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Daily industrial news and top headlines for plant and maintenance managers
Fukushima Plant Steps Closer To Fuel-Rod Removal
June 12, 2013 1:33 pm | by Malcolm Foster, Associated Press | CommentsPlant chief Takeshi Takahashi told journalists given a tour of the plant Wednesday that workers have cleaned up much of the debris in their work areas, but that the priorities are keeping the plant stable and working toward shutting it down — a process that operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. estimates will take 40 years.
BP: U.S. Oil Production Surged In 2012
June 12, 2013 1:30 pm | by The Associated Press | CommentsBP says the United States saw its biggest-ever annual increase in oil production in 2012, while the world's demand for energy grew at a slower pace than the year before. In its annual Statistical Review of World Energy released Wednesday, BP PLC says the U.S. produced 8.9 million barrels a day, up 13.9 percent from 2011.
Glaxo Fires Worker Over Misrepresented Study Data
June 12, 2013 1:27 pm | CommentsBritish drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline PLC says it dismissed one employee and a second has resigned in the wake of a scandal over misrepresented data in a research paper published in 2010. The company says its investigation of recent allegations of questionable data has established that some information in the paper had been misrepresented.
U.S.-China Climate Deal Was Long In The Works
June 12, 2013 9:47 am | by Josh Lederman, Associated Press | CommentsAlthough it took most proponents by surprise, the deal was in the bag before President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived at the California desert retreat where they announced it over the weekend. And for China, it came only after a change in financial incentives made it more lucrative to get on board.
EEOC Sues Over Criminal Background Checks
June 12, 2013 9:45 am | by Sam Hananel, Associated Press | CommentsThe Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed lawsuits Tuesday against discount retailer Dollar General Corp. and a BMW manufacturing plant in South Carolina over their use of criminal background checks to screen out job applicants or fire employees.
Japanese Carrier's Boeing 787 Has Engine Problem
June 12, 2013 9:42 am | by The Associated Press | CommentsA Japanese carrier's Dreamliner had engine trouble before takeoff Wednesday, a day after a rival airline had a problem on another 787 plane. Neither problem was with the lithium-ion batteries that were overheating and resulted in the Boeing Co. aircraft being grounded for four months.
Yamaha Expanding Vehicle Production In Georgia
June 12, 2013 9:39 am | by The Associated Press | CommentsOfficials at Yamaha Motor Manufacturing Corp. say they've opened a second assembly plant in Newnan and will hire 100 employees to work on a new utility vehicle. The Japanese company also said this week that it has completed transferring all of its ATV production to the Coweta County plant south of Atlanta.
CAT Workers OK 6-Year Deal At Wis. Plant
June 12, 2013 9:36 am | by The Associated Press | CommentsUnion members have ratified a six-year labor contract at Caterpillar Inc.'s plant in South Milwaukee. The new contract freezes wages and pensions but includes a $4,000 signing bonus and shortens temporary layoffs. Caterpillar says the Peoria, Ill.-based company is pleased to have reached what it believes is "a fair, reasonable and comprehensive agreement."
USMTO: Manufacturing Technology Orders Level Off
June 12, 2013 8:06 am | by AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology | CommentsApril U.S. manufacturing technology orders totaled $372.50 million according to AMT — The Association For Manufacturing Technology. This total, as reported by companies participating in the USMTO program, was down 26.6 percent from March and down 12.6 percent when compared with the total of $426.44 million reported for April 2012. With a year-to-date total of $1,650.91 million, 2013 is down 7.0 percent compared with 2012.
More Americans Quit Jobs, A Sign Of Confidence
June 11, 2013 2:18 pm | by Christopher S. Rugaber, AP Economics Writer | CommentsMore Americans are quitting their jobs, suggesting many are growing more confident in the job market. The Labor Department said Tuesday that the number of people who quit their jobs in April jumped 7.2 percent to 2.25 million. That's just below February's level, which was the highest in 4 ½ years.
CT Lawmakers Join Fight Over Who Was 1st To Fly
June 11, 2013 2:16 pm | by Stephen Singer, Associated Press | CommentsConnecticut's leading role in aviation has never been disputed, but legislators have passed a bill insisting that a Connecticut aviator flew two years before the Wright brothers at Kitty Hawk, N.C. The measure is the latest twist in an effort to credit the first successful airplane flight to German-born aviator and Bridgeport resident Gustave Whitehead.
Boeing Gets $4B Helicopter Pact From Army
June 11, 2013 2:15 pm | by The Associated Press | CommentsBoeing has received a $4 billion, multi-year contract from the Army for 177 CH-47F Chinook helicopters. The Army has options to buy up to an additional 38 helicopters. Deliveries are expected to start in 2015. The order will bring the Army's CH-47F inventory close to its goal of 464 aircraft, including 24 for replacements.
GM Stock Sale Brings Government $3.2B This Year
June 11, 2013 2:13 pm | by The Associated Press | CommentsThe U.S. government has sold $3.2 billion worth of General Motors stock so far this year. The Treasury Department says in its monthly report to Congress that it sold $611.4 million worth of stock in May. That's on top of $1.64 billion worth of stock sold from January through April and another $1.03 billion from a public offering last week.
GA Company To Set Up Shingle ME Plant
June 11, 2013 2:11 pm | by The Associated Press | CommentsA Georgia-based company that manufactures cedar shingles is planning to locate a manufacturing plant in northern Maine that will create 78 new jobs. Gov. Paul LePage and Bryan Kirkey, CEO of Ecoshel, announced Tuesday that the shingle plant will be located at the former Levesque sawmill in Ashland.
Vermont Gas: Expansion Means New Jobs
June 11, 2013 2:09 pm | by The Associated Press | CommentsVermont's only natural gas company says its expansion through Addison County will mean the addition of 14 jobs in the company. Vermont Gas has asked regulators for permission to expand its footprint from Chittenden and Franklin counties in northwestern Vermont south through Addison County.
