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Daily industrial news and top headlines for plant and maintenance managers
Toyota's Hybrid Vehicle Sales Pass 5 Million
April 17, 2013 10:11 am | by Yuri Kageyama, AP Business Writer | CommentsToyota's global sales of gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles have surpassed 5 million in a milestone for a technology that was initially greeted with skepticism. The Japanese automaker, which said Wednesday it had sold 5.125 million hybrid vehicles as of the end of March, started selling the Prius, the world's first mass produced hybrid passenger car, in 1997.
No Helmets Required For Elio Vehicle Under Bill
April 17, 2013 10:09 am | by Littice Bacon-Blood, Associated Press | CommentsThe House Transportation Committee backed a proposal Tuesday that would pave the way for the production of a three-wheeled vehicle called the Elio by removing the requirement that occupants wear helmets. Officials with Elio Motors, located in the former General Motors plant in Shreveport, said the helmet requirement could harm sales by sending a signal to consumers that the vehicle was unsafe.
Taiwan Tech Industry Faces Up To Samsung
April 17, 2013 10:04 am | by Annie Huang, Associated Press | CommentsTaiwanese companies have long viewed tech giant Samsung as a major threat and the battle has recently appeared to tilt in favor of the South Korean rival as Taiwan's smartphone, memory chip and display panel makers suffered sagging exports.
China's LDK Solar Misses $23.8M Bond Payment
April 17, 2013 10:02 am | by The Associated Press | CommentsLDK Solar Co. said Tuesday that it failed to make a $23.8 million bond payment this week because of a "temporary cash-flow shortage" but negotiated to delay some of the obligation. Payment on the 4.75 percent convertible notes was due Monday. LDK said it agreed with two bondholders to delay $16.6 million in payments.
Coca-Cola's Independent Bottlers See Shifting Role
April 17, 2013 10:01 am | by Candice Choi, AP Food Industry Writer | CommentsCoca-Cola has struck preliminary deals to begin handing back more of its U.S. distribution network to independent bottlers, a move that's expected to improve profit margins in its flagship market. The world's biggest beverage maker had purchased its biggest North American bottler in 2010 to make it easier to introduce new products and clean up a messy patchwork of factories.
GM To Roll Out New Line Of Smaller Pickups
April 16, 2013 2:20 pm | by Tom Krisher, AP Auto Writer | CommentsGeneral Motors plans to roll out a line of completely revamped midsize pickup trucks, with gas mileage and features designed to take sales from Toyota's market-leading Tacoma. The trucks will replace the aging Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon. Mark Reuss, GM's North American president, said Tuesday that the trucks will be able to do 95 percent of the work that a big truck can do.
Cars, Utilities Lift U.S. Industrial Output
April 16, 2013 2:18 pm | by Paul Wiseman, AP Economics Writer | CommentsU.S. industrial output rose in March as cold weather kept utilities busy generating heat and a surge in auto production helped offset broader weakness in manufacturing. Production at the nation's factories, mines and utilities rose 0.4 percent in March from February, the Federal Reserve said.
Bombardier Ramps Up CSeries Production
April 16, 2013 2:16 pm | by Ross Marowits, The Canadian Press | CommentsBombardier Aerospace doesn't expect to hire more foreign workers to build its new CSeries aircraft despite possible shortages in skilled labour in Canada. The aerospace giant has occasionally hired foreign engineers and temporarily uses its own employees from the U.S., China and Britain.
Honda To Open Energy-Efficient Plant In Japan
April 16, 2013 2:14 pm | by The Associated Press | CommentsHonda Motor Co. opened to the press on Tuesday an environmentally friendly auto production plant in Saitama Prefecture near Tokyo scheduled to start operations in July. Green technologies include an advanced energy management system and solar power generation equipment introduced at the new plant
AR Legislature Approves Steel Mill Funding
April 16, 2013 2:12 pm | by Michael Stratford, Associated Press | CommentsArkansas is set to provide a new steel company with $125 million in financing and a package of tax breaks to build a mill in the northeast part of the state after the Legislature gave final approval to the plan on Tuesday. By an 81-9 vote, House lawmakers passed a Senate-approved budget bill to support Big River Steel.
U.S. Industrial Manufacturers Optimistic
April 16, 2013 1:10 pm | by PwC | CommentsU.S. industrial manufacturers remain positive regarding the outlook for the U.S. economy in the year ahead, while sentiment pertaining to the world economy remains guarded, according to the Q1 2013 Manufacturing Barometer, released by PwC US.
Okuma Launches “Tell Your Okuma Story” Campaign
April 16, 2013 11:49 am | by Okuma America Corporation | CommentsOkuma America Corporation announces the launch of its “Tell Your Okuma Story” campaign, designed to share success stories and best practices amongst users in the CNC machining industry. Okuma users are encouraged to write a brief synopsis or send in a candid video that relates their Okuma CNC machine experience.
Locked Out Crystal Workers Head Back To Work
April 16, 2013 10:19 am | by The Associated Press | CommentsUnion members will soon head back to work at American Crystal Sugar plants in Minnesota, Iowa and North Dakota, but they say the sting of a 20-month lockout will make their return difficult both for them and the company. A slight majority of union members voted to accept the company's contract offer over the weekend after rejecting the same terms four times before.
GM 1Q Global Sales Rise To Beat VW
April 16, 2013 10:17 am | by The Associated Press | CommentsGeneral Motors edged out fast-growing Volkswagen in first-quarter sales as both companies try to close the gap with Toyota for the global world sales crown. Toyota, which is scheduled to release first-quarter numbers next week, dethroned GM to retake the top spot in 2012, a year in which VW posted record sales and came within 190,000 vehicles of beating GM.
EU Lawmakers Veto Tighter Cap-And-Trade System
April 16, 2013 10:16 am | by Juergen Baetz, Associated Press | CommentsEuropean lawmakers dealt a blow to one of Europe's flagship policies on fighting climate change when they voted Tuesday against tightening the bloc's system of making companies pay for pollution. The European Union cap-and-trade system — the world's biggest — was introduced in 2005 in the hope of encouraging industries to reduce emissions and invest in greener technologies.
