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Daily industrial news and top headlines for plant and maintenance managers
EPA - R.I.P.
August 31, 2009 8:15 am | by by Jeff Reinke, Editorial Director, Chem.Info | Blogs | CommentsOne of the more interesting green developments in recent months has been Wal-Mart’s decision to initiate greater sustainability standards in the products they’ll purchase and re-sell. I’ll abstain from sharing the inter-office banter that has pitted my colleagues against me regarding this topic, but instead offer some thoughts on the interesting precedent this could set for processors.
Blocking & Tackling
August 31, 2009 8:00 am | by by Carrie Ellis, Editor, Chem.Info | Blogs | CommentsWhat is my worst self-critique as far as work habits are concerned? Time management. I may consider it my arch nemesis, yet it still needs to be blocked and tackled over the course of the day.--> Carrie Ellis, Editor, Chem.Info If you hang out with sports lover and editorial director Jeff Reinke for any amount of time, you are bound to stumble across some of his sage advice.
Racking On The Brain
August 31, 2009 7:40 am | by John T. Phelan, Jr. P.E., COO, TriFactor LLC | Articles | CommentsBefore selecting the storage medium for either a new distribution center or an existing facility, the first step is to analyze the products that will be handled. Whether it's 150-pound mattresses, cases of bottled water or 10,000-pound rolls of paper, the product determines the proper storage.
Mercury Marine No Longer Speaking To Union
August 31, 2009 6:51 am | News | CommentsFOND DU LAC, Wis. (AP) — Leaders of the union representing workers at Mercury Marine say they have no new ideas for reviving talks to keep 850 manufacturing jobs in Fond du Lac from moving to Oklahoma. Dan Longsine of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, Local 1947, said Monday the company is no longer interested in talking.
Guest Feature: Selecting The Right HMI Vendor
August 31, 2009 4:44 am | by by Gary Labadie, Marketing Manager, Pro-face America | Blogs | CommentsHow do you go about choosing the right HMI vendor for your operations? It’s a great question that bares discussion. An HMI vendor is a critical information visualization supplier that greatly impacts and influences a process plant, an OEM, and system integrator operations. An HMI vendor can be one of two things, a supplier or a partner.
Memphis Could Be Home To $8b 'Bioeconomy'
August 31, 2009 4:38 am | News | CommentsMEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — A study by a Memphis nonprofit group proposes major changes in the way agricultural land in the Delta is used to create a bioeconomy worth $8 billion with more than 25,000 jobs in the next decade. The study commissioned by Memphis Bioworks Foundation was released last week.
North Dakota Woos Wind Turbine Manufacturers
August 31, 2009 4:33 am | by Dale Wetzel, Associated Press Writer | News | CommentsBISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota's potential for generating wind power should help lure businesses that make equipment for the industry, economic development officials believe, but analysts say the state will face stiff competition. The state Commerce Department has hired a British firm to help drum up business prospects in Europe, where a number of large wind energy companies are based.
10,000 Steelworkers To Vote On New Goodyear Contract
August 31, 2009 4:27 am | by Thomas J. Sheeran,Associated Press Writer | News | CommentsCLEVELAND (AP) — Thousands of workers at Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. plants in seven states will vote in the coming days on a tentative national contract agreement. The United Steelworkers of America and the company reached the deal Saturday night about three hours before a midnight deadline for the expiration of the old three-year contract, which had been extended twice.
Third Case of Mass Lead Poisoning In China, 200 Ill
August 31, 2009 4:22 am | by Gillian Wong, Associated Press Writer | News | CommentsBEIJING (AP) — Two hundred children are suffering from lead poisoning in southwest China, the country's third such case of mass sickening in the past month, an official newspaper said Monday. Parents in Tongdu, a township in Yunnan province's capital of Kunming, blamed the poisoning on a nearby industrial park while local environmental officials attributed it to vehicle exhaust, the China Daily reported.
40-Day Strike Of 700 At IN Plant Ends
August 31, 2009 4:16 am | News | CommentsTERRE HAUTE, Ind. (AP) — Union members have approved a new contract that ends a strike by more than 700 workers at a Bemis Co. plant in Terre Haute after 40 days. Workers United Local 1426 went on strike July 21 in a dispute with Neenah, Wis.-based Bemis over the company's use of temporary workers and proposed changes to health insurance benefits.
Contractor Killed At KY Paper Mill
August 31, 2009 4:11 am | News | CommentsHENDERSON, Ky. (AP) — International Paper Co. says a contractor at its Henderson mill has been killed. The Courier & Press of Evansville, Ind., says the victim's identity and details of Friday morning's incident weren't immediately available. International Paper spokeswoman Jessica Morris says the company is investigating, but feels it was an isolated incident and that there is no danger to other workers.
Mustachioed Deer Hunters
August 31, 2009 4:09 am | by by Anna Wells, Editor, IMPO | Blogs | CommentsBeing from Wisconsin, I often have to turn a blind eye to how my native people are portrayed in the media: the obese, beer-guzzling, cheese and brat shoveling mustachioed deer hunter. But what you bring to the table—whether it be your knowledge of Harleys or your interest in seeing cars destroyed from a lawn chair vantage point—can almost always translate into other tasks, ideas, product development, or process improvement.
2 Execs Indicted In 2007 Tunnel Deaths
August 28, 2009 12:19 pm | by P. Solomon Banda, Associated Press Writer | News | CommentsDENVER (AP) — Two companies and two executives have been indicted on federal charges in the deaths of five workers in a 2007 fire inside a tunnel at a Colorado hydroelectric plant. Xcel Energy, RPI Coating Inc. and two RPI executives face criminal charges in the deaths in a federal indictment that alleges they knew about the danger and did nothing about it.
Union-Goodyear Talks 'Intense'
August 28, 2009 7:06 am | News | CommentsCLEVELAND (AP) — The union says national contract talks with Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. have reached an intense stage. The Steelworkers union says the talks are focused on job security, keeping plants open and health-care costs. The Akron-based tire maker says it remains confident an agreement can be reached in the talks that have been ongoing in Cincinnati since June.
Whirlpool To Cut 1,100 Jobs, Close IN Factory
August 28, 2009 7:02 am | News | CommentsBENTON HARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Whirlpool Corp. said Friday it will cut 1,100 jobs and close a refrigerator factory in Evansville, Ind., to cut excess production capacity. The jobs will be eliminated in mid-2010. The Benton Harbor, Mich.-based appliance maker has aggressively cut costs as demand for big-ticket items has shrunk in the recession.
