Facilities and Operations
Smucker Sticks With Memphis Plant
February 19, 2013 12:03 pm | News | CommentsStrong demand for peanut butter and a $6 million tax break persuaded J.M. Smucker to reverse its decision to close its Memphis plant. According to The Commercial Appeal, the Orrville, Ohio-based company announced Monday it will invest $55 million in new equipment at the plant and add 65 jobs.
Illinois Tool Works May Sell Industrial Packaging Unit
February 19, 2013 11:57 am | News | CommentsIndustrial equipment maker Illinois Tool Works Inc. said Tuesday that it may sell or spin off its industrial packaging segment. The division, with 2012 revenue of about $2.4 billion, designs and makes steel, plastic, and paper products used for bundling, shipping, and protecting transported goods. Its brands include Signode, Strapex, Angleboard and Mima.
Tenaris To Build $1.3B Texas Plant
February 15, 2013 2:37 pm | News | CommentsArgentine energy pipeline giant Tenaris SA has announced plans to build a $1.3 billion Gulf Coast manufacturing facility, creating 600 jobs. Gov. Rick Perry said Friday that Tenaris, the world's No. 1 producer of steel tubing for the oil industry, is receiving $6 million from the Texas Enterprise Fund to close the deal.
GAO: SC Fuel Fabrication Plant Will Cost $2B More
February 15, 2013 9:48 am | by Meg Kinnard, Associated Press | News | CommentsThe price tag for a South Carolina project intended to turn weapons-grade plutonium into fuel for nuclear reactors has gone up by $2 billion, according to a report released Thursday. In its annual report on high-risk government projects, the GAO mentioned the MOX project only briefly but also noted that it is doing a separate inquiry into the program.
Factory Output Falls On Weak Auto Production
February 15, 2013 9:45 am | by Martin Crutsinger, AP Economics Writer | News | CommentsU.S. factories slowed production in January after two solid months of cranking out goods. The weakness reflected a big drop in output at auto factories that is likely temporary. Manufacturing output fell 0.4 percent in January from December, the Federal Reserve said Friday.
Campbell Soup Closing Mexico Plant
February 15, 2013 7:38 am | News | CommentsThe New Jersey-based Campbell Soup Co. says it will close its plant in the town of Villagran in central Mexico. The move will eliminate about 260 positions. The company will continue to employ about 70 current Mexico staff members in research and development sales, supply, marketing and general management.
Kraft May Expand Illinois Plant
February 14, 2013 10:33 am | News | CommentsKraft Foods is weighing whether to spend $40 million to expand a southwestern Illinois plant if the city and state provide about $400,000 to widen a road in front of the site. The Suburban Journals of Greater St. Louis reports that the move would add 30 jobs to the 660,000-square-foot plant that now has more than 400 workers.
Manufacturer To Expand Virginia Operations
February 14, 2013 10:10 am | News | CommentsDaikin McQuay plans to invest $9.2 million to expand its manufacturing and research and development operation in Virginia's Augusta County, creating 50 jobs. Gov. Bob McDonnell says the subsidiary of Japan-based Daikin Industries plans to upgrade its facility to increase its ability to generate energy-saving global chiller products.
CEO: $500M Plastics Plant Coming To W.Va.
February 13, 2013 5:58 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsA formal announcement could be made by month's end about plans for a $500 million plastics plant near Wheeling, the CEO of Texas-based Appalachian Resins said. James Cutler told the State Journal (http://bit.ly/VSUiB1) the plan includes a small ethane cracker, a plant that extracts some liquids from wet natural gas to make the chemical feedstock ethylene.
Companies Restocked At Slower Pace In December
February 13, 2013 10:52 am | by Christopher S. Rugaber, AP Economics Writer | News | CommentsU.S. companies restocked their store shelves and warehouses at a slower pace in December, a sign of caution as sales weakened. Slower restocking was a major drag on the economy in the final three months of last year.Business inventories ticked up 0.1 percent in December from November, the Commerce Department said Wednesday.
Ball To End Production At Illinois Plant
February 13, 2013 8:36 am | News | CommentsBall Corp. says it plans to end production at its food and aerosol packaging manufacturing plant in Elgin, Ill., in December. The move affects 245 employees, who can apply for open positions within the company. The Elgin plant makes aerosol cans, specialty steel cans, and flat steel sheet used by other Ball plants.
3M Launches Five New Lines Of Personal Protective Equipment
February 12, 2013 4:28 pm | Products | CommentsEveryday, approximately 2,000 U.S. workers sustain a work-related eye injury that requires medical treatment. This is a problem for both employers and their workers because about 1 in 10 injuries require one or more missed workdays to recover. 3M SecureFit Protective Eyewear is designed to address this alarming statistic.
U.S. Manufacturing Technology Orders Have Best Year Since 1996
February 12, 2013 10:52 am | News | Comments“Finishing 2012 with the highest order total in 13 years certainly confirms the renaissance of U.S. manufacturing,” said Douglas K. Woods, AMT President. “This also shows the resilience of the industry in the face of GDP contraction in the fourth quarter, along with fiscal and political concerns that have been overshadowing much of the general economy.”
