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Daily industrial news and top headlines for plant and maintenance managers
German Industry Pay Offer Short Of Union Demand
April 19, 2013 10:10 am | by The Associated Press | CommentsEmployers in Germany's key manufacturing sector are offering a pay increase that falls well short of the 5.5 percent raise a union is seeking for some 3.7 million workers. The employers' association in the southern region of Bavaria is offering a 2.3 percent increase over a 13-month period, news agency dpa reported Friday. The IG Metall union is seeking the bigger raise as part of a 12-month deal.
Rescuers Search Ruins Of Texas Fertilizer Plant
April 18, 2013 2:14 pm | by John L. Mone, Michael Brick, Associated Press | CommentsRescue workers searched the smoldering ruins of a fertilizer plant Thursday for survivors of a monstrous explosion that leveled homes and businesses in every direction across the Texas prairie. As many as 15 people were feared dead and more than 160 others injured.
S. Koreans Hoping To Return To Kaesong Factories
April 18, 2013 2:12 pm | by Youkyung Lee, AP Business Writer | CommentsThe South Korean entrepreneurs who invested up to 10 years and millions of dollars in the Kaesong industrial complex, a symbol of economic collaboration between the rival Koreas that is now shuttered by the North, have little more than hope to cling to as assembly lines sit idle day after day.
Chinese Automakers Struggle Against Global Rivals
April 18, 2013 2:10 pm | by Joe McDonald, AP Business Writer | CommentsThese should be good times for Chinese automakers as they prepare to show off their latest models at the Shanghai auto show. Their home market is the world's biggest and growing. But independent automakers such as Chery and Geely are being squeezed by bigger, richer global rivals including General Motors and Nissan that have moved into turf the Chinese makers considered their own: low-priced models for local tastes.
Nissan To Recall 80,000 Minivans
April 18, 2013 2:09 pm | by The Associated Press | CommentsNissan Motor Co. in a report to the government Thursday said it will recall a total of 85,220 minivans produced between November 2010 and February 2012 under its Serena and Suzuki Motor Corp.'s Landy brands. A component of an electricity generator attached to the engine could drop out due to a defective installment, causing the engine to stall in the worst-case scenario, Nissan said in the report.
VW Dropping Third Shift At Chattanooga Plant
April 18, 2013 2:07 pm | by The Associated Press | CommentsVolkswagen is dropping the third assembly shift at its Chattanooga plant. As first reported by WRCB-TV, the move will eliminate 500 temporary jobs. Volkswagen spokesman Guenther Scherelis said strong domestic demand for the Passat drove adding the third shift.
SC House Approves $120M For Boeing Expansion
April 18, 2013 2:05 pm | by The Associated Press | CommentsLegislation giving the Boeing Co. $120 million in incentives for their expansion plans in South Carolina is one vote away from reaching the governor's desk. The House voted 115-2 Wednesday to approve the bill. Another vote would send it to Gov. Nikki Haley, who is sure to sign it. The Senate approved the measure last week.
Opel: German Plant To End Production
April 17, 2013 2:07 pm | by The Associated Press | CommentsGeneral Motors' loss-making Opel division has confirmed it plans to end production at a plant in Germany by the end of 2014. Adam Opel AG said Wednesday in a statement that the Bochum plant would wind down production as part of its plan to reduce costs and turn the division around. The plant's 3,200 workers make the Zafira compact.
White House Threatens Veto On Cybersecurity Bill
April 17, 2013 2:05 pm | by Anne Flaherty, Josh Lederman, Associated Press | CommentsThe White House on Tuesday threatened a veto against a House bill intended to improve cybersecurity through information-sharing, warning lawmakers that the president won't sign the measure unless changes are made to protect privacy and civil liberties.
Judge Approves Fisker Supplier Claims Settlement
April 17, 2013 2:03 pm | by Randall Chase, AP Business Writer | CommentsA Delaware bankruptcy judge is approving a settlement between electric car maker Fisker Automotive Inc. and its former battery supplier. The settlement approved Wednesday reduces Fisker's claims against the company formerly known as A123 Systems Inc., now called B456 Systems Inc., by almost 90 percent.
Ozark Manufacturer Announces $26M Expansion
April 17, 2013 2:01 pm | by The Associated Press | CommentsState officials say SGL Carbon will invest $26 million in the company's manufacturing plant in Ozark, where it will add a new workshop. SGL Carbon now employs 90 workers at its plant, which makes graphite electrodes that are used in a process to recycle steel scrap.
PA Governor Winds Up South America Trade Mission
April 17, 2013 1:58 pm | by The Associated Press | CommentsPennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett was headed home Tuesday from a 10-day trade mission to South America with high hopes for the future but few concrete accomplishments to talk about. In a teleconference with Pennsylvania reporters, Corbett described a whirlwind schedule of meetings and events in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and Santiago, Chile.
Apple Stock Falls On Supplier News
April 17, 2013 1:56 pm | by Peter Svensson, AP Technology Writer | CommentsShares of Apple Inc. fell below $400 for the first time in a year and half on Wednesday, after a supplier hinted at a slowdown in iPhone and iPad production. The stock was down $21.89, or 5.1 percent, at $404.35 in early afternoon trading. Earlier in the day, it hit $398.11, the lowest level since Dec. 2011.
Daimler Selling Rest Of EADS Stake
April 17, 2013 10:23 am | by The Associated Press | CommentsAutomaker Daimler AG says it is selling its remaining 7.5 percent stake in EADS, the parent company of aircraft manufacturer Airbus. Daimler helped found EADS but now is cashing out to focus on its core business of making cars. It sold a 7.5 percent stake last year. The Daimler stake of 61.1 million shares would be worth about 2.3 billion euros at Tuesday's price of 37.20 euros a share.
Toyota's Hybrid Vehicle Sales Pass 5 Million
April 17, 2013 10:11 am | by Yuri Kageyama, AP Business Writer | CommentsToyota's global sales of gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles have surpassed 5 million in a milestone for a technology that was initially greeted with skepticism. The Japanese automaker, which said Wednesday it had sold 5.125 million hybrid vehicles as of the end of March, started selling the Prius, the world's first mass produced hybrid passenger car, in 1997.
