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Daily industrial news and top headlines for plant and maintenance managers
Kaeser Opens New Factory-Direct Facility
June 13, 2013 11:53 am | by Kaeser Compressors, Inc. | CommentsKaeser Compressors, Inc., a leading worldwide manufacturer of industrial air compressors, blowers, and related equipment, opened a new factory-direct facility to support Kaeser's industrial and commercial customers in the greater Philadelphia area.
U.S. Chief Executives More Optimistic About Hiring
June 12, 2013 1:41 pm | by Christopher S. Rugaber, AP Economics Writer | CommentsChief executives for the largest U.S. companies are more optimistic about sales over the next six months and plan to add more workers. The Business Roundtable said Wednesday that its April-June quarterly survey found 32 percent of its members expect to expand payrolls in the next six months.
GM Tells Analysts It's Making Progress On Costs
June 12, 2013 1:39 pm | by The Associated Press | CommentsGeneral Motors says it's making progress cutting costs to improve profit margins. The company's product development chief, Mary Barra, tells analysts GM is saving money by using the same parts on many vehicles. It also has moved parts suppliers closer to factories to cut shipping costs.
Fiat: Supplier Delays Will Force Shutdowns
June 12, 2013 1:36 pm | by The Associated Press | CommentsItalian carmaker Fiat says it will temporarily stop production at some European car plants in the coming days due to insufficient deliveries of plastic parts. Fiat said in a statement Wednesday that more than 5,500 vehicles can't be completed due to missing components from the Italian supplier Selmat, creating an "unmanageable" backlog.
Fukushima Plant Steps Closer To Fuel-Rod Removal
June 12, 2013 1:33 pm | by Malcolm Foster, Associated Press | CommentsPlant chief Takeshi Takahashi told journalists given a tour of the plant Wednesday that workers have cleaned up much of the debris in their work areas, but that the priorities are keeping the plant stable and working toward shutting it down — a process that operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. estimates will take 40 years.
BP: U.S. Oil Production Surged In 2012
June 12, 2013 1:30 pm | by The Associated Press | CommentsBP says the United States saw its biggest-ever annual increase in oil production in 2012, while the world's demand for energy grew at a slower pace than the year before. In its annual Statistical Review of World Energy released Wednesday, BP PLC says the U.S. produced 8.9 million barrels a day, up 13.9 percent from 2011.
Glaxo Fires Worker Over Misrepresented Study Data
June 12, 2013 1:27 pm | CommentsBritish drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline PLC says it dismissed one employee and a second has resigned in the wake of a scandal over misrepresented data in a research paper published in 2010. The company says its investigation of recent allegations of questionable data has established that some information in the paper had been misrepresented.
U.S.-China Climate Deal Was Long In The Works
June 12, 2013 9:47 am | by Josh Lederman, Associated Press | CommentsAlthough it took most proponents by surprise, the deal was in the bag before President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived at the California desert retreat where they announced it over the weekend. And for China, it came only after a change in financial incentives made it more lucrative to get on board.
EEOC Sues Over Criminal Background Checks
June 12, 2013 9:45 am | by Sam Hananel, Associated Press | CommentsThe Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed lawsuits Tuesday against discount retailer Dollar General Corp. and a BMW manufacturing plant in South Carolina over their use of criminal background checks to screen out job applicants or fire employees.
Japanese Carrier's Boeing 787 Has Engine Problem
June 12, 2013 9:42 am | by The Associated Press | CommentsA Japanese carrier's Dreamliner had engine trouble before takeoff Wednesday, a day after a rival airline had a problem on another 787 plane. Neither problem was with the lithium-ion batteries that were overheating and resulted in the Boeing Co. aircraft being grounded for four months.
Yamaha Expanding Vehicle Production In Georgia
June 12, 2013 9:39 am | by The Associated Press | CommentsOfficials at Yamaha Motor Manufacturing Corp. say they've opened a second assembly plant in Newnan and will hire 100 employees to work on a new utility vehicle. The Japanese company also said this week that it has completed transferring all of its ATV production to the Coweta County plant south of Atlanta.
CAT Workers OK 6-Year Deal At Wis. Plant
June 12, 2013 9:36 am | by The Associated Press | CommentsUnion members have ratified a six-year labor contract at Caterpillar Inc.'s plant in South Milwaukee. The new contract freezes wages and pensions but includes a $4,000 signing bonus and shortens temporary layoffs. Caterpillar says the Peoria, Ill.-based company is pleased to have reached what it believes is "a fair, reasonable and comprehensive agreement."
USMTO: Manufacturing Technology Orders Level Off
June 12, 2013 8:06 am | by AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology | CommentsApril U.S. manufacturing technology orders totaled $372.50 million according to AMT — The Association For Manufacturing Technology. This total, as reported by companies participating in the USMTO program, was down 26.6 percent from March and down 12.6 percent when compared with the total of $426.44 million reported for April 2012. With a year-to-date total of $1,650.91 million, 2013 is down 7.0 percent compared with 2012.
More Americans Quit Jobs, A Sign Of Confidence
June 11, 2013 2:18 pm | by Christopher S. Rugaber, AP Economics Writer | CommentsMore Americans are quitting their jobs, suggesting many are growing more confident in the job market. The Labor Department said Tuesday that the number of people who quit their jobs in April jumped 7.2 percent to 2.25 million. That's just below February's level, which was the highest in 4 ½ years.
CT Lawmakers Join Fight Over Who Was 1st To Fly
June 11, 2013 2:16 pm | by Stephen Singer, Associated Press | CommentsConnecticut's leading role in aviation has never been disputed, but legislators have passed a bill insisting that a Connecticut aviator flew two years before the Wright brothers at Kitty Hawk, N.C. The measure is the latest twist in an effort to credit the first successful airplane flight to German-born aviator and Bridgeport resident Gustave Whitehead.
