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Daily industrial news and top headlines for plant and maintenance managers
Manufacturers Turn To Prisoners For Work
October 12, 2009 4:07 am | by Chuck Bartels, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsLITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Good help is hard to find, unless that help is doing hard time. Two manufacturers are taking advantage of a program in which they develop factories in Arkansas prisons and put convicts to work at market wages. The workers use their earnings to fund the program, pay child support, fines, restitution and build a nest egg.
Printing Up Cheesesteak
October 9, 2009 11:55 am | Articles | CommentsA Philly cheesesteak sandwich is a culinary indulgence to some and a dietary staple to others. Thin slices of beef, chicken or pork piled high on an Amoroso-style roll with lots of melted cheese is a palate-pleasing treat that originated in Philadelphia, but can now be found in sandwich shops all over the world.
Minimal, Efficient Lidding
October 9, 2009 11:20 am | Product Releases | CommentsRollprint Packaging Products Inc. (Addison, IL) announces the launch of a high-performance, 100 percent polyester lidding alternative for medical, pharmaceutical, and food processing applications. The SteamOne uses are much as 50 percent less material and helps companies meet recycling objectives.
Chill Out
October 9, 2009 11:19 am | Product Releases | CommentsThe Instapak TempGuard Cold Chain Packaging system from Sealed Air (Danbury, CT) has been designed to keep temperature-sensitive products safe during shipment. The Instapak polyurethane foam performs better than expanded polystyrene, according to the company, allowing customers to choose more cost-effective solutions than overnight priority shipping.
Front-And-Back Labeling
October 9, 2009 11:18 am | Product Releases | CommentsLabel-Aire (Fullerton, CA) has launched the Inline Series 5100 Vacuum Wrap Front/Back label system, which was designed to accurately apply both front and back labels to round bottles without the need for a second applicator. The 5100 labeler features a vacuumized wrap transport belt using a single Label-Aire 3015-ND Wipe-ON label applicator.
Get Vertical
October 9, 2009 11:18 am | Product Releases | CommentsThe new SVI Vertical Bagger from Bosch Packaging Technology (Waiblingen, Germany) is ideal for a wide range of food and non-food application due to its versatile operation. The SVI machines can produce bags with a corner seal and doy style bags with optional zippers, with simple additions and changes.
GM Inks Hummer Sale To Chinese
October 9, 2009 8:41 am | by Tom Krisher, AP Auto Writer | News | CommentsDETROIT (AP) — Hummer, the off-road vehicle that once was a symbol of America's love for hulking trucks, is now in the hands of a Chinese heavy equipment maker. General Motors Co. and Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Corp. finally signed the much-anticipated deal to sell the brand on Friday, according to a joint statement issued by both companies.
Body Found At Conn. Recycling Center
October 9, 2009 7:22 am | News | CommentsHARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Hartford police are at a recycling plant investigating the death of a man whose body was found near cardboard boxes. Police are trying to determine who the man was and how he died. They say he was not an employee of the plant. Authorities were called to All Waste Inc.
France Orders Anti-Stress Plans For Workers
October 9, 2009 5:28 am | News | CommentsPARIS (AP) — France's labor minister has ordered all companies with more than 1,000 employees to develop an anti-stress plan based on discussions about pressure in the workplace. If not, they will go on a list of shame to be published on the Internet. The government's concern about the psychological and physical health of employees follows outrage caused by 25 suicides in 18 months at the phone company France Telecom.
NC Gov. Orders Dell To Pay Back Incentives
October 9, 2009 4:43 am | News | CommentsDURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Gov. Beverly Perdue says North Carolina has no choice but to keep offering incentives packages to attract out-of-state companies even with the closing of the Dell computer plant. But Perdue told reporters Thursday she's made plain to Dell the state expects back every "red cent" it's owed in tax breaks and other benefits because it didn't meet job and investment performance standards.
Ford Union Summons Execs To Detroit
October 9, 2009 4:37 am | by Ken Thomas and Tom Krisher, Associated Press Writers | News | CommentsWASHINGTON (AP) — The United Auto Workers union has summoned representatives from Ford factories across the nation to Detroit on Tuesday to discuss contract talks with the automaker. Union President Ron Gettelfinger confirmed the meeting after a charity appearance in Washington on Thursday night but would not elaborate.
GM Sets Sales Record In China
October 9, 2009 4:28 am | News | CommentsBEIJING (AP) — General Motors Corp. said Friday it set a sales record in China in September and total sales for the first nine months of the year rose 55 percent to nearly 1.3 million vehicles. GM and other global automakers are looking to China's fast-growing market to drive sales amid slack demand elsewhere.
Tata Motors Fundraises For $750m Jaguar
October 9, 2009 4:16 am | by Erika Kinetz, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsMUMBAI, India (AP) — India's Tata Motors has raised $750 million from international markets to help pay for its 2008 acquisition of Jaguar and Land Rover from Ford Motor Co., the company said Friday. Tata Motors said it's issuing 29.9 million new shares, worth $375 million, in the form of Global Depository Shares at $12.
Monsanto Under Antitrust Investigation
October 8, 2009 12:10 pm | News | CommentsST. LOUIS (AP) — Monsanto Co. says the Justice Department is investigating whether it violated antitrust rules in trying to expand its dominance of the market for genetically engineered crops. The department's investigation of Monsanto is part of a previously announced inquiry into consolidation in the seed industry.
LED Manufacturer To Expand, Add 575 Jobs
October 8, 2009 12:05 pm | News | CommentsDURHAM, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina-based maker of energy-efficient lighting elements is expanding and plans to add 575 jobs in the next three years. Cree Inc. said Thursday it expects to add 275 jobs this year as it expands production of light-emitting diode chips at its Durham plant.
