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Daily industrial news and top headlines for plant and maintenance managers
AK Steel Sues Ex-Workers For Stealing Trade Secrets
March 16, 2010 9:30 am | News | CommentsWEST CHESTER, Ohio (AP) — AK Steel Holding Corp. has filed a lawsuit alleging three ex-employees of its Rockport, Ind., plant stole company trade secrets. The lawsuit filed March 11 says Donald Earley resigned as a senior process engineer last year and accepted a job with ThyssenKrupp Steel USA.
We Applies For $255 Million Wis. Biomass Plant
March 16, 2010 9:30 am | News | CommentsWAUSAU, Wis. (AP) — We Energies has filed for regulatory permission to build a $255 million biomass power plant near Wausau. In its application to the state Public Service Commission, the utility says the plant would supply steam to Domtar's paper mill in Rothschild and create up to 150 jobs.
Judge Overturns Suit Against Ford For Sudden Acceleration
March 16, 2010 9:29 am | by Meg Kinnard, Associated Press Writer | News | CommentsCOLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina's highest court on Monday overturned an $18 million verdict againstFord Motor Co. in a fatal crash, ruling that one expert shouldn't have been allowed to testify about cruise control problems. Sonya Watson, 17, was paralyzed after losing control of her Ford Explorer in December 1999.
Toyota, UAW Reach Tentative NUMMI Closure Agreement
March 15, 2010 11:25 am | News | CommentsFREMONT, Calif. (AP) — The United Auto Workers union has reached a tentative agreement to shut down California's sole remaining auto plant which employs 4,600 people. The terms weren't disclosed Monday but will include payouts for workers at the Fremont-based Nummi plantwhich is slated to close on April 1.
A Bitter Sweet Takeover
March 15, 2010 10:08 am | by by Krystal Gabert, Associate Editor, Food Manufacturing | Blogs | CommentsI guess there’s not much to defend, really. Kraft made an offer; Cadbury accepted. The once-British company is soon to join the ranks of the American food giant. And because Cadbury shareholders voted to approve the takeover bid, defending Cadbury would mean defending it against itself.
All-Electric Pressure Washers
March 15, 2010 9:46 am | Product Releases | CommentsSioux Corporation (Beresford, SD) has redesigned its EN-Series All-Electric line of hot water pressure washers and steam cleaners. The all-electric series now incorporates a more compact frame: the non-explosion proof units have a minimum 43 percent reduction in volume, while the explosion proof units have been reduced by at least 30 percent.
Torque Wrenches With Jaws
March 15, 2010 9:45 am | Product Releases | CommentsBinder-USA (Camarillo, CA) now offers a new torque wrench for its 7/8” Series 820 connectors. The tool is designed to connect and disconnect field-attachable cable connectors with hex-shaped locking nuts. The wrench ensures the correct torque value and guarantees an IP67-rated connection.
Clean Up Busy Spills
March 15, 2010 9:45 am | Product Releases | CommentsNew Pig Corporation (Tipton, PA) introduces the tough PIG® RHINO™ Absorbent Mat, designed to stand up to heavy foot traffic while soaking up liquid and minimizing slips. Features include: A thermally bonded, spunbond polypropylene top layer with zig-zag stitching to enhance strength and resist wear and tear.
Blowing Hot Air
March 15, 2010 9:44 am | Product Releases | CommentsAtlas Copco (Antwerp, Belgium) announces its new technology for air blowing applications: the ZS screw blower, which will replace the company’s entire range of rotary lobe blowers. The screw blower can be used in food and beverage, pharmaceutical, pulp and paper, textiles, and other general manufacturing.
Industrial Prodcution Edges Up, Manufacturing Slips
March 15, 2010 5:02 am | by Daniel Wagner, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsWASHINGTON (AP) — Industrial production edged up 0.1 percent in February, beating expectations and marking the eighth straight monthly increase. But the key manufacturing sector produced less —for months a rare bright spot — produced less, muting hopes for a speedy recovery.
Lawmakers Bash China Ahead Of Election Day
March 15, 2010 4:58 am | by Foster Klug, Associated Press Writer | News | CommentsWASHINGTON (AP) — China is once again the country Congress loves to hate. After a lull last year, U.S. politicians jockeying ahead of crucial November elections have stepped up attacks on China as a way to win support from voters worried that the Asian power is taking American jobs. China-bashing eased during President Barack Obama's first year in office, partly as a nod to the administration's attempts to get Chinese help settling nuclear standoffs with North Korea and Iran, and on important environmental and economic initiatives.
Foreign Investment In China Slows In February
March 15, 2010 4:45 am | News | CommentsBEIJING (AP) — Foreign direct investment in China rose at its slowest rate in seven months in February, the Commerce Ministry reported Monday. Investment for February was $6 billion, up 1.1 percent from a year earlier, a period in the depths of the global crisis. Many companies closed in February for the weeklong Lunar New Year holiday, which distorts economic data.
Toyota, Nissan Create Electric Car Association
March 15, 2010 4:40 am | by Yuri Kageyama, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsTOKYO (AP) — Toyota and three other Japanese automakers together with a power company have set up a group to promote electric vehicles by standardizing recharging machines and marketing the technology abroad. Representatives of Toyota Motor Corp., Nissan Motor Co., Mitsubishi Motors Corp.
Feds: Runaway Prius Story Not 'Feasibly Possible'
March 15, 2010 4:27 am | by Elliot Spagat and Ken Thomas, Associated Press Writers | News | CommentsWASHINGTON (AP) — The federal government said Monday it cannot explain a reported incident of sudden, high-speed acceleration in a Toyota Prius on a San Diego, Calif., freeway last week. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a statement that it continues to investigate but "we may never know exactly what happened with this car.
Conn. Considers Waiving Student Loans For 'Green' Jobs
March 15, 2010 4:23 am | by Stephen Singer, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsHARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Paul Goulet hopes Connecticut will help him get from under nearly $8,000 he's borrowed for college after losing his job in a paper manufacturing plant. Goulet, 55, is a student in environmental studies at Goodwin College in East Hartford, aiming to find work in wastewater treatment.
