News

Solar Manufacturer Using China As Low-Cost Stepping Stone

November 19, 2010 3:33 am | Comments

TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — A Toledo solar panel manufacturer opened an assembly plant in China to provide low-cost assembly while it works to automate and expand its local operations, the company's president said Thursday. Xunlight Corp., which has received nearly $50 million in federal and state assistance to develop research and production in Toledo, just started talking publicly this week about the Chinese facility, which opened earlier this year, The Blade newspaper reported Thursday.

Lockheed Martin Cutting 1,000 Eagan, Minn. Jobs

November 19, 2010 3:31 am | Comments

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Defense contractor Lockheed Martin Corp. said on Thursday that it will close its Eagan, Minn. plant by 2013, eliminating or moving about 1,000 jobs. The company makes components for the Navy's P-3 Orion anti-submarine plane at the plant. Lockheed said 650 of the Minnesota jobs would move to Owego, N.

Kia Ready To Hire Another 1,000 Georgians

November 19, 2010 3:30 am | Comments

WEST POINT, Ga. (AP) — Kia Motors plans to hire another 1,000 workers at its west Georgia plant. Kia on Thursday opened the online application process for prospective employees for its plant in West Point, which is near the Alabama state line. The plant officially opened earlier this year and, as of September, had produced about 100,000 Kia Sorrento SUVs.

How GM's IPO Affected Detroit, New York, And Washington

November 19, 2010 3:29 am | by Bernard Condon and Tom Krisher, AP Business Writers | Comments

NEW YORK (AP) — General Motors returned to Wall Street with the satisfying roar of a muscle car's engine, embraced by traders at the New York Stock Exchange who stood in a crowd eight deep for the chance to buy a piece of a resurrected American icon. Elsewhere, the moment was more complex.

GE Aviation To Build 400-Worker Plant In Auburn, Ala.

November 17, 2010 4:01 am | Comments

AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — GE Aviation has picked Auburn for its plant that will make coatings for the components in military jet engines. GE Aviation, based in Cincinnati, Ohio, had announced in August that it planned to locate a plant in Alabama and would decide the location within three months.

Boeing Unsure When 787 Test Flights Will Continue

November 17, 2010 4:00 am | by Joan Lowy and Joshua Freed, Associated Press | Comments

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Boeing Co. said it's still not clear when it will resume test flights for its new 787, and an executive said in an interview that he doesn't know if the plane's first delivery would be delayed once again. Boeing has been flying six of the new 787s with a goal of getting certification to deliver the first one around mid-February.

Roche To Cut 4,800 Jobs For 'Operational Excellence'

November 17, 2010 3:59 am | by Frank Jordans, Associated Press | Comments

GENEVA (AP) — Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche will cut 4,800 jobs over two years, mostly in the U.S., to help save 2.4 billion Swiss francs ($2.4 billion) by 2012, the company said Wednesday. The cuts amount to six percent of its 82,000-strong global work force and will mainly affect positions in sales, marketing and manufacturing, Basel-based Roche Holding AG said in a statement.

Officals Call For Safer, Less Faulty Defibrillators

November 17, 2010 3:56 am | by Matthew Perrone, AP Health Writer | Comments

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal health officials are calling on manufacturers of heart-zapping defibrillators to fix long-standing problems with the emergency devices that have triggered dozens of recalls and led to injuries and deaths. Defibrillators use electric shocks to jolt the heart back to normal after patients collapse from cardiac arrest.

Koss Executive Faces 20 Years For Embezzling Millions

November 17, 2010 3:53 am | Comments

MILWAUKEE (AP) — The former Koss Corp. executive accused of embezzling $34 million from the headphones manufacturer faces sentencing Wednesday in federal court in Milwaukee. Koss chief executive Michael Koss is asking the judge to sentence Sue Sachdeva (sah-CHEE'-vah) to the maximum 15 to 20 years.

Is GM's IPO Leaving Out The 'Little Guy'?

November 17, 2010 3:52 am | by Bernard Condon, AP Business Writer | Comments

NEW YORK (AP) — When General Motors finally offers stock to the public later this week, small investors will probably be left out in the cold. Pension funds, mutual funds and other big institutions all want a piece of the rehabilitated GM. That means the three dozen banks divvying up the new shares may not have much left for individual investors.

Industrial Output Down Overall, But Manufacturing Climbs

November 17, 2010 3:51 am | by Daniel Wagner, AP Business Writer | Comments

WASHINGTON (AP) — Industrial production in the U.S. was unchanged in October, as a sharp drop in utility output offset gains by manufacturers producing big-ticket goods for consumers and businesses. The Federal Reserve says that output at the nation's factories, mines and utilities was flat last month after falling by 0.

Despite Recession, Food Producers Expand, Invest

November 16, 2010 4:13 am | Comments

MILWAUKEE (AP) — While the recession took a toll on manufacturing and other industries, one part of the U.S. economy has remained a bright spot over the past few years: food production. Across the nation, food producers are seeing enough growth that many are expanding and investing in new equipment.

SPX Breaks Ground On $40M China Manufacturing Campus

November 16, 2010 4:06 am | Comments

SHANGHAI, Nov. 16, 2010/PRNewswire/ -- SPX Corporation today reiterated its long-term commitment to China and the Asia-Pacific region with an official ground-breaking ceremony marking the start of construction of its new 53-acre China manufacturing campus, which is being built in the FOHO Economic Development Zone.

Detroit Energy-From-Waste Plant Gets $50M Lifeline

November 16, 2010 3:55 am | Comments

DETROIT, Nov. 16, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- A coalition of public and private enterprises, led by Detroit Renewable Energy LLC, the new parent company of Detroit Thermal, LLC; along with the City of Detroit, the Greater Detroit Resource Recovery Authority, the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 324, Utility Workers Union of America, AFL, CIO Local 223, and DTE Energy, has attracted a $50 million investment to Detroit in a deal that assures a long-term, cost-effective and eco-friendly supply of renewable energy from waste derived fuel to support the essential energy needs of Detroit's core business districts.

Industrial Production Falls Flat In October

November 16, 2010 3:45 am | Comments

WASHINGTON (AP) — Industrial production was unchanged in October, even as manufacturers revved up to produce more big-ticket goods for consumers and businesses. A drop in output by utilities offset factory growth. The Federal Reserve says that output at the nation's factories, mines and utilities was flat last month after falling by 0.