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Tesla Repays DOE Loan Nine Years Early
May 23, 2013 | by Tom Krisher, AP Auto Writer | Comments
Tesla Motors, which makes a highly acclaimed $70,000 electric car, has paid off a startup loan from the U.S. government nine years early. The Palo Alto, Calif., company said it wired in a $451.8 million payment to the government on Wednesday. The money, coupled with two prior payments, paid off a $465 million loan Tesla got from the Department of Energy loan in 2010 to foster development of advanced-technology vehicles.
Study: No Higher Cancer Rate At CT Pratt Plants
May 24, 2013 10:04 am | by Stephen Singer, AP Business Writer | Comments
An 11-year study of the incidence of brain cancer at jet engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney...
GM Aims New Chevy Cruze Diesel At VW Jetta
May 24, 2013 10:02 am | by Tom Krisher, AP Auto Writer | Comments
The marketing people at Chevrolet make no secret of the goal for the new diesel version of the...
U.S. Durable Goods Orders Rise In April
May 24, 2013 10:01 am | by Martin Crutsinger, AP Economics Writer | Comments
U.S. orders for long-lasting manufactured goods rebounded in April, buoyed by more demand for...
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Daily industrial news and top headlines for plant and maintenance managers
China, Switzerland To Seal Free Trade Deal
May 24, 2013 1:15 pm | by The Associated Press | CommentsChinese Premier Li Keqiang is in Switzerland to seal a free trade pact with the Alpine nation — the first comprehensive agreement his country has reached with a major western economy. Li met with Swiss officials in Zurich on Friday to conclude three years of negotiations.
Auto Parts Supplier To Invest $40M In MI
May 24, 2013 1:13 pm | by The Associated Press | CommentsAn auto industry parts supplier says it's investing $40 million to expand its Marysville facility and plans to add more than 350 jobs during the next three years. The Times Herald of Port Huron reports the announcement was made Thursday by SMR Automotive Systems.
Some Unions Now Angry About Health Care Overhaul
May 24, 2013 1:11 pm | by Sam Hananel, Associated Press | CommentsWhen President Barack Obama pushed his health care overhaul plan through Congress, he counted labor unions among his strongest supporters. But some union leaders have grown frustrated and angry about what they say are unexpected consequences of the new law — problems that they say could jeopardize the health benefits offered to millions of their members.
ND Body Gives Tax Break To Manufacturing Plant
May 24, 2013 1:05 pm | by The Associated Press | CommentsThe Burleigh County Commission has agreed to give Midwest Manufacturing a 50 percent property tax break for three years on a $7.5 million manufacturing plant it plans to build in McKenzie Township. Midwest Manufacturing is a subsidiary of Menards. The Bismarck Tribune reports that the company plans to build the wood products and distribution facility along state Highway 10.
NHK Seating Expanding TN Facility
May 24, 2013 1:03 pm | by The Associated Press | CommentsTennessee officials say that automotive seat manufacturer NHK Seating of America Inc. plans to expand its facility in Murfreesboro, adding 94 jobs in the process. Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bill Hagerty said Thursday that the company's expansion represents a $6.8 million investment in Rutherford County.
PCS Nitrogen To Cut Emissions From LA Plant
May 24, 2013 1:02 pm | by The Associated Press | CommentsPCS Nitrogen has agreed to reduce air emissions from phosphoric acid production at its Geismar plant. The decision came as part of a settlement in a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality. EPA and DEQ alleged that PCS Nitrogen Fertilizer LP violated the Clean Air Act by introducing phosphoric acid scrubber effluent into its cooling towers.
France Won't Force Companies To Cap Executive Pay
May 24, 2013 9:58 am | by Sarah DiLorenzo, AP Business Writer | CommentsThe French government is trying to woo executives and entrepreneurs, amid concerns that it has antagonized the businesses needed to reinvigorate the economy. Finance Minister Pierre Moscovici announced Friday that the government no longer plans to push for a law to cap executive salaries in the private sector.
VW Plant Reaches Production Milestone
May 24, 2013 9:56 am | by The Associated Press | CommentsVolkswagen has reached another production milestone at its assembly plant in Chattanooga, Tenn. The Chattanooga Times Free Press reports that the 250,000th Passat midsize sedan has rolled off the assembly line. The milestone announced Thursday comes barely more than two years since production began at the Tennessee plant.
Shuttered NM Plant Resumes Making Peanut Butter
May 24, 2013 9:54 am | by Jeri Clausing, Associated Press | CommentsThe eastern New Mexico peanut butter plant that was shuttered eight months ago after a salmonella outbreak is back in production, and company officials say their coveted natural and organic butters could be back on store shelves within a month.
Ford To End Auto Production In Australia In 2016
May 23, 2013 12:14 pm | by Kristen Gelineau, Associated Press | CommentsFord Motor Co. said Thursday it will close its two Australian auto plants, ending production in the country in 2016, amid soaring manufacturing costs and plummeting sales. The closure of the U.S. automaker's plants in the state of Victoria will mean the loss of 1,200 jobs and will transform the company into an import-only brand in Australia.
Chevy Spark To Be Among Lowest-Price Electric Cars
May 23, 2013 12:12 pm | by The Associated Press | CommentsGeneral Motors Co. says the Spark EV subcompact will be among the lowest-priced electric cars in the U.S. The electric Spark will have a starting price of $27,495 when it goes on sale next month in California and Oregon. GM also is offering a low-mileage lease for $199 per month, with $999 due when the lease is signed.
GM Recalling Cadillac SUVs To Tighten Wheels
May 23, 2013 12:11 pm | by The Associated Press | CommentsGeneral Motors Co. is recalling more than 27,000 Cadillac SUVs worldwide because the wheels can fall off. The company says the recall affects the 2013 Cadillac SRX with 18-inch wheels. Canadian safety regulators say the wheel nuts may not have been tightened enough at the factory.
Survey: China Manufacturing Contracting
May 23, 2013 12:10 pm | by Joe McDonald, AP Business Writer | CommentsA survey shows China's manufacturing contracted this month, adding to signs a fragile recovery in the world's No. 2 economy is slowing. HSBC Corp. said Thursday the preliminary version of its monthly purchasing managers index fell to a seven-month low of 49.6 from April's 50.4 on a 100-point scale. Numbers below 50 show a contraction.
Fire Marshal's Office: Panel Had Blast Site Access
May 23, 2013 12:08 pm | by The Associated Press | CommentsThe State Fire Marshal's Office says a federal safety panel's investigators had access to the site of a Texas fertilizer plant blast that killed 15 people and injured about 200 others. The chairman of the U.S. Chemical Safety Board had asked for congressional help in obtaining evidence under the control of the state agency and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
EU Leaders Discuss Fight Against Tax Evasion
May 22, 2013 2:15 pm | by Juergen Baetz, Raf Casert, Associated Press | CommentsEuropean Union leaders on Wednesday sought to advance their fight against tax fraud and close the loopholes for large corporations' tax avoidance schemes. European officials say tax fraud costs the 27-nation bloc an estimated 1 trillion euros ($1.3 trillion) a year at a time when much of the region is in recession and governments are forced to tighten their budgets.