Corn Shortage Idles 20 Ethanol Plants
February 11, 2013 7:54 am | by Jim Salter, Associated Press | News | CommentsThe Renewable Fuels Association, an ethanol industry trade group, provided data to The Associated Press showing that 20 of the nation's 211 ethanol plants have ceased production over the past year, including five in January. Most remain open, with workers spending time performing maintenance-type tasks.
In Philly, Business Booms Where Battleships Born
February 11, 2013 3:06 am | by Joann Loviglio, Associated Press | News | CommentsThe city's Navy Yard, a massive military powerhouse where battleships were born until the Cold War put it on ice, is celebrating a milestone that seemed a stretch when the Navy shipped out 17 years ago. Once the nation's first shipyard, the sprawling property is now home to 130 companies and 10,000 employees in industries as varied as fashion, pharmaceuticals, colleges and cupcakes.
ND Bill Cuts Exemption For Wasting Natural Gas
February 8, 2013 8:23 am | by James MacPherson, Associated Press | News | CommentsSen. Tim Mathern's bill hits the oil industry in its pocketbook by cutting out an easily acquired waiver that allows companies to claim an economic hardship of connecting a well to a natural gas pipeline. The amount of natural gas burned off each day in eastern North Dakota's oil patch could heat more than 500,000 homes, Mathern said.
States Announce Deal To Cut Greenhouse Gasses
February 8, 2013 8:13 am | by Bob Salsberg, Associated Press | News | CommentsThe new rules announced by the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative would lower the cap on carbon dioxide emissions from the current 165 million tons to 91 million tons in 2014 — a 45 percent reduction from 2005 levels. The cap would be lowered an additional 2.5 percent per year from 2015-2020.
Small Biz Leader Tells Women Owners To Take Charge
February 7, 2013 8:22 am | by Joyce M. Rosenberg, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsThe founder of Women Impacting Public Policy, a group that lobbies lawmakers on behalf of women-owned small businesses, isn't shy about telling women they need to take charge if they want their businesses to succeed — especially when it comes to government policy.
Operator At Calif Nuke Plant Disputes Safety Claim
February 7, 2013 8:19 am | by Michael R. Blood, Associated Press Writer | News | CommentsThe utility that runs the troubled San Onofre nuclear power plant on the California coast sharply denied Thursday that it was aware of equipment problems linked to a 2012 tube break that released a trace of radiation. Edison said in a statement "it is simply not accurate" to suggest the company was aware of design problems, and pointed out the equipment carried a 20-year warranty against defects.
Senator Wants Investigation At Calif. Nuke Plant
February 7, 2013 3:49 am | by Michael R. Blood, Associated Press Writer | News | CommentsThe seaside plant located between San Diego and Los Angeles hasn't produced electricity in more than a year, after a tiny radiation leak in January 2012 led to the discovery of damage to hundreds of steam generator tubes that carry radioactive water.
Mass. Shuts 11 Pharmacies Following Inspections
February 6, 2013 11:14 am | by Steve LeBlanc, Associated Press | News | CommentsThe Department of Public Health inspections were conducted across the state over the past several months at 40 sterile compounding pharmacies, which custom-mix solutions, creams and other medications in doses or forms that generally aren't commercially available.
NJ Officials Worried About Losing Subaru HQ
February 6, 2013 11:00 am | News | CommentsOfficials say they're trying to keep Subaru of America from moving its headquarters from the New Jersey suburb of Cherry Hill. The company says its building on Route 70 does not have enough space for the 500 employees it would like to consolidate under one roof.
Biotech Firm Moving Headquarters
February 6, 2013 8:46 am | News | CommentsA Kennesaw-based biotech company is moving its corporate headquarters to an 80,000-square-foot building in Marietta, where local leaders expect it will create high-paying jobs for scientists and technicians. The Marietta Daily Journal reports (http://bit.ly/WQeAGl) that MiMedx Group Inc. is a manufacturer of regenerative biomaterial products physicians use to help the body heal.
Honda Building New Assembly Plant In Thailand
February 6, 2013 8:25 am | News | CommentsHonda Motor Co. will build a new assembly plant in Thailand and expand the current plant to deal with high demand, the president of Asian Honda Co. said Wednesday. The new plant will produce subcompact models, while the existing plant in Ayutthaya Province will be expanded to produce more compact and bigger models, Kobayashi said.
Flint Plant Making GM Instrument Units Closing
February 6, 2013 7:59 am | News | CommentsDelphi Automotive says a plant in Flint with about 327 employees that makes instrument systems for General Motors Co. trucks and vans will close. The United Auto Workers union says production is moving to Mexico. Delphi Vice President Lindsey Williams tells Mlive.com (http://bit.ly/YBLWL5 ) that the plant formerly known as the Delphi Flint East will cease operations in November.
