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Daily industrial news and top headlines for plant and maintenance managers
U.S. To Seek Limits On Car Touchscreens
April 23, 2013 2:16 pm | by The Associated Press | CommentsU.S. traffic safety regulators are expected to propose stronger measures to keep drivers from being distracted by in-car touchscreens. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Administrator David Strickland have scheduled a news conference for Tuesday afternoon to address distracted driving.
EEOC Seeks Damages For Disabled IA Plant Workers
April 23, 2013 2:14 pm | by Ryan J. Foley, Associated Press | CommentsA now-defunct Texas company that put mentally disabled men to work at an Iowa turkey plant for decades is due in court to defend itself against allegations that it subjected the men to physical and verbal abuse. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is suing Henry's Turkey Service on behalf of 32 former workers.
Poland's Boeing 787s To Resume Flight In June
April 23, 2013 2:13 pm | by The Associated Press | CommentsPolish national airline LOT said Tuesday its Boeing 787s, which had been grounded for months due to battery problems, will resume flying in June and that it will seek compensation from the U.S. plane maker. The world's total fleet of 50 Boeing 787s has been grounded since Jan. 16.
MN Ethanol Plant Shuts Down Again
April 23, 2013 2:11 pm | by The Associated Press | CommentsA recently reopened southern Minnesota ethanol plant has shut down again, and its top executives have been fired amid a bitter bankruptcy fight. Only 10 of Purified Renewable Energy's 23 employees remain on the job at the Buffalo Lake plant, and the operation has just enough borrowed money to last a few weeks, the Star Tribune of Minneapolis reported Tuesday.
AK Steel 1Q Loss Narrows
April 23, 2013 2:10 pm | by The Associated Press | CommentsAK Steel Holding Corp. said Tuesday that its first-quarter loss narrowed, as a drop in operating costs offset lower sales. The West Chester, Ohio, company lost $9.9 million, or 7 cents per share, compared with a loss of $11.8 million, or 11 cents per share, in the same quarter last year. The loss was smaller than Wall Street expected. Analysts, on average, expected a loss of 11 cents per share, according to FactSet.
U.S. High Court To Look At Daimler Appeal
April 23, 2013 2:07 pm | by The Associated Press | CommentsThe Supreme Court says it will hear an appeal from automaker Daimler AG that seeks to shut down a U.S. lawsuit over allegations that its unit in Argentina played a role in that country's 'dirty war" in the 1970s. The justices said Monday they will review a federal appeals court ruling that allowed a lawsuit filed by 22 Argentines in California to proceed.
4Sight Signs Strategic Technology Agreement With Panama Government
April 23, 2013 11:36 am | by 4Sight Technologies | CommentsThrough an agreement with The National Authority for Government Innovation, 4Sight will help the Government of Panama continue its mission to achieve technological excellence by improving interoperability of systems, optimizing processes, advancing quality control and continuous improvement, and facilitating Business Intelligence.
Energy Dept. Seizes $21M From Electric Car Maker
April 23, 2013 10:30 am | by Matthew Daly, Associated Press | CommentsThe Obama administration has seized $21 million from troubled automaker Fisker Automotive Inc. just weeks after the company laid off three-fourths of its workers amid continuing financial and production problems. Fisker had received $192 million in federal loans before a series of problems led U.S. officials to freeze the loan in 2011.
NTSB Probes Safety Testing Of Boeing 787 Batteries
April 23, 2013 10:28 am | by Joan Lowy, Associated Press | CommentsAs airlines prepare to resume flying Boeing's beleaguered 787 Dreamliners, federal investigators looked Tuesday at how regulators and the company tested and approved the plane's cutting-edge battery system, and whether the government cedes too much safety-testing authority to aircraft makers.
Survey: China Manufacturing Weakening
April 23, 2013 10:22 am | by Joe McDonald, AP Business Writer | CommentsChina's manufacturing growth decelerated this month, a survey showed Monday, adding to questions about the strength of the recovery in the world's second largest economy. HSBC Corp. said Tuesday the preliminary version of its monthly purchasing managers index declined to 50.5 from March's 51.6 on a 100-point scale on which numbers above 50 represent an expansion.
FL Gov. Making Strong Push For Tax Break
April 23, 2013 10:20 am | by Bruce Schreiner, Associated Press | CommentsFlorida Gov. Rick Scott is making personal pitches to lawmakers in pushing for a late breakthrough to exempt manufacturers from paying sales taxes on equipment purchases, one of his legislative priorities this year. The governor is meeting with lawmakers to pitch his idea of boosting Florida's manufacturing sector by giving manufacturers a blanket exemption from paying a 6 percent sales tax on equipment purchases, allies said.
Kalamazoo's Bell's Brewery Plans MI Plant
April 23, 2013 10:18 am | by The Associated Press | CommentsBells Brewery Inc. is seeking the Escanaba City Council's approval Thursday to buy property and build a manufacturing plant in the Upper Peninsula city. MLive.com reports that the Kalamazoo-based beer-maker on Friday offered $35,000 for 3.15 acres in the Whitetail Industrial Park. Bell's offer says it will build the plant within 18 months and says it will employ five people.
Isuzu To Sell Remaining Stake In Poland Unit To GM
April 23, 2013 10:17 am | by The Associated Press | CommentsIsuzu Motors Ltd. said Tuesday it will sell the remaining 40 percent stake in its plant-operating affiliate in Poland to General Motors Co. by the end of April. The U.S. automobile giant will raise its stake in Isuzu Motors Polska Sp. z.o.o. (ISPOL) to 100 percent from the current 60 percent it acquired from the Japanese truck maker in 2002. Financial terms were not disclosed.
American Crane Completes Engineering Addition, Begins Construction Of Manufacturing Building
April 22, 2013 5:24 pm | by American Crane & Equipment Corporation | CommentsAmerican Crane & Equipment Corporation, a manufacturer of overhead electric cranes and hoists, has completed phase one of its two phase expansion, financed by PNC Bank with engineering provided by Boyer Engineering. The first phase of construction includes a 2,500 square foot engineering addition with 11 cubicles and 3 offices.
Clear Automation Received Sales Award From FANUC Robotics
April 22, 2013 4:37 pm | by Clear Automation | CommentsClear Automation, a leading engineering integrator of robotic and machine vision systems, today announced it has received FANUC Robotics' award for Outstanding Sales Growth for 2012.Clear Automation has been an Authorized System Integrator of FANUC robots for 5 years.
