FREE Email Newsletter

Daily industrial news and top headlines for plant and maintenance managers
IN Fertilizer Plant Operator Defends Safety
May 16, 2013 2:17 pm | by The Associated Press | CommentsThe developer of a proposed southern Indiana fertilizer plant said Wednesday the project will be safe and not handle explosive materials like a Texas plant where a deadly explosion occurred last month. All of the products made at the Ohio Valley Resources LLC proposed for the Ohio River city of Rockport will be liquid, non-flammable and non-explosive, Fairfield, Ill.-based developer Doug Wilson said.
U.S. Wholesale Prices Fall By Most In 3 Years
May 15, 2013 2:08 pm | by Christopher S. Rugaber, AP Economics Writer | CommentsSharp drops in fuel and food costs reduced a measure of U.S. wholesale prices in April by the most in three years. Outside those volatile categories, inflation stayed tame. The producer price index, which measures price changes before they reach the consumer, fell a seasonally adjusted 0.7 percent in April from March, the Labor Department said Wednesday.
Man Electrocuted At St. Louis Co. Plant
May 15, 2013 2:07 pm | by The Associated Press | CommentsA man is dead after being electrocuted at a manufacturing plant in St. Louis County. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that employees of St. Louis Cold Drawn Inc. arrived at 4:15 a.m. Wednesday and found the 55-year-old victim on the ground. He was taken by ambulance to a hospital and pronounced dead.
Boeing Resumes 787 Deliveries After 4-Month Halt
May 15, 2013 2:05 pm | by Joshua Freed, AP Business Writer | CommentsBoeing restarted deliveries of 787s on Tuesday after a four-month halt while it dealt with the smoldering batteries that had kept the planes grounded. Boeing handed the plane over to Japan's All Nippon Airways at its factory in Everett, Wash.
TX Plant Explosion Findings To Be Released
May 15, 2013 2:04 pm | by The Associated Press | CommentsState and federal agents will release this week the findings of an investigation into a deadly explosion at a Texas fertilizer plant. The State Fire Marshal's Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives will announce their findings on Thursday.
Foes Of IN Fertilizer Plant Cite TX Blast
May 15, 2013 2:03 pm | by The Associated Press | CommentsOpponents of a proposed southern Indiana fertilizer plant are arguing that state officials should block the project because of dangers highlighted by last month's deadly explosion at a Texas fertilizer manufacturer. An Illinois businessman is seeking permission to build a fertilizer plant projected to cost $950 million near the Ohio River city of Rockport.
North Dakota Pasta Plant To Restart Production
May 15, 2013 2:00 pm | by The Associated Press | CommentsThe former Noodles by Leonardo plant in Cando will start producing pasta again next week after six months of closed doors. The facility is now owned by Cando Pasta LLC, a partnership of local businessmen Jim and Bruce Gibbens and two other investors.
U.S. Factory Output Falls In April
May 15, 2013 10:18 am | by Martin Crutsinger, AP Economics Writer | CommentsU.S. factories cut back sharply on production in April, as auto companies cranked out fewer cars and most other industries reduced output. The Federal Reserve said Wednesday that manufacturing output dropped 0.4 percent in April from March. It was the third decline in four months and the biggest since October.
Ford Owners Sue: EcoBoost Engine Defective
May 15, 2013 10:16 am | by Dee-Ann Durbin, AP Auto Writer | CommentsThree Ohio drivers are suing Ford Motor Co., claiming the company's six-cylinder EcoBoost engine is defective. The lawsuit says the 3.5-liter V6 EcoBoost engine can shudder, shake and then rapidly lose power while drivers are accelerating.
TX Firefighters Focused Concern On Toxic Gases
May 15, 2013 10:13 am | by Nomaan Merchant, Ramit Plushnick-Masti, Associated Press | CommentsWhen they saw 30-foot flames licking the sky inside a massive fertilizer plant, firefighters in this tiny Texas town rushed to evacuate nearby buildings and raced to spray water on tanks of chemicals, hoping to prevent a catastrophe. They didn't know, and probably could not imagine, that the plant would soon explode into a deadly fireball and lay waste to much of the community.
Steelmaker ThyssenKrupp To Cut 3,000 Office Jobs
May 15, 2013 10:10 am | by The Associated Press | CommentsSteel and elevator maker ThyssenKrupp says it will cut 3,000 of its 15,000 office jobs over the next three years to streamline the company's administration. The company says the move is part of an effort to make its business structure more efficient and transparent.
Honda To Build Plant For New NSX In OH
May 15, 2013 10:09 am | by The Associated Press | CommentsHonda Motor Corp. said Tuesday it will build a manufacturing plant for its NSX sports car in the U.S. state of Ohio, aiming to introduce the all-new vehicle in 2015 under its luxury brand Acura. The automaker will invest around $70 million in the new plant, which will be Honda's fifth U.S. factory.
Judge Slashes $240M EEOC Verdict To $1.6M
May 15, 2013 10:08 am | by The Associated Press | CommentsA judge has slashed a landmark $240 million verdict to $1.6 million for 32 mentally disabled workers who suffered years of abuse by their caretakers. U.S. Senior Judge Charles Wolle entered judgment Tuesday against Henry's Turkey Service of Goldthwaite, Texas. Wolle says he must limit the judgment to $50,000 per employee, the cap included in the Americans with Disabilities Act for businesses with fewer than 101 workers.
General Motors To Sell Van Made By Nissan
May 14, 2013 2:28 pm | by The Associated Press | CommentsNissan Motor Co. and General Motors Co. have signed a deal for Nissan to build small commercial vans that GM will sell in the U.S. and Canada, the companies said Tuesday. The vans will be based on the Nissan NV200 and will be sold at Chevrolet dealers starting in the fall of 2014.
France Approves Major Labor Reform Package
May 14, 2013 2:26 pm | by Sarah DiLorenzo, AP Business Writer | CommentsFrance's parliament has passed a package of significant labor reforms Tuesday that the government hopes will help halt rising unemployment and jumpstart the country's stagnant economy. The bill is one of President Francois Hollande's signature pieces of legislation designed to overhaul the country's notoriously hidebound labor market.


