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Daily industrial news and top headlines for plant and maintenance managers
Manufacturing Rallies For 16th Straight Month Of Growth
December 1, 2010 3:37 am | by The Associated Press | CommentsWASHINGTON (AP) — The manufacturing sector likely grew in November for the 16th straight month, though at a slightly slower pace than the previous month. Still, the continued expansion of manufacturing is a good sign for the economy. The factory sector led the nation out of recession late last year, but many economists have feared that its growth would end when companies finish replenishing their stockpiles of goods.
Toyota Sues The 'Old GM' Over Nummi Abandonment
December 1, 2010 3:32 am | by Yuri Kageyama, AP Business Writer | CommentsTOKYO (AP) — Toyota is suing the company handling bankrupt General Motors' assets, demanding $73 million in damages from the shuttering of a joint-venture California plant. Toyota Motor Corp. spokesman Paul Nolasco said Tuesday the lawsuit was filed Nov. 24 for research and development costs that weren't recouped because of the shuttering of New United Motor Manufacturing Inc.
Photo Of The Day: The Rally To Save Jobs
December 1, 2010 3:28 am | CommentsSteve Zemantic, a carpenter at Pratt & Whitney East Hartford holds up a sign at a rally near headquarters in East Hartford, Conn., Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2010. The jet engine maker says it will shut two plants when its labor contract expires Sunday. The last strike against Pratt & Whitney was an 11-day walkout in December 2001.
Applied Settles Industrial Theft Charges From Samsung
November 30, 2010 4:19 am | CommentsSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Applied Materials Inc. has settled industrial theft claims from Samsung Electronics Co., agreeing to give the South Korean electronics company discounts on purchases of semiconductor manufacturing equipment for three years. Applied, a U.S. company which makes equipment for chip manufacturers, says the settlement announced Tuesday resolves claims and potential litigation over the "alleged acquisition, misappropriation and misuse" of Samsung computer chip technology.
Japanese Factories Slow Down, Unemployment Rises
November 30, 2010 4:07 am | by Jay Alabaster, Associated Press | CommentsTOKYO (AP) — Japan's factories cut production for the fifth straight month in October, the government said Tuesday, but the decrease wasn't as bad as expected and a turnaround may be on the horizon. Meanwhile, unemployment worsened slightly and consumer spending fell in October, showing improvements for average households may still take time.
GM Adds 700 Workers To Canadian Camaro Plant
November 30, 2010 4:03 am | CommentsDETROIT (AP) — General Motors Co. has added 700 workers to its Oshawa, Ontario, factory near Toronto to make the 2011 Chevrolet Camaro convertible muscle car and the new Buick Regal midsize car, the company said Monday. Camaro convertible production is scheduled to start in January, while the plant will start making Regals early in the spring.
ABB Acquires Baldor Electric For $4.2 Billion In Cash
November 30, 2010 3:59 am | CommentsZURICH, Switerland and FORT SMITH, Ark. — ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, and Baldor Electric Company, a North American leader in industrial motors, have agreed that ABB will acquire Baldor in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $4.2 billion, including $1.
Pratt & Whitney Workers Rally One Last Time To Stop Layoffs
November 30, 2010 3:56 am | by Stephen Singer, AP Business Writer | CommentsHARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Workers at jet engine maker Pratt & Whitney in Connecticut fear they may be running out of time to prevent job losses. The Machinists union beat the subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. in federal court earlier this year, preventing it from shutting two engine repair shops and shipping 1,000 jobs to Columbus, Ga.
Toyota To Replace 650,000 Prius Pumps, Not A Recall
November 30, 2010 3:55 am | by Yuri Kageyama, AP Business Writer | CommentsTOKYO (AP) — Toyota is replacing the pumps that cool the hybrid system in 650,000 Prius cars — the Japanese automaker's prized green vehicle — in a new blow to the automaker's reputation for quality. Toyota Motor Corp. spokesman Paul Nolasco said Tuesday the fix is needed in Prius cars for model years 2004 through to 2007.
Garland Company Closes Out Award-Winning Year
November 29, 2010 9:39 am | CommentsDespite the continuing recession, The Garland Company, Inc., a mid-sized roofing manufacturer headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, has been the recipient of several achievement awards in 2010. In May, the company was honored with a Manny Award from Ohio’s Inside Business magazine.
SAP Hit With Record $1.3B Copyright Infringement Suit
November 29, 2010 3:53 am | by Jordan Robertson, AP Technology Writer | CommentsSAN FRANCISCO (AP) — On the losing end of a $1.3 billion jury verdict for stealing a rival's intellectual property, SAP AG is facing the difficult decision about whether to double down — by appealing — or folding. Either route is going to cost the German company dearly, and will have implications for how other technology companies approach copyrights.
Your '12 Days' Christmas List Costs Nearly $100,000
November 29, 2010 3:51 am | by Jennifer C. Yates, Associated Press | CommentsPITTSBURGH (AP) — In the unlikely event that your Christmas list this year includes every item mentioned in "The Twelve Days of Christmas," be prepared to pay nearly $100,000. Trying to buy the 364 items repeated in all the song's verses — from 12 drummers drumming to a partridge in a pear tree — would cost $96,824, an increase of 10.
Fiat Seeks Chrysler For An Italian Joint Venture
November 29, 2010 3:49 am | by Colleen Barry, AP Business Writer | CommentsMILAN (AP) — Fiat and Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne on Friday proposed a joint venture with Chrysler LLC to build Alfa Romeo and Jeep brand vehicles at Turin's Mirafiori auto plant. But he said he needed union cooperation to make the factory more competitive. The proposal marks the first significant step toward integration in Europe between the Italian and U.
Food Manufacturers — The FDA Is About To Get Even More Friendly
November 29, 2010 3:47 am | by Mary Clare Jalonick, Associated Press | CommentsWASHINGTON (AP) — The Food and Drug Administration would have to step up inspections of food plantsunder legislation the Senate is expected to pass this week. The bill, which has stalled in that chamber for more than a year, would give the FDA authority to order a recall of tainted products.
Hershey To Mars: Stop Copying Our Packaging
November 29, 2010 3:43 am | by Marc Levy, Associated Press | CommentsHARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Bitter rivals in the candy aisle may also duke it out in court. The Hershey Co. sued Mars Inc. this week in federal district court, with the maker of Hershey's and Reese's chocolate candies accusing the maker of Snickers, M&Ms and Dove candies of mimicking some of its packaging.
