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Daily industrial news and top headlines for plant and maintenance managers
Last Engineer Let Go At Idaho Hoku Plant
June 11, 2013 10:07 am | by The Associated Press | CommentsAn estimated $400 million polysilicon plant in eastern Idaho now has only eight workers, all security guards, after its last engineer exited last month amid dwindling hopes the facility will ever produce materials for solar panels. Hoku Scientific Inc., based in Hawaii, started building the plant in Pocatello about five years ago, as interest in solar energy grew and polysilicon prices rose.
Brazil Gov't To Perform Crash Tests After AP Report
June 11, 2013 10:04 am | by Bradley Brooks, Associated Press | CommentsAfter a decade of spiking fatalities from passenger car wrecks, the Brazilian government said Monday it plans to build its first auto crash test facility in an effort to improve the poor safety record of vehicles built and sold in the world's fourth-largest automobile market.
Judge Sides With GM, Dismisses Spyker Lawsuit
June 11, 2013 10:03 am | by Dee-Ann Durbin, AP Auto Writer | CommentsA federal judge on Monday dismissed a $3 billion lawsuit filed by Dutch car maker Spyker against General Motors Co. Spyker sued GM last August, accusing it of unfairly blocking a deal to let a Chinese buyer take over Swedish carmaker Saab. GM sold Saab to Spyker in 2010. Saab filed for bankruptcy protection less than a year later after GM blocked its sale to a Chinese automaker.
Jeep Returns To OH Factory Site 70 Years Later
June 11, 2013 10:02 am | by Tyrel Linkhorn, The Blade | CommentsAfter spending the last seven decades in Italy, a World War II-era Jeep returned home to Toledo last week, 70 years to the day after it rolled off the production line. Vittorio Argento, an Italian radio journalist and military vehicle enthusiast, shipped the carefully restored vehicle across the Atlantic Ocean, then drove it from New Jersey to Toledo, where he parked in the shadow of a Willys-Overland smokestack.
Stripped-Down Harley Rebounds From Recession
June 10, 2013 2:33 pm | by M.L. Johnson, Associated Press | CommentsSome motorcycle enthusiasts feared Keith Wandell might be the outsider who drove Harley-Davidson into the ground. Instead, he may be remembered as the guy who kept the motorcycle maker on the road. Wandell grabbed the handlebars at the motorcycle maker in the heart of the economic crisis in 2009. Harley lost $55 million that year, as buying a motorcycle stopped being an option for many consumers.
Next Phase For MN Ford Plant: Demo
June 10, 2013 2:31 pm | by The Associated Press | CommentsThe nearly century-long history of the Ford Motor Co. plant in St. Paul will soon be erased. Demolition starts Monday and is expected to last into next year. Decommissioning has already been underway for some time, with equipment being shipped to other Ford sites or recycled.
Exide Files For Bankruptcy Protection
June 10, 2013 2:29 pm | by Tom Murphy, AP Business Writer | CommentsBattery maker Exide Technologies is seeking Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as it attempts to restructure its U.S. business and strengthen its balance sheet. The Milton, Ga., company said its international operations are excluded from the filing, which it made Monday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware.
Chrysler Recalls 15,000 Darts, Engines Can Stall
June 10, 2013 2:28 pm | by The Associated Press | CommentsChrysler says it's recalling about 15,000 Dodge Dart compact cars worldwide because they could stall in cold temperatures. The recall affects 2013 model year cars with 1.4-liter four-cylinder engines and dual-clutch automatic transmissions.
Obama Observes 50th Anniversary Of Equal Pay Act
June 10, 2013 2:27 pm | by Jim Kuhnhenn, Associated Press | CommentsPresident Barack Obama says that 50 years after enactment of the Equal Pay Act, the nation still faces gender wage disparities that must be fixed. "This is the 21st century," he declared. "It's time to close that gap." Obama raised the issue while observing the anniversary of the law signed by President John F. Kennedy in 1963.
ITW To Acquire Meurer Group
June 10, 2013 10:21 am | CommentsIllinois Tool Works Inc. (NYSE: ITW) has announced that it has signed a Definitive Purchase Agreement to acquire 100 percent of the Meurer Group located in Furstenau Germany. Meurer is a well-known supplier of secondary packaging equipment to the FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods) markets worldwide.
American Auto Industry About To Go On A Hiring Spree
June 10, 2013 10:15 am | by Tom Krisher, AP Auto Writer | CommentsThe new employees will be part of a larger, busier workforce. From coast to coast, the industry is in top gear. Factories are operating at about 95 percent of capacity, and many are already running three shifts. As a result, some auto and parts companies are doing something they've been reluctant to consider since the recession: Adding floor space and spending millions of dollars on new equipment.
IEA: Energy Emissions Rose To Record High In 2012
June 10, 2013 10:13 am | by Karl Ritter, Associated Press | CommentsThe world's energy-related carbon dioxide emissions rose 1.4 percent in 2012 to a record high of 31.6 billion tons, even though the U.S. posted its lowest emissions since the mid-1990s, the International Energy Agency said Monday. In its annual World Energy Outlook report, the Paris-based IEA said top carbon polluter China had the largest emissions growth last year, up 300 million tons, or 3.8 percent, from 2011.
GM To Lay Off 560 To Retool Engine Plant
June 10, 2013 10:11 am | by The Associated Press | CommentsGeneral Motors is laying off 560 workers while it retools an engine plant near Detroit to build a new motor. GM says layoffs at the Romulus, Mich., factory will start in August and run to late 2015. The company is rebuilding the inside of the factory to make a new, more efficient V-6 engine.
U.S. Investigates Honda Minivans For Air Bag Trouble
June 10, 2013 10:09 am | by Tom Krisher, AP Auto Writer | CommentsU.S. safety regulators have added about 320,000 older model Honda Odyssey minivans to a widening probe of faulty air bags that affects at least three automakers and more than 2 million vehicles. Front air bags on the Honda Motor Co. minivans from the 2003 and 2004 model years can inflate without a crash, possibly injuring drivers and passengers.
Shuttered GM Plant To Be Razed In Downtown Indy
June 10, 2013 10:08 am | by The Associated Press | CommentsA shuttered General Motors Corp. stamping plant that once employed more than 6,000 workers near downtown Indianapolis will be demolished this fall after failing to attract a buyer. The property owner's redevelopment manager said that after consulting with commercial real estate experts, it was clear the 102-acre site's well-worn buildings were hampering efforts to sell the property.
