Plant Operations/Management
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Daily industrial news and top headlines for plant and maintenance managers
Ammonium Nitrate Was Explosive In Plant Blast
May 7, 2013 10:11 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsA store of ammonium nitrate is what exploded April 17 at a Central Texas plant, killing 14 people, injuring hundreds and devastating an adjoining town. The finding was expected, and officials had said they were focusing their investigation on the explosive chemical used in many fertilizers, said Rachel Moreno, spokeswoman for the Texas State Fire Marshal's Office.
Pressure On Bangladesh, Retailers To Fix Factories
May 6, 2013 2:14 pm | by Farid Hossain, Stephen Wright, Associated Press | News | CommentsIn the aftermath of a building collapse that killed more than 530 people, Bangladesh's garment manufacturers may face a choice of reform or perish. The shoddily constructed building's collapse has put a focus on the high human price paid when Bangladeshi government ineptitude, Western consumer apathy and global retailing's drive for the lowest cost of production intersect.
TX Fertilizer Plant Targeted By Thieves In Past
May 6, 2013 2:11 pm | by Nomaan Merchant, Associated Press | News | CommentsBurglars occasionally sneaked into and around a Texas fertilizer plant in the years before a massive, deadly explosion — sometimes looking for a chemical fertilizer stored at the plant that can be used to make methamphetamine, according to local sheriff's records.
China City Quashes Protest Against Petro Plant
May 6, 2013 10:28 am | by Didi Tang, Associated Press | News | CommentsResidents say they are worried the plant would pollute the air and water, and question why the plant is being built in a region prone to earthquakes. Pengzhou is in the same fault zone as the 2008 Wenchuan quake that left 90,000 people dead or missing, and for an earthquake last month that killed at least 196 people.
TX Plant That Blew Up Carried $1M Policy
May 6, 2013 10:22 am | by Christopher Sherman, Associated Press | News | CommentsThe Texas fertilizer plant that exploded last month, killing 14 people, injuring more than 200 others and causing tens of millions of dollars in damage to the surrounding area had only $1 million in liability coverage, lawyers said Saturday.
ALCOA Expanding TN Plant For Auto Making Needs
May 3, 2013 5:08 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsALCOA says resurgent auto manufacturing is creating demand for its aluminum products and it will expand its plant in Tennessee. The Daily Times first reported the company will create 200 new jobs with a $275 million expansion of its rolling mill in Alcoa, Tenn. Some 400 construction jobs will be created in building it.
U.S. Factory Orders Down 4 Percent In March
May 3, 2013 5:08 pm | by Martin Crutsinger, AP Economics Writer | News | CommentsOrders to U.S. factories fell in March by the largest amount in seven months but a key category that signals business investment plans managed a small increase. Factory orders dropped 4 percent in March, reflecting a big plunge in the volatile category of commercial aircraft, the Commerce Department reported Friday.
China Automaker To Open CA Electric Bus Plant
May 1, 2013 10:16 am | by John Rogers, Associated Press | News | CommentsA Chinese company whose mantra is Build Your Dreams plans to build all-electric buses in California's Mojave Desert. Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris and officials of BYD Automotive scheduled a news conference Wednesday to announce plans to open the first Chinese-owned vehicle manufacturing plant in the United States in the wind-swept high-desert city 60 miles northeast of Los Angeles.
Mayor: Blast-Damaged Texas Town Will Rebuild
May 1, 2013 10:15 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsThe mayor of a Texas town devastated by a deadly fertilizer plant explosion says he expects the community to rebuild and he'll do the same. West Mayor Tommy Muska said Tuesday that his hometown of about 2,700 has received donations from across the country since the April 17 accident.
Heat, Air Conditioning Maker Expanding Dayton
April 30, 2013 1:41 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsGoodman Manufacturing will expand its plant in Dayton, creating 200 new jobs. State and company officials announced Tuesday that Goodman is investing $2 million in the plant in Rhea County, which makes commercial and light commercial heating and air conditioning equipment.
Yokohama: Tire Demand Calls For U.S. Plant
April 30, 2013 10:06 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsExecutives with Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. say they will build a new tire plant in Mississippi because they see a global supply shortage for tires. The company plans to invest $300 million, hiring 500 people, in a first phase, and could invest $1.2 billion, hiring 2,000 people, over time. State and local governments could give more than $340 million in aid and tax breaks.
Disston Company Buys Industrial Building In MA
April 29, 2013 4:51 pm | News | CommentsThe Disston Company’s CEO and President, Stephen Chen, purchased a 130,000 square foot industrial building in Chicopee, company spokesperson, Mark Marzeotti, today announced. Disston is a manufacturer of saw blades, drill bits, and other hand and power tool-related accessories for the DIY, contractor, and industrial markets. Its brands include Blu-Mol, RemGrit, Aggressor, and Blu-Mol Xtreme.
MS Lawmakers Pass Incentives For Tire Maker
April 29, 2013 10:09 am | by Jeff Amy, Associated Press | News | CommentsA Japanese company will get incentives that could be worth more than $330 million to build a tire manufacturing plant in Clay County. Mississippi lawmakers quickly passed the bill intended for Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. in a Friday special session, with House members supporting it 117-2 and Senate members supporting it unanimously. The entire session took less than four hours.
