FREE Email Newsletter

Daily industrial news and top headlines for plant and maintenance managers
Toyota Quarterly Profit Quadruples On Recovery
May 9, 2012 10:07 am | by Yuri Kageyama, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsToyota's quarterly profit more than quadrupled to $1.5 billion, and the automaker gave upbeat forecasts as it recovers from a sales plunge caused by the tsunami in Japan last year.
Colfax Reports 1Q Loss On Acquisition Costs
May 9, 2012 10:06 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsThe pump and valve maker said acquisition costs helped the company swing to a loss in its first quarter, even as its newly acquired business helped boost revenue sharply.
ISM Report: Pace Of Manufacturing Growth Is Quickening
May 9, 2012 8:52 am | by Mike Schmidt, Associate Editor, MBT | Articles | CommentsActivity in the manufacturing sector and the overall economy has been growing for some time, and now it appears that the pace of growth is quickening.
Electric Toyota RAV4 To Start Near $50,000
May 8, 2012 10:30 am | by Dee-Ann Durbin, AP Auto Writer | News | CommentsToyota Motor Corp. said Monday the electric RAV4 will cost $49,800 when it goes on sale this summer. That's more than double the starting price of the gas version.
Small Biz Optimism Rose In April But Still Weak
May 8, 2012 10:26 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsSmall business owners recovered some of their optimism during April, but they're still wary about the economy.
Denso To Build Auto Parts Plant In India
May 7, 2012 2:27 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsThe major auto parts manufacturer will supply products to Japan's Suzuki and other automakers in the country to keep pace with India's expanding auto market.
Oil Price Drops To Lowest Of 2012
May 7, 2012 2:25 pm | by Chris Kahn, AP Energy Writer | News | CommentsOil prices declined after voters in Europe rejected leaders who supported austerity measures to fix the struggling economy. Analysts warned that the election results could derail the recovery.
Westlake Chemical Drops Bid For Georgia Gulf
May 7, 2012 2:20 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsWestlake Chemical Corp. said Friday that it withdrew a $1.2 billion offer to buy Georgia Gulf Corp. and will sell its stock in the company.
ABB Launches Electric Auto Fast Charger In U.S. Market
May 7, 2012 2:19 pm | News | CommentsABB has entered the market with the launch of its Terra 51 direct current charger, marking the start of a massive infrastructure rollout to drive the adoption of electric mobility.
Elpida Plans To Select Micron As Rehabilitation Sponsor
May 7, 2012 10:23 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsElpida is the only Japanese maker of dynamic random access memory chips used in personal computers and smartphones, and filed for bankruptcy protection in February.
Industrial Manufacturers Optimistic About U.S. Economy
May 4, 2012 2:54 pm | by PwC | Articles | CommentsCompanies are reporting improved profitability and decreased concerns regarding barriers to growth, despite volatile oil/energy prices worldwide and ongoing concerns regarding legislative/regulatory issues.
U.S. Economy Recovering But Not Accelerating
May 4, 2012 2:01 pm | by Paul Wiseman, AP Economics Writer | News | CommentsEconomists surveyed by The Associated Press expect growth to pick up this year, though not enough to lower unemployment much.
Booming China Sales Push BMW Profit Up
May 4, 2012 1:59 pm | by David McHugh, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsBooming sales in China and new versions of key models pushed automaker BMW AG's earnings higher by 18 percent in the first quarter to $1.77 billion.
Lear 1Q Profit Falls 14 Percent As Costs Rise
May 4, 2012 1:54 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsThe auto parts maker said its first-quarter profit dropped 14 percent, pulled down by restructuring and other charges, along with lower profit at its seating business.
Hawker Beechcraft Files For Bankruptcy Protection
May 4, 2012 10:45 am | by Roxana Hegeman, Associated Press | News | CommentsHawker Beechcraft said it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in federal bankruptcy court in New York to expedite the prearranged restructuring of the company and some of its subsidiaries.
Metals Fall On Discouraging Jobs News
May 4, 2012 10:37 am | by Sandy Shore, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsPrices for copper and other metals fell after discouraging reports about jobs and factory production renewed worries that demand could weaken for a variety of manufactured goods.
Airgas Profit Jumps 40 Percent On Higher Sales
May 4, 2012 10:35 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsIndustrial gas distributor Airgas Inc. said that its fiscal fourth-quarter profit jumped 40 percent on strong demand from manufacturing, petrochemical, and energy customers.
General Motors 1Q Earnings Top $1B
May 3, 2012 1:54 pm | by Tom Krisher, AP Auto Writer | News | CommentsGeneral Motors earned $1 billion in the first quarter as a strong performance in North America helped it overcome troubles in Europe.
1Q U.S. Worker Output Fell By Most In A Year
May 3, 2012 1:49 pm | by Marting Crutsinger, AP Economics Writer | News | CommentsU.S. worker productivity fell from January through March by the most in a year. Stronger hiring at the start of the year was partly responsible for the drop.
Pratt & Whitney Sees Long-Term Strength
May 2, 2012 2:23 pm | by Stephen Singer, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsPratt & Whitney expects military and commercial aerospace business will improve, but not for a while, the president of the jet engine manufacturer said Wednesday.
Vestas Reports Disappointing First-Quarter
May 2, 2012 2:20 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsThe world's biggest maker of wind turbines in terms of revenue is reporting disappointing first-quarter revenue and earnings due to decreasing deliveries and high turbine costs.
Hopeful Manufacturing News Pushes Up Copper
May 2, 2012 2:15 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsHopeful signs about manufacturing sent copper and energy prices higher Tuesday.
U.S. Factory Orders Fell By Most In 3 Years
May 2, 2012 10:29 am | by Christopher S. Rugaber, AP Economics Writer | News | CommentsDemand for U.S. manufactured goods dropped by the most in three years in March, driven lower by a sharp fall in volatile orders for commercial aircraft.
Surveys Give Mixed Picture Of China Manufacturing
May 2, 2012 10:26 am | by Elaine Kurtenbach, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsA survey released Wednesday showed manufacturing contracted in April for the sixth straight month, though the rate of deterioration had slowed.
SPX 1Q Profit Falls On Acquisition-Related Costs
May 2, 2012 10:20 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsDiversified manufacturer SPX Corp. said Wednesday that its first-quarter profit tumbled 42 percent, pulled down by hefty charges related to a recent acquisition.


