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Daily industrial news and top headlines for plant and maintenance managers
2 Hurt In Explosions, Fire At WV Gas Plant
May 14, 2013 10:19 am | by Pam Ramsey, Associated Press | CommentsTwo workers were injured Monday when highly flammable gas used in welding exploded at a West Virginia industrial site, officials said. Fire crews were sent at about 3:20 p.m. to Airgas, a distributor of specialty gases in Poca, outside of Charleston. Putnam County emergency management director Frank Chapman said the explosion involved about 50 tanks of acetylene that were at Airgas waiting to be refilled.
Nissan Chief Welcomes Yen Fall For Luxury Brand
May 14, 2013 10:17 am | by Yuri Kageyama, AP Business Writer | CommentsNissan Motor Co. President Carlos Ghosn welcomed the yen's recent decline to what he called "neutral" levels for the Japanese automaker's profitability, but said Tuesday it must drop further to be "normal." "The abnormal situation of the yen is hopefully something of the past," he told reporters at the roll-off ceremony for a new Infiniti luxury model, the Q50.
Automotive Supplier Breaks Ground In AL
May 14, 2013 10:15 am | by The Associated Press | CommentsAn automotive company is investing $12 million in an expansion that will lead to about 100 new jobs in southeast Alabama. Gov. Robert Bentley and other officials were on hand Monday as HS Automotive Alabama Inc. broke ground for a new facility in Enterprise.
Beechcraft Gets $210M Military Contract
May 14, 2013 10:13 am | by The Associated Press | CommentsA unit of Beechcraft Corp. says production will begin this month in Wichita on 35 training aircraft for the military. Beechcraft Defense Co. on Monday announced the signing of a $210 million contract with the Air Force, under the government's Joint Primary Aircraft Training System procurement contract.
Natural Gas Export Plans Stir Debate
May 13, 2013 2:28 pm | by Matthew Daly, Associated Press | CommentsA domestic natural gas boom already has lowered U.S. energy prices while stoking fears of environmental disaster. Now U.S. producers are poised to ship vast quantities of gas overseas as energy companies seek permits for proposed export projects that could set off a renewed frenzy of fracking.
Bobcat Breaks Ground On $20M ND Facility
May 13, 2013 2:27 pm | by The Associated Press | CommentsBobcat Co. is investing $35 million in an expansion and renovations in Bismarck, about 3 ½ years after closing its manufacturing plant and laying off nearly 500 workers. The compact construction equipment maker broke ground Monday on a $20 million research-and-development facility at its existing site at the Northern Plains Commerce Centre.
Regulators Probe Ford Truck Steering Issue
May 13, 2013 2:25 pm | by The Associated Press | CommentsU.S. safety regulators are investigating complaints that problems with steering-gear boxes are causing a loss of control in some Ford trucks. The probe by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration covers an estimated 340,000 F250 and F350 Super Duty Trucks from the 2008 model year.
Drug Manufacturer Agrees To $500M Penalty
May 13, 2013 2:23 pm | by Eric Tucker, Associated Press | CommentsA subsidiary of an Indian pharmaceutical company has agreed to pay $500 million in ines and civil penalties for selling adulterated drugs and lying about tests to federal regulators, the Justice Department said Monday. The guilty plea by Ranbaxy USA Inc. represents the largest financial penalty by a generic drug company for violations of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, which prohibits the sale of impure drugs, prosecutors said.
Leaving Bangladesh? Not An Easy Choice For Brands
May 13, 2013 2:18 pm | by Anne D'Innocenzio, Jonathan Fahey, AP Business Writers | CommentsBangladesh offers the global garment industry something unique: Millions of workers who quickly churn out huge amounts of well-made underwear, jeans and T-shirts for the lowest wages in the world. But since a building collapse April 24 killed at least 1,100 garment workers in Bangladesh in one of the deadliest industrial tragedies in history, the country has gone from one of the industry's greatest assets to one of its biggest liabilities.
March U.S. Manufacturing Technology Orders Up
May 13, 2013 1:34 pm | CommentsMarch U.S. manufacturing technology orders totaled $507.91 million according to AMT - The Association For Manufacturing Technology. This total, as reported by companies participating in the USMTO program, was up 30.4 percent from February and up 3.2 percent when compared with the total of $491.96 million reported for March 2012. With a year-to-date total of $1,278.05 million, 2013 is down 5.0 percent compared with 2012.
AP: Cars Made In Brazil Are Deadly
May 13, 2013 10:08 am | by Bradley Brooks, Associated Press | CommentsThe culprits are the cars themselves, produced with weaker welds, scant safety features and inferior materials compared to similar models manufactured for U.S. and European consumers, say experts and engineers inside the industry. Four of Brazil's five bestselling cars failed their independent crash tests.
Chrysler Recalls Almost 470,000 Jeep SUVs
May 13, 2013 10:06 am | by The Associated Press | CommentsChrysler is recalling 469,000 Jeep SUVs worldwide because they can shift into neutral without warning on startup. The recall affects 2005 to 2010 Grand Cherokees and 2006 to 2010 Commanders. U.S. safety regulators say cracks in a circuit board can cause a faulty signal as the SUVs are being started. If the vehicles shift into neutral they can roll away.
Next Step: Signatures For AR Steel Plant
May 13, 2013 10:04 am | by Chuck Bartels, AP Business Writer | CommentsArkansas' chief economic development official expects construction on the proposed $1.1 billion Big River Steel plant near Osceola to begin by the fall — though a portion of its financing and final permissions from state regulators are still pending.
Bangladesh To Raise Pay For Garment Workers
May 13, 2013 10:03 am | by Farid Hossain, Associated Press | CommentsBangladesh's government plans to raise the minimum wage for garment workers after the deaths of more than 1,100 people in the collapse of a factory building focused attention on the textile industry's dismal pay and hazardous working conditions.
Government Sells 58.4M Shares Of GM Stock
May 13, 2013 10:01 am | by Martin Crutsinger, AP Economics Writer | CommentsThe government has sold another piece of its stake in General Motors Co. The Treasury Department said Friday in its April report to Congress that so far this year it has sold 58.4 million shares of GM stock and earned net proceeds of $1.6 billion.