S. Korea To Withdraw Workers At N. Korea Factory
April 26, 2013 10:20 am | by Sam Kim, Associated Press | News | CommentsSeoul said Friday that it has decided to withdraw the roughly 175 South Koreans still at a jointly run factory complex in North Korea, raising a major question about the survival of the last symbol of inter-Korean cooperation. The statement by the country's minister in charge of inter-Korean relations came after North Korea rejected Seoul's demand for talks on the factory park that has been closed nearly a month.
Hostess To Reopen, Expand Emporia Plant
April 26, 2013 10:18 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsEmporia officials are hailing Thursday's announcement by the partnership that bought Hostess Brands' snack cake lines that it will reopen the bakery in the eastern Kansas community this summer, with 250 employees to start. More than 500 people lost their jobs when Hostess, then in bankruptcy proceedings, closed the Emporia plant last November following a strike by union bakers.
Outokumpu To Cut 2,500 Jobs
April 25, 2013 2:13 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsFinnish metals group Outokumpu Oyj says it will slash 2,500 jobs worldwide in the next four years to cut costs by 350 million euros ($455 million) and improve profitability as stainless steel demand continues to fall. The world's leading stainless steel maker says about a third of the job cuts will be applied this year, mostly in Germany, Sweden and Finland, in line with production capacity reductions and streamlining.
OSHA: OH Plant 'Could Have Prevented' Worker Death
April 25, 2013 2:09 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsA federal agency has cited an Ohio aluminum plant with eight safety violations following the death of a worker who was crushed by a hot metal rack stacked with heavy aluminum. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, said Thursday that Extrudex Aluminum acted with knowing disregard or plain indifference to hazards at the company's plant in North Jackson in northeastern Ohio.
MS Special Session Friday For Auto Parts Maker
April 25, 2013 2:07 pm | by Emily Wagster Pettus, Associated Press | News | CommentsMississippi Gov. Phil Bryant is calling lawmakers back to the Capitol this Friday for what many hope will be a quick a special session to lure an auto parts maker to the state. Bryant has released few details about the project, beyond saying it's for Mississippi's "automobile corridor."
TX Plant Blast Loss Likely Exceeds $100M
April 24, 2013 1:56 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsAn insurance industry trade group estimates losses from a deadly fertilizer plant explosion in a tiny Texas town will likely exceed $100 million. Insurance Council of Texas spokesman Mark Hanna said Wednesday that insured losses after the explosion in West, Texas, included dozens of damaged homes, businesses and cars — as well as the costs of resettling displaced residents.
American Crane Completes Engineering Addition, Begins Construction Of Manufacturing Building
April 22, 2013 5:24 pm | by American Crane & Equipment Corporation | News | CommentsAmerican Crane & Equipment Corporation, a manufacturer of overhead electric cranes and hoists, has completed phase one of its two phase expansion, financed by PNC Bank with engineering provided by Boyer Engineering. The first phase of construction includes a 2,500 square foot engineering addition with 11 cubicles and 3 offices.
Clear Automation Received Sales Award From FANUC Robotics
April 22, 2013 4:37 pm | by Clear Automation | News | CommentsClear Automation, a leading engineering integrator of robotic and machine vision systems, today announced it has received FANUC Robotics' award for Outstanding Sales Growth for 2012.Clear Automation has been an Authorized System Integrator of FANUC robots for 5 years.
Survey: U.S. Budget Tightening Not Hurting Business
April 22, 2013 10:15 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsWashington's budget tightening is having a minimal effect on businesses, a survey of business economists released Monday shows. The National Association for Business Economics survey asks how higher taxes and lower government spending effected businesses in the first three months of 2013.
Safety Rules Limited For Small Fertilizer Plants
April 22, 2013 10:11 am | by Jack Gillum, Ramit Plushnick-Masti, Associated Press | News | CommentsThere were no sprinklers. No firewalls. No water deluge systems. Safety inspections were rare at the fertilizer company in West, Texas, that exploded and killed at least 14 people this week. This is not unusual. Small fertilizer plants nationwide fall under the purview of several government agencies, each with a specific concern and none required to coordinate with others on what they have found.
IL Auto Parts Maker Gets State Help To Expand
April 19, 2013 4:03 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsThe Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity is giving an auto parts maker $4.4 million in tax breaks and other incentives after the company agreed to add 300 jobs at its plant in eastern Illinois. The department said Thursday that North American Lighting Inc. will add the jobs at its plant in Paris as part of a $50 million expansion.
Rescuers Search Ruins Of Texas Fertilizer Plant
April 18, 2013 2:14 pm | by John L. Mone, Michael Brick, Associated Press | News | CommentsRescue workers searched the smoldering ruins of a fertilizer plant Thursday for survivors of a monstrous explosion that leveled homes and businesses in every direction across the Texas prairie. As many as 15 people were feared dead and more than 160 others injured.
