News

Reid Supply To Unveil New Products At IMTS

September 10, 2010 6:11 am | Comments

Muskegon, Michigan — Reid Supply Company, a Michigan-based global distributor of industrial products, will be showcasing new products from innovative floor dryers to time-saving industrial clamps during the 2010 International Manufacturing Technology Show at the McCormick Place in Chicago, September 13th through the 18th.

Injured Workers Expand Lawsuits In Power Plant Explosion

September 10, 2010 4:45 am | by Everton Bailey Jr., Associated Press Writer | Comments

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Attorneys for nine workers injured or killed in a Connecticut power plant explosion are suing companies involved with the plant, saying the facility was rife with violations. The four lawyers filed a lawsuit for each of the workers Thursday in Middletown Superior Court, alleging plantowner Kleen Energy Systems, general contractor O&G Industries, of Torrington, and Bluewater Energy Solutions of Acworth, Ga.

Flaming Pallets Cost NY Manufacturer $4 Million

September 10, 2010 4:17 am | Comments

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Authorities say damage from a fire that destroyed a wood pallet company's warehouse in western New York's largest city will exceed $4 million. The fire Thursday morning leveled the warehouse at the Superior Pallets Inc. property in Buffalo. About 100 firefighters battled the blaze after it broke out at around 4 a.

Tums Celebrates 80 Years Of Gastrointestinal Relief

September 10, 2010 4:15 am | by Lisa Brown, Associated Press Writer | Comments

ST. LOUIS (AP) — If you've ever popped a tablet for a tummy ache, chances are it was made here. For decades, Tums has rolled off billions of antacid tablets from its red brick building at 320 S. Broadway, where 99.9 percent of the world's Tums supply is produced. September marks the 80th anniversary of Tums' production at the five-story plant that nearly stretches a city block across from Busch Stadium.

Large-Scale Agriculture Makes For Big Problems

September 10, 2010 4:13 am | by David Mercer, Associated Press Writer | Comments

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — From the first days of the recent recall of 550 million eggs from two Iowa farms, one issue about large-scale agriculture has been clear: When something goes wrong on a big farm, it's going to be a big problem. It's a point even some supporters of industrialized farming acknowledge.

Manufacturers Of Cleaning Products Forced To Open Up

September 10, 2010 4:12 am | by Jennifer Peltz, Associated Press Writer | Comments

NEW YORK (AP) — Consumers curious — or concerned — about the chemicals in household cleaning products will get detailed rundowns under state plans to require manufacturers to detail their products' contents. The move to start enforcing a nearly 40-year-old state law and related regulations, apparently unique in the country, comes amid growing scrutiny of the chemicals that make up consumer goods.

Woman In Custody After Shooting At Kraft Plant

September 10, 2010 4:10 am | by Patrick Walters, Associated Press Writer | Comments

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Minutes after a woman was suspended from her job at a Kraft Foods Inc. plant and was escorted out, she returned with a handgun and opened fire, killing two people and critically injuring a third before being taken into custody, police said. The shootings occurred shortly after 8:30 p.

Harley Could Cut Wis. Jobs Despite Concessions

September 8, 2010 5:10 am | Comments

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Harley-Davidson could cut hundreds of jobs at its engine factory in Menomonee Falls, even if union members give the motorcycle maker the concessions it says it needs to remain competitive. The proposed contract given to union workers for consideration cuts 200 jobs by the end of 2012.

Kia Announces New CEO In Mood Lighting Shuffle

September 8, 2010 4:42 am | by Kelly Olsen, AP Business Writer | Comments

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Kia Motors promoted the chief of its overseas operations to the company's top executive job after his predecessor resigned following a global recall of more than 100,000 vehicles due to defective wiring. The new boss, Lee Hyoung-keun, will retain his current responsibilities while also overseeing domestic business, global corporate planning and production and labor-management relations, Kia spokesman Michael Choo said Wednesday.

Peanut Exec Back In Business After Two-Year Investigation

September 8, 2010 4:40 am | by Mary Clare Jalonick, Associated Press Writer | Comments

WASHINGTON (AP) — The peanut industry executive whose filthy processing plants were blamed in a salmonella outbreak two years ago that killed nine people and sickened hundreds more is back in the business. Stewart Parnell, former president of the now-bankrupt Peanut Corp. of America, is working as a consultant to peanut companies as the federal government's criminal investigation against him has languished for more than 18 months, The Associated Press has learned.

Obama To Unleash Trio Of Tax Cuts, R&D Credits

September 8, 2010 4:35 am | by Julie Pace, Associated Press Writer | Comments

WASHINGTON (AP) — Seeking to give anxious Democrats a boost ahead of the November elections, President Barack Obama is pitching a trio of economic initiatives Wednesday and voicing unwavering opposition to Bush-era tax breaks for the wealthy. With the tax breaks for the top two percent of income earners set to expire at the end of the year, the White House sees the issue as an opportunity to draw a stark contrast with Republicans.

BP Partially Blames Self For Oil Spill

September 8, 2010 4:32 am | by Dina Cappiello, Harry R. Weber, and Michael Kunzelman, Associated Press Writers | Comments

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Oil giant BP PLC laid much of the blame for the rig explosion and the massive Gulf of Mexico spill on itself, other companies' workers and a complex series of failures in an internal report released Wednesday before a key piece of evidence has been fully analyzed. In its 193-page report posted on its website, the British company described the incident as an accident that arose from a complex and interlinked series of mechanical failures, human judgments, engineering design, operational implementation and team interfaces.

China Blackouts Factories, Villages To Meet Energy Targets

September 8, 2010 4:31 am | by Joe McDonald, AP Business Writer | Comments

BEIJING (AP) — Chinese steel mills and mobile phone factories are being idled and thousands of homes in one area are doing without electricity as local governments order power cuts to meet energy-saving targets set by Beijing. Rolling blackouts and enforced power cuts are affecting key industrial areas.

Explosion At Ohio Auto Parts Plant Injures Nine

September 7, 2010 5:01 am | Comments

NORTHWOOD, Ohio (AP) — An explosion at an auto parts plant in northern Ohio has injured nine people. Authorities just outside Toledo say all the injuries appear to be minor. The explosion happened Tuesday morning at Faurecia (fahr-SEE'-uh) Interior Systems in Northwood. The company makes doors for a nearby Chrysler plant.

Taiwanese Firm Raided After Shipping Machines To North Korea

September 7, 2010 4:57 am | by Debby Wu, Associated Press Writer | Comments

Taiwanese investigators raided a local company after it shipped banned machinery to North Korea via a Chinese firm with ties to Pyongyang's military, a Taiwanese official said Tuesday. The owner of the Taiwanese company, Ho Li Enterprises, said that two computer-controlled machine tools used in the manufacture of engines were shipped to North Korea earlier this year, but said he was unaware he had broken the law.