Facilities and Operations
Lego To Expand Czech Facility To Meet Demand
June 18, 2013 7:35 am | News | CommentsDanish toymaker Lego says it will expand a factory in the Czech Republic and create some 800 jobs to meet growing regional demand for its popular building blocks. Carsten Rasmussen of Lego's European packing division did not reveal the size of the investment except to say it was "a large two-digit million euro figure."
Texas Governor Woos Disgruntled Conn. Gun Makers
June 18, 2013 2:36 am | by Stephen Singer, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsTexas Gov. Rick Perry extolled the tax policies and regulatory climate of his state as he courted gun manufacturers that have threatened to leave Connecticut since the state passed new gun-control laws in response to the Newtown school massacre.
GE Aviation Plans To Open New Plant In NC
June 17, 2013 9:47 am | News | CommentsA company that specializes in jet engines and aircraft system production plans to break ground this year on a parts factory near Asheville. GE Aviation's new facility is being built next to an existing GE machining plant. The company says the new plant will produce engine components made of advanced ceramic matrix composite materials.
Boat Maker Expanding With New Ind. Factory
June 14, 2013 9:29 am | News | CommentsA company making high-end pontoon boats is moving to a new location in Fort Wayne with plans to double its workforce over the next couple years. State and local officials joined Brunswick Corp. executives in a ceremony Thursday at its new factory on the city's west side at the site of a closed restaurant oven plant.
Factory Output Barely Rises In May
June 14, 2013 9:22 am | by Martin Crutsinger, AP Economics Writer | News | CommentsU.S. factories barely increased their output in May after two months of declines, a sign that manufacturing is providing little support for the economy. The Federal Reserve says manufacturing production increased just 0.1 percent in May from April. Output fell 0.4 percent in April and 0.3 percent in March.
Ind. City Sues Over Failed Pharmaceutical Facility
June 14, 2013 7:57 am | News | CommentsGreenwood officials three years ago approved the project incentives, including a $6 million construction loan for 50,000-square-foot plant in a business park east of the city just south of Indianapolis. Elona said then it expected to employ some 70 workers and spend more than $25 million on a planned expansion.
New Hostess Owner Prepares To Restart Ga. Plant
June 14, 2013 7:51 am | News | CommentsThe smell of snack cakes could soon return to the Dolly Madison plant in Columbus as Hostess Brands LLC prepares to relaunch production.Hostess Brands LLC spokesman Michael Cramer said workers will be resuming production by July. He said crews are now getting the facility ready to bake goods again, including testing equipment that's been idle since November.
Kodak Ending Production Of Acetate Film Base
June 14, 2013 7:13 am | News | CommentsEastman Kodak Co. says it's ending in-house production of one of the key components of camera film and cutting 61 jobs. The Democrat and Chronicle of Rochester reports (http://on.rocne.ws/11cAOIs ) that Kodak plans to shut down its acetate base manufacturing operations next week. Light-sensitive chemicals are spread on the acetate base for photographic film.
GM's Opel Unit To Start Building Cars In Belarus
June 13, 2013 8:20 am | News | CommentsGeneral Motors Co.'s European Opel unit says it will start assembling cars for Russia and other eastern markets in Belarus next year. Germany-based Opel said GM signed an agreement Thursday to start building its Corsa model at facilities owned by partner Unison in Belarus.
Fiat: Supplier Delays Will Force Shutdowns
June 13, 2013 7:46 am | News | CommentsItalian carmaker Fiat says it will temporarily stop production at some European car plants in the coming days due to insufficient deliveries of plastic parts. Fiat said in a statement Wednesday that more than 5,500 vehicles can't be completed due to missing components from the Italian supplier Selmat, creating an "unmanageable" backlog.
AP: Bangladesh Factory Flaws Highlighted
June 13, 2013 4:39 am | by Ravi Nessman, Associated Press | News | CommentsBangladeshi garment factories are routinely built without consulting engineers. Many are located in commercial or residential buildings not designed to withstand the stress of heavy manufacturing. Some add illegal extra floors atop support columns too weak to hold them, according to a survey.
