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Daily industrial news and top headlines for plant and maintenance managers
Oil Spill Judge: What Is Gross Negligence?
April 26, 2013 10:24 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsThe judge who will allocate responsibility for the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill has told lawyers to give him their views about whether a series of negligent acts can add up to gross negligence. The Justice Department and private plaintiffs' attorneys contend that BP PLC acted with gross negligence before the blowout on April 20, 2010. If U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier agrees, BP's civil penalties could soar.
MI Worker Killed At Nissan's TN Plant
April 26, 2013 10:22 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsNissan Motor Co. officials say an employee of a supplier died in a fatal accident at its vehicle assembly plant in Smyrna, Tenn. The employee of Lake Orion, Mich.-based Complete Automation was killed Thursday in the factory's paint plant. Bob Light, a spokesman for Complete Automation, said the employee was killed when a large electrical panel fell while it was being moved.
S. Korea To Withdraw Workers At N. Korea Factory
April 26, 2013 10:20 am | by Sam Kim, Associated Press | News | CommentsSeoul said Friday that it has decided to withdraw the roughly 175 South Koreans still at a jointly run factory complex in North Korea, raising a major question about the survival of the last symbol of inter-Korean cooperation. The statement by the country's minister in charge of inter-Korean relations came after North Korea rejected Seoul's demand for talks on the factory park that has been closed nearly a month.
Hostess To Reopen, Expand Emporia Plant
April 26, 2013 10:18 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsEmporia officials are hailing Thursday's announcement by the partnership that bought Hostess Brands' snack cake lines that it will reopen the bakery in the eastern Kansas community this summer, with 250 employees to start. More than 500 people lost their jobs when Hostess, then in bankruptcy proceedings, closed the Emporia plant last November following a strike by union bakers.
Japan To Allow Airlines To Resume 787 Flights
April 26, 2013 10:17 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsJapan's transport minister said Friday the government is poised to allow Japanese airlines to resume flying grounded Boeing 787s once they complete installation of systems to reduce fire risk in problematic lithium ion batteries. The approval could come as early as Friday evening following an expected formal safety order from the U.S. federal regulators, Transport Minister Akihiro Ohta said.
Three Examples Why Cheaper Equipment Isn’t Always Less Expensive
April 26, 2013 8:05 am | by Carol Thorsen, Wynright Corporation | Blogs | CommentsPerhaps one of the most significant contributions the Internet has made to our daily lives is the ability to find the rock-bottom price for just about anything we need to purchase easily. With a quick search on the right keywords, we can find exactly what we’re looking for and save a lot of money to boot. Or so it would seem. The truth is that strategy works for some items but not others.
The Dirty Dozen: Finding And Fixing Company Culture
April 26, 2013 8:00 am | by Steven Shaffer, President, Shaffer Consulting | Blogs | CommentsAs we grow up, we often get wonderful gifts from mom and dad. Gifts such as intelligence, passion, communication and leadership skills. We also get gifts from different mentors, which can complement the ones from our parents. As adults, business leaders bring these childhood gifts — or lack thereof — to the companies they lead.
S. Korea Demands Talks With N. Korea On Closed Factory
April 25, 2013 2:16 pm | by Hyung-Jin Kim, Associated Press | News | CommentsAfter weeks of threatening rhetoric from the North, South Korea on Thursday promised its own unspecified "grave measures" if Pyongyang rejects talks on a jointly run factory park shuttered for nearly a month. The park in the North Korean border town of Kaesong is the most significant casualty so far in the recent deterioration of relations between the Koreas.
GM CEO's 2012 Pay Package Up 44 Percent
April 25, 2013 2:14 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsGeneral Motors Co. boosted CEO Dan Akerson's pay package by 44 percent last year, as the value of his stock awards significantly increased. Akerson earned $11.1 million in salary and stock awards last year, compared with $7.7 million in 2011. The AP's calculation counts salary, bonuses, perks and stock and options awarded to the executive during the year.
Outokumpu To Cut 2,500 Jobs
April 25, 2013 2:13 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsFinnish metals group Outokumpu Oyj says it will slash 2,500 jobs worldwide in the next four years to cut costs by 350 million euros ($455 million) and improve profitability as stainless steel demand continues to fall. The world's leading stainless steel maker says about a third of the job cuts will be applied this year, mostly in Germany, Sweden and Finland, in line with production capacity reductions and streamlining.
Fiat Mulls IPO After Buying Chrysler
April 25, 2013 2:11 pm | by Colleen Barry, Tom Krisher, AP Business Writers | News | CommentsItalian automaker Fiat is considering a plan to hold a public stock offering after the company buys 100 percent of Chrysler, according to a person briefed on the matter. The plan to sell shares of a combined company is among several options being evaluated by Sergio Marchionne, who serves as CEO of both automakers, said the person, who requested anonymity because no decision has been made.
OSHA: OH Plant 'Could Have Prevented' Worker Death
April 25, 2013 2:09 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsA federal agency has cited an Ohio aluminum plant with eight safety violations following the death of a worker who was crushed by a hot metal rack stacked with heavy aluminum. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, said Thursday that Extrudex Aluminum acted with knowing disregard or plain indifference to hazards at the company's plant in North Jackson in northeastern Ohio.
MS Special Session Friday For Auto Parts Maker
April 25, 2013 2:07 pm | by Emily Wagster Pettus, Associated Press | News | CommentsMississippi Gov. Phil Bryant is calling lawmakers back to the Capitol this Friday for what many hope will be a quick a special session to lure an auto parts maker to the state. Bryant has released few details about the project, beyond saying it's for Mississippi's "automobile corridor."
Boeing 737s Being Built At Highest Monthly Rate Ever
April 25, 2013 1:49 pm | by Boeing | Videos | CommentsThe new CopaAirlines 737 symbolizes an important change in how the 737 is built. The world's best selling airplane, the Boeing 737, is now building at its highest rate ever. In Renton, Washington, the Boeing factory is now assembling 38 planes a month.
Robot Swarms Seen As Guardians Against Future Threats
April 25, 2013 9:09 am | by Reuters | Videos | CommentsResearchers at Georgia Tech University in Atlanta are programming robots to work together. The scientists believe that in the future, robotic swarms could play an important role in assessing threats at high profile events like the Boston Marathon where two deadly bombs went off last week. Reuters' Ben Gruber has more.
