index for March rose to 51.7 on a 100-point scale.
Big River Steel CEO Hopes For Fall Groundbreaking
March 20, 2013 2:11 pm | News | CommentsThe developer behind a planned $1.1 billion steel mill in northeast Arkansas says he hopes to break ground on the project this fall if everything goes as planned. The Legislature still needs to approve $125 million in state financing for the proposed Big River Steel mill to be built near Osceola.
U.S. Orders Nuclear Sites To Upgrade Vents
March 20, 2013 8:13 am | by Matthew Daly, Associated Press | News | CommentsU.S. nuclear power plants must upgrade ventilation systems at 31 reactors with designs similar to those that melted down two years ago in Japan, under a Nuclear Regulatory Commission order that stops short of requiring filtered vents, as some safety advocates and NRC's staff had urged.
Illinois, Iowa Could Bid On Fertilizer Facility
March 20, 2013 8:06 am | News | CommentsAccording to Illinois officials, Iowa is offering Cronus Chemical LLC an estimated $35 million in taxpayer subsidies to build a plant in Mitchell County near the Minnesota border. Illinois Rep. Adam Brown, R- Champaign, has sponsored legislation offering a series of tax breaks for the project.
100 Percent Lean Beans
March 19, 2013 11:47 am | by Anna Wells, Executive Editor, Industrial Maintenance & Plant Operation | Articles | CommentsThe Starbucks Carson Valley Roasting Plant & Distribution Center crew will tell you everything you need to know about how roasting and brewing methods affect the flavor of coffee in so many ways. And just as the smallest of modifications can dramatically affect the flavor of the cup, Starbucks Carson Valley has learned that – likewise – small steps towards continuous improvement can yield returns.
Ericsson, STMicroelectronics To Cut 1,600 Jobs
March 18, 2013 9:55 am | News | CommentsSTMicroelectronics, one of Europe's largest chipmakers, announced in December that it wanted out of ST-Ericsson as it struggled with a downturn in global demand. After months of talks the two companies said Monday they had agreed to end the joint venture.
Bridgestone Workers Protest Against Plant Closure In Italy
March 15, 2013 12:08 pm | News | CommentsIn the demonstration lasting about two hours, the employees called for continued operation of the passenger car tire-making factory, which Bridgestone Corp. said earlier this month will close in the first half of 2014 due to deterioration of the facility's profitability and changing market conditions.
Strong Auto Output Boosts Factory Production
March 15, 2013 10:38 am | by Christopher S. Rugaber, AP Economics Writer | News | CommentsFactory output rose a seasonally adjusted 0.8 percent in February from January, after falling 0.3 percent in the previous month, the Federal Reserve said Friday. The biggest gain was in autos and auto parts, where production increased 3.6 percent after falling 4.9 percent in January.
Volkswagen CEO Stresses Cautious Outlook
March 14, 2013 9:46 am | News | CommentsVolkswagen's chief executive Martin Winterkorn said Thursday the company faces a challenging year particularly in Europe where many countries are in recession. Winterkorn told the company's annual news and analyst conference that "Volkswagen is feeling the headwinds — especially in Europe."
CEOs Optimistic About Economy, Wary Of Hiring
March 13, 2013 10:54 am | by Christopher S. Rugaber, AP Economics Writer | News | CommentsChief executives at the largest U.S. companies are much more optimistic about their sales prospects than they were three months ago, though many remain cautious about hiring. The Business Roundtable said Wednesday that 72 percent of its members expect sales will increase in the next six months.
U.S. Businesses Boost Restocking 1 Percent
March 13, 2013 10:22 am | by Martin Crutsinger, AP Economics Writer | News | CommentsU.S. companies increased their restocking in January from December, an encouraging signal that they expect consumers will spend more this year and help the economy grow faster. The Commerce Department says business stockpiles grew 1 percent in January, up from 0.3 percent growth in December.
GM Breaks Ground On Additions To KCK Plant
March 13, 2013 10:18 am | News | CommentsGeneral Motors has begun building a new paint shop at its Fairfax assembly plant in Kansas City, Kan. The automaker says in a release that construction began Tuesday on the 450,000-square-foot paint shop, which is part of a $600 million investment in the plant. Construction is expected to take about two years.
Some Vestas Wind Systems Factories For Sale
March 13, 2013 10:16 am | News | CommentsVestas Wind Systems is putting some of its factories up for sale, but officials won't say if their tower factory in Pueblo is among them. Vestas spokesman Andrew Longeteig said Tuesday there are a number of manufacturing facilities up for sale, but they aren't going to be identified until negotiations are completed.
Renault, Unions Reach Deal To Cut Costs, Jobs
March 13, 2013 10:15 am | by Sarah DiLorenzo, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsFrench carmaker Renault SA reached a potentially groundbreaking deal with leading unions Wednesday that allows it to reduce its workforce and cut costs in exchange for keeping jobs and production in France. Renault and other European carmakers have been struggling to stay competitive globally as Europe's car market flails.
AMD To Sell Texas Buildings For $164M
March 13, 2013 8:30 am | News | CommentsChipmaker Advanced Micro Devices will sell a campus in Austin, Texas and then rent them, generating about $164 million, in an effort to cut its real-estate costs. The company said Tuesday that it's selling the buildings to a division of San Francisco real estate investment company Spear Street Capital.