Last Engineer Let Go At Idaho Hoku Plant
June 11, 2013 8:03 am | News | CommentsAn estimated $400 million polysilicon plant in eastern Idaho now has only eight workers, all security guards, after its last engineer exited last month amid dwindling hopes the facility will ever produce materials for solar panels.
Judge Sides With GM, Dismisses Spyker Lawsuit
June 11, 2013 7:41 am | by Dee-Ann Durbin, AP Auto Writer | News | CommentsA federal judge has dismissed a $3 billion lawsuit filed by Dutch car maker Spyker against General Motors Co. Spyker sued GM last August, accusing it of unfairly blocking a deal to let a Chinese buyer take over Swedish carmaker Saab. GM sold Saab to Spyker in 2010.
Canadian Solar Signs Deal For Ontario Plant
June 10, 2013 11:03 am | News | CommentsCanadian Solar landed a $304.2 million contract to construct a power plant in Ontario, sending shares 6 percent higher before the opening bell Monday. Construction begins in the third quarter of 2013 and the plant, being built for Grand Renewable Solar LP, is expected to be fully operational by 2015.
San Onofre Closure Will Slash Employment
June 7, 2013 2:23 pm | News | CommentsThe planned closure of San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station will involve drastic cuts in the power plant's workforce, which currently numbers 1,500. Plans announced Friday by operator Southern California Edison call for reducing the number of employees to 600 over the next few months.
GM To Lay Off 560 Workers To Retool Engine Plant
June 7, 2013 1:55 pm | News | CommentsGeneral Motors is laying off 560 workers while it retools an engine plant near Detroit to build a new motor. GM says layoffs at the Romulus, Mich., factory will start in August and run to late 2015. The company is rebuilding the inside of the factory to make a new, more efficient V-6 engine.
Calif. Utility Says It Will Retire Nuclear Plant
June 7, 2013 10:51 am | by Michael R. Blood, Associated Press Writer | News | CommentsThe troubled San Onofre nuclear power plant in Southern California is closing, after an epic 16-month battle over whether the twin reactors could be safely returned to service, officials announced Friday.Operator Southern California Edison said in a statement it will retire the twin reactors because uncertainty about the future of the plant.
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.
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.
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.
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.
U.S. Factory Orders Up In April
June 5, 2013 1:24 pm | by Martin Crutsinger, AP Economics Writer | News | CommentsFactory orders rose 1 percent in April compared with March when orders had dropped a sharp 4.7 percent, the Commerce Department said Wednesday. The big swing reflected volatility in commercial aircraft orders, which were down sharply in March but surged 53.3 percent in April.
UT Study Shows Economic Impact Of VW Plant
June 5, 2013 8:06 am | News | CommentsA research study by the University of Tennessee at Knoxville shows Volkswagen's assembly plant in Chattanooga is responsible for more than $643 million in annual income. The study also estimates that the plant increases state and local tax revenue by $53.5 million annually.
Locked Doors A Sign Of China Work-Safety Failings
June 4, 2013 8:08 am | by Christopher Bodeen, Associated Press | News | CommentsWhile the country's increasingly sophisticated economy has surged into second place globally behind the United States, industrial safety conditions often more closely resemble those in struggling impoverished nations such as Bangladesh, where more than 1,100 people died in an April garment factory collapse.
Coca-Cola Opens Myanmar Bottling Plant
June 4, 2013 4:45 am | by Yadana Htun, Associated Press | News | CommentsCoca-Cola began bottling its famous soft drink in Myanmar on Tuesday as part of a planned five-year, $200 million investment after having no local production for more than 60 years. The return of Coca Cola is emblematic of the opportunities U.S. companies see in Myanmar as it builds a free market economy after decades of military rule.
