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Daily industrial news and top headlines for plant and maintenance managers
Brewer Battles With Bottling Tradition: Resuables
August 18, 2010 4:58 am | by Joe Mandak, Associated Press Writer | CommentsST. MARYS, Pa. (AP) — For years, it was the way breweries did business: sell bottles, then take back the empties. It just made sense, especially to folks weaned in the lean days of the Great Depression and World War II, that bottles should be scrubbed and refilled, not thrown away. These days, in a culture where nearly everything is disposable, recycling is a rite and energy costs are high, the decision of whether to toss tradition into the trash heap lies with one brewery about 100 miles northeast of Pittsburgh.
GM Partners With China's SAIC For Fuel-Efficient Engines
August 18, 2010 4:43 am | by Elaine Kurtenbach, AP Business Writer | CommentsSHANGHAI (AP) — General Motors Co. and Chinese partner SAIC announced Wednesday plans for joint development of fuel-efficient small engines and transmissions, focusing squarely on the fastest-growing part of China's huge auto market. The companies, which run several joint ventures including their flagship Shanghai GM, will develop a 1 liter to 1.
Foxconn Holds Morale Parades For Disheartened Workers
August 18, 2010 4:42 am | by Gillian Wong, Associated Press Writer | CommentsSHENZHEN, China (AP) — Young workers who normally spend their days assembling iPhones and other high-tech gadgets packed a stadium at their massive campus Wednesday, waving pompoms and shouting slogans at a rally to raise morale following a string of suicides at the company's heavily regimented factories.
Deere Posts 47 Percent Jump In 3Q Profit
August 18, 2010 4:40 am | by Josh Funk, AP Business Writer | CommentsOMAHA, Nebraska (AP) — Deere & Co. said Wednesday its third-quarter profit grew 47 percent because American and Canadian farmers bought enough of the company's large equipment to offset a sharp downturn in Europe, but Deere kept its forecast for the year conservative. The company reported $617 million net income, or $1.
Union: Navistar To Leave Fort Wayne, Ind.
August 18, 2010 4:39 am | CommentsFORT WAYNE, Ind. (AP) — A union official at the Navistar International plant in Fort Wayne says the company has told workers it plans to phase out its operations in that city within three years. United Auto Workers Local 2911 President Tom Burkholder says workers got that message Tuesday but it could be a negotiating stategy.
Lawsuits Filed In Deadly Conn. Power Plant Explosion
August 17, 2010 4:39 am | CommentsBRIDGEPORT, Conn. (AP) — A lawyer for a New Jersey man says he'll be filing a $6 million federal lawsuit over injuries his client suffered in a Connecticut power plant explosion that killed six people in February. Attorney William Bloss says the lawsuit will be filed Tuesday morning in U.
Industrial Production Rose 1 Percent In July
August 17, 2010 4:23 am | by Daniel Wagner, AP Business Writer | CommentsWASHINGTON (AP) — Industrial production rose in July on the strength of U.S. manufacturing, as auto factories stayed open and businesses replaced worn-out equipment. Output at the nation's factories, mines and utilities increased 1.0 percent last month, the Federal Reserve reported Tuesday.
Death Toll In Fireworks Blast Rises To 19
August 17, 2010 4:21 am | CommentsBEIJING (AP) — The death toll from a massive explosion at a fireworks factory in northeast China rose Tuesday to at least 19 workers, with five still missing. Up to 50 people were working at the fireworks factory in the Heilongjiang province city of Yichun when it was rocked by the explosion Monday, damaging nearby buildings and sparking secondary blasts, according to a statement on the local government's website.
14 Protestors Arrested At Honeywell's Kansas City Plant
August 17, 2010 4:19 am | CommentsKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Fourteen protesters have been arrested at the construction site of a Kansas City plant that will make parts for nuclear arms. The Kansas City Star reports Monday's arrests came as about 75 people locked arms and marched onto the excavation site. The $685 million Honeywell plant is being built in southern Kansas City.
GM Recalls 250,000 Crossovers For Unlatching Seat Belts
August 17, 2010 4:18 am | by Ken Thomas, Associated Press Writer | CommentsWASHINGTON (AP) — General Motors is recalling nearly 250,000 crossover vehicles worldwide to inspect second-row seat belts that could be damaged and not latch. GM says the recall affects 2009-2010 models of the Chevrolet Traverse, Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia and Saturn Outlook. Most of the recalled vehicles are in the United States but some are also in Canada, Mexico and elsewhere.
Obama Touts Wis. Battery Plant As America's Future
August 17, 2010 4:16 am | CommentsMENOMONEE FALLS, Wis. (AP) — President Barack Obama says a Milwaukee-area battery plant represents the country's future in renewable energy. Obama visited ZBB Energy Corp. in Menomonee Falls on Monday morning. The company makes batteries and fuel cells that get used in renewable-energy products.
UAW Halts Vote At Indy GM Plant
August 16, 2010 7:53 am | CommentsAugust 16, 2010 INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The United Auto Workers union has decided not to go ahead with a vote on a new wage-cutting contract for a General Motors stamping plant in Indianapolis that is facing sale. UAW Local 23 bargaining chairman Gregory Clark says members won't vote on the proposed contract, which would cut base wages from $29 per hour to $15.
Air Products Closer To Airgas Takeover
August 16, 2010 7:49 am | CommentsAugust 16, 2010 ALLENTOWN, Pa. (AP) — Air Products and Chemicals,Inc. said Monday it has reached an agreement with staff at the Federal Trade Commission on the terms of a consent decree for its $5.5 billion takeover of rival Airgas, Inc. The decree allows Air Products to acquire Airgas if it divests of certain assets, including Airgas's liquid bulk and onsite supply of atmospheric gases.
China Overtakes Japan For Number 2 Economy
August 16, 2010 7:45 am | CommentsAugust 16, 2010 Tomoko A. Hosaka, AP TOKYO (AP) — Japan lost its place as the world's number two economy to China in the second quarter as receding global growth sapped momentum and stunted a shaky recovery. Gross domestic product grew at an annualized rate of just 0.4 percent, the government said Monday, far below the annualized 4.
Russian Official Blames Wheat Shortage On Global Warming
August 16, 2010 7:42 am | CommentsAugust 16, 2010 David Nowak, AP MOSCOW (AP) — Russia's heat wave, drought and wildfires — which have killed dozens of people and destroyed millions of acres of wheat — are another indication that global warming is causing more weather extremes around the world, a Russian official stated.
