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Daily industrial news and top headlines for plant and maintenance managers
Ford's 1Q Profit Reaches $1.6B
April 24, 2013 10:13 am | by Dee-Ann Durbin, AP Auto Writer | CommentsFord Motor Co. reported a better-than-expected $1.6 billion profit in the first quarter as growing demand in the U.S. and China for its new vehicles helped overcome steep losses in Europe and South America. Ford said Wednesday that first-quarter net income rose 15 percent from a year ago. Worldwide sales rose 10 percent to nearly 1.5 million.
Toyota: Top Selling Automaker Despite China Fall
April 24, 2013 10:11 am | by Yuri Kageyama, AP Business Writer | CommentsToyota held onto its status as the world's top-selling automaker in the first quarter of this year, although the three-way race with General Motors and Volkswagen is proving tight, as its sales fall in China and Japan. Toyota Motor Corp. reported Wednesday it sold 2.43 million vehicles during the January-March period.
SC Governor Signs Boeing Incentives Bill
April 24, 2013 10:10 am | by Seanna Adcox, Associated Press | CommentsSouth Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley on Tuesday signed legislation to provide $120 million in incentives to the Boeing Co. for its expansion plans in the state. "Boeing is a part of the fabric of South Carolina, and this solidifies our relationship with Boeing going forward," Haley spokesman Rob Godfrey said.
Hostess Plans To Reopen GA Baking Facility
April 24, 2013 10:08 am | by The Associated Press | CommentsHostess Brands, LLC has announced plans to re-launch its bakery in Columbus and plans to add about 300 jobs in the area over the next several years. The Georgia Department of Economic Development Tuesday announced the company plans to resume operations this summer and will produce a full assortment of iconic Hostess snack products — including Twinkies.
Apple To Dole Out $100B To Shareholders
April 24, 2013 10:06 am | by Peter Svensson, AP Technology Writer | CommentsApple is opening the doors to its bank vault, saying it will distribute $100 billion in cash to its shareholders by the end of 2015. At the same time, the company said revenue for the current quarter could fall from the year before, which would be the first decline in many years.
U.S. To Seek Limits On Car Touchscreens
April 23, 2013 2:16 pm | by The Associated Press | CommentsU.S. traffic safety regulators are expected to propose stronger measures to keep drivers from being distracted by in-car touchscreens. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Administrator David Strickland have scheduled a news conference for Tuesday afternoon to address distracted driving.
EEOC Seeks Damages For Disabled IA Plant Workers
April 23, 2013 2:14 pm | by Ryan J. Foley, Associated Press | CommentsA now-defunct Texas company that put mentally disabled men to work at an Iowa turkey plant for decades is due in court to defend itself against allegations that it subjected the men to physical and verbal abuse. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is suing Henry's Turkey Service on behalf of 32 former workers.
Poland's Boeing 787s To Resume Flight In June
April 23, 2013 2:13 pm | by The Associated Press | CommentsPolish national airline LOT said Tuesday its Boeing 787s, which had been grounded for months due to battery problems, will resume flying in June and that it will seek compensation from the U.S. plane maker. The world's total fleet of 50 Boeing 787s has been grounded since Jan. 16.
MN Ethanol Plant Shuts Down Again
April 23, 2013 2:11 pm | by The Associated Press | CommentsA recently reopened southern Minnesota ethanol plant has shut down again, and its top executives have been fired amid a bitter bankruptcy fight. Only 10 of Purified Renewable Energy's 23 employees remain on the job at the Buffalo Lake plant, and the operation has just enough borrowed money to last a few weeks, the Star Tribune of Minneapolis reported Tuesday.
AK Steel 1Q Loss Narrows
April 23, 2013 2:10 pm | by The Associated Press | CommentsAK Steel Holding Corp. said Tuesday that its first-quarter loss narrowed, as a drop in operating costs offset lower sales. The West Chester, Ohio, company lost $9.9 million, or 7 cents per share, compared with a loss of $11.8 million, or 11 cents per share, in the same quarter last year. The loss was smaller than Wall Street expected. Analysts, on average, expected a loss of 11 cents per share, according to FactSet.
U.S. High Court To Look At Daimler Appeal
April 23, 2013 2:07 pm | by The Associated Press | CommentsThe Supreme Court says it will hear an appeal from automaker Daimler AG that seeks to shut down a U.S. lawsuit over allegations that its unit in Argentina played a role in that country's 'dirty war" in the 1970s. The justices said Monday they will review a federal appeals court ruling that allowed a lawsuit filed by 22 Argentines in California to proceed.
4Sight Signs Strategic Technology Agreement With Panama Government
April 23, 2013 11:36 am | by 4Sight Technologies | CommentsThrough an agreement with The National Authority for Government Innovation, 4Sight will help the Government of Panama continue its mission to achieve technological excellence by improving interoperability of systems, optimizing processes, advancing quality control and continuous improvement, and facilitating Business Intelligence.
Energy Dept. Seizes $21M From Electric Car Maker
April 23, 2013 10:30 am | by Matthew Daly, Associated Press | CommentsThe Obama administration has seized $21 million from troubled automaker Fisker Automotive Inc. just weeks after the company laid off three-fourths of its workers amid continuing financial and production problems. Fisker had received $192 million in federal loans before a series of problems led U.S. officials to freeze the loan in 2011.
NTSB Probes Safety Testing Of Boeing 787 Batteries
April 23, 2013 10:28 am | by Joan Lowy, Associated Press | CommentsAs airlines prepare to resume flying Boeing's beleaguered 787 Dreamliners, federal investigators looked Tuesday at how regulators and the company tested and approved the plane's cutting-edge battery system, and whether the government cedes too much safety-testing authority to aircraft makers.
Survey: China Manufacturing Weakening
April 23, 2013 10:22 am | by Joe McDonald, AP Business Writer | CommentsChina's manufacturing growth decelerated this month, a survey showed Monday, adding to questions about the strength of the recovery in the world's second largest economy. HSBC Corp. said Tuesday the preliminary version of its monthly purchasing managers index declined to 50.5 from March's 51.6 on a 100-point scale on which numbers above 50 represent an expansion.
