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Daily industrial news and top headlines for plant and maintenance managers
Automakers Target Chinese Buyers At Auto Show
April 22, 2013 2:21 pm | by Joe McDonald, AP Business Writer | CommentsGlobal and Chinese automakers showcased family-friendly sedans and SUVs targeting coveted urban buyers at China's biggest auto show Saturday as competition intensifies in this huge but crowded market. China's vehicle sales rose 13 percent in March, blistering growth by Western standards but down from 45 percent in 2009.
Investors Who Stood By Boeing Reap Reward
April 22, 2013 2:17 pm | by Joshua Freed, AP Business Writer | CommentsInvestors who stood by Boeing during its 787 crisis have been rewarded. Some investors bailed out, spooked by the latest snag with a plane considered to be a key to Boeing's future. Others were confident that Boeing Co. would quickly fix the battery problem and raved about its long-term prospects.
MSC Completes Acquisition Of Barnes Group
April 22, 2013 2:15 pm | by The Associated Press | CommentsMSC Industrial Direct Co. Inc. said Monday that it has completed its $550 million acquisition of the North American distribution business of Barnes Group Inc. MSC, which is based in Melville, N.Y., is a major distributor of metalworking and maintenance supplies to industrial customers. The company said the deal expands its service and product offerings for customers and establishes a significant presence in the Canadian market.
Court Denies Beechcraft Challenge Of Lost Contract
April 22, 2013 2:14 pm | by The Associated Press | CommentsKansas airplane maker Beechcraft has lost a legal battle to halt work on a high-stakes Air Force contract awarded to rival Sierra Nevada Corp. The U.S. Court of Federal Claims on Friday denied Beechcraft's request for a temporary injunction. The contract for 20 planes for use in Afghanistan is worth more than $427 million. It could be worth as much as $1 billion, depending on future orders.
Haliburton Seeking Settlement Over Gulf Oil Spill
April 22, 2013 2:12 pm | by Michael Kunzelman, Associated Press | CommentsBP's cement contractor on the drilling rig that exploded in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 announced Monday that it is trying to negotiate a settlement over its role in the disaster, a focus of trial testimony that ended last week. Halliburton Chief Financial Officer Mark McCollum said during a conference call to discuss first-quarter earnings that talks were at an "advanced stage."
Canadian Company Plans SD Wind Tower Plant
April 22, 2013 2:10 pm | by The Associated Press | CommentsA Canada-based company plans to manufacture wind towers in a building it purchased in the eastern South Dakota city of Brandon. The Argus Leader reports that Marmen Inc. promotes itself as the largest wind tower manufacturer in North America. The company has said it plans to hire 200 people at the new plant.
Survey: U.S. Budget Tightening Not Hurting Business
April 22, 2013 10:15 am | by The Associated Press | CommentsWashington's budget tightening is having a minimal effect on businesses, a survey of business economists released Monday shows. The National Association for Business Economics survey asks how higher taxes and lower government spending effected businesses in the first three months of 2013.
FAA Approves Resumption Of Boeing 787 Flights
April 22, 2013 10:13 am | by Joan Lowy, Joshua Freed, Associated Press | CommentsBoeing's beleaguered 787 could be flying again within a week after federal officials approved a fix for its batteries, even though the root cause of a fire on one plane and smoke on another still isn't known. The Federal Aviation Administration said Friday it would send airlines instructions and publish a notice next week lifting the 3-month-old grounding order that day.
Safety Rules Limited For Small Fertilizer Plants
April 22, 2013 10:11 am | by Jack Gillum, Ramit Plushnick-Masti, Associated Press | CommentsThere were no sprinklers. No firewalls. No water deluge systems. Safety inspections were rare at the fertilizer company in West, Texas, that exploded and killed at least 14 people this week. This is not unusual. Small fertilizer plants nationwide fall under the purview of several government agencies, each with a specific concern and none required to coordinate with others on what they have found.
Kobe Begins Mass Production At Expanded Plant
April 22, 2013 10:09 am | by The Associated Press | CommentsKobe Steel Ltd. said Monday it has begun mass production at its aluminum forging plant in Jiangsu Province, China, after completing expansions to double its output capacity and add melting and casting processes. Kobe Steel said the 4.5 billion yen expansion was driven by a growing demand for aluminum automotive suspensions due to rapid growth in the Chinese automobile manufacture industry and a trend toward lighter vehicles.
Cement Maker Fined, To Cut Emissions At CO Plant
April 22, 2013 10:06 am | by The Associated Press | CommentsA cement manufacturer in Lyons has agreed to pay a $1 million fine and to install controls to decrease its emissions of the pollutant nitrogen oxide, the U.S. Justice Department and the Environmental Protection Agency announced Friday. The EPA had accused Cemex, Inc., which operates the Portland cement facility, of illegally modifying its Lyons plant in a way that increased the amount of nitrogen oxide the facility released.
CAT 1Q Profit Shrank; Cuts 2013 Outlook
April 22, 2013 10:05 am | by Joshua Freed, AP Business Writer | CommentsA slowdown in the mining business is digging a hole in Caterpillar's profits. First-quarter profit shrank 45 percent. Caterpillar lowered its expectations for full year sales and profits because its mining business is slowing. Sales of Caterpillar-branded mining machines will drop by half this year, the company said on Monday.
Fiat Sticks To Focus On Premium Models
April 19, 2013 4:03 pm | by The Associated Press | CommentsFiat Chairman John Elkann says the Italian carmaker's shift to premium models remains a valid strategy as European sales continue to plummet. Elkann said Friday that Fiat, which owns Chrysler, is proceeding with its plan to launch 17 higher-margin premium models for export by 2016 to revive stagnant Italian production lines.
Federal Inspectors At Scene Of Texas Blast
April 19, 2013 4:03 pm | by The Associated Press | CommentsA dozen investigators from the U.S. Chemical Safety Board are inspecting the site of this week's fertilizer plant explosion in the Central Texas town of West. A spokeswoman for the federal agency that's charged with investigating chemical accidents says the group arrived in the small farming town on Thursday and was "inspecting the areas of impact" midday Friday.
Boeing Slows 747 Production On Weak Demand
April 19, 2013 4:03 pm | by The Associated Press | CommentsBoeing says it will slow down production of its superjumbo 747-8 because of weak demand. Boeing builds two of the planes every month. It's slowing that rate to one and three-quarters per month. Boeing had warned that a slowdown was possible if demand didn't improve. Boeing has orders for 64 of the planes still to be built, including freighter and passenger versions.
