Plant Operations/Management
FREE Email Newsletter
Daily industrial news and top headlines for plant and maintenance managers
Hillenbrand To Buy German Firm For $300M
October 16, 2012 2:36 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsHillenbrand Inc. on Tuesday said it will acquire Germany's Coperion Capital GmbH for 232 euros, or about $300 million, expanding Hillenbrand's industrial products operations as the company diversifies beyond its traditional business making burial caskets.
Battery Maker A123 Files For Bankruptcy Protection
October 16, 2012 10:24 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsThe U.S. operations of electric car battery maker A123 Systems filed for bankruptcy protection and its automotive assets are being acquired by Johnson Controls for $125 million. The announcement Tuesday comes one day after A123 warned in a regulatory filing that it likely would miss some debt payments and could be headed for bankruptcy court.
Ribbon Cutting Held For WV Gestamp Plant
October 15, 2012 2:30 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsInternational auto parts company Gestamp has cut the ribbon for its new plant in South Charleston. A dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at the plant Monday. The plant is located at the former South Charleston Stamping and Manufacturing Plant. Gestamp is an international company based in Spain.
Fiat Industrial: CNH Rejects Merger Proposal
October 15, 2012 10:05 am | by Colleen Barry, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsU.S. farm and industrial vehicle group CNH has rejected a merger proposal from its parent, Fiat Industrial, the Italian company said in a statement Monday. Fiat Industrial, which already owns 88 percent of CNH, said in a statement that it has asked to meet with the U.S. group's advisers to see if they can reach agreement on revised terms "within the next several weeks" to salvage the deal.
Wichita Group To Meet With Potential Hawker Buyer
October 11, 2012 2:08 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsA Wichita delegation plans to meet with the potential buyer of Hawker Beechcraft during a five-city business development trip to China. Mayor Carl Brewer wants to ask Superior Aviation Beijing whether the work and employees will remain in Wichita, should the deal go through.
Danaher, Cooper To Sell JV For $1.6B
October 10, 2012 4:22 pm | News | CommentsEarlier today, Danaher Corporation and Cooper Industries announced the sale of their joint venture, Apex Tool Group, to Bain Capital for approximately $1.6 billion subject to post-closing adjustments. Currently, Danaher and Cooper each maintain a 50 percent joint venture ownership interest in Apex.
Century Aluminum Rejects WV Power Proposal
October 10, 2012 2:25 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsCentury Aluminum Co. on Tuesday rejected a proposal meant to aid the restart of its West Virginia smelter. The California-based metals producer announced that the electricity rate offer from the state Public Service Commission falls short.
BAE, EADS Call Off Merger
October 10, 2012 10:28 am | by Sarah Dilorenzo, Sylvia Hui, Associated Press | News | CommentsA deal to create a European defense and aerospace giant to rival Boeing Co. collapsed Wednesday when Britain's BAE Systems and EADS NV called off their merger discussions. The companies said they had "decided to terminate their discussions" over the proposed $45 billion tie-up because of conflicting interests between the British, French and German governments.
Merck To Move Global Headquarters
October 9, 2012 2:11 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsThe drugmaker announced that it will move its global headquarters within New Jersey as it looks to lower operating expenses and consolidate properties. The Whitehouse Station property houses about 2,000 employees and contract workers. They will either move to Summit or to other facilities in New Jersey. The Summit location currently houses research, manufacturing, animal health, and consumer care operations.
AK Plant Marks Expansion, Job Creation
October 9, 2012 10:34 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsA factory in Prescott that makes roofing materials marked the opening Monday of its $36 million expansion and addition of 100 new jobs. Firestone Building Products Co. consolidated work from a plant at Kingtree, S.C., with its modernized factory in Prescott.
Analyst: It's Time To Break Up HP
October 9, 2012 10:32 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsHewlett-Packard Co. would be better off breaking up into two separate companies instead of tormenting shareholders by pursuing a prolonged turnaround attempt, according to an industry analyst. UBS analyst Steven Milunovich concluded that HP should be split up after attending a management presentation that brought the company's challenges into sharper focus.
Stanley Black & Decker Selling Unit For $1.4B
October 9, 2012 10:29 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsTool maker Stanley Black & Decker Inc. is selling its hardware and home improvement business to Spectrum Brands Holdings Inc. for $1.4 billion in cash. The hardware and home improvement unit makes locksets, hardware and faucets for residential use and includes brands such as Pfister, Baldwin and Kwikset.
Lockheed Martin Reorganizing, Cutting 200 Jobs
October 8, 2012 2:10 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsThe aerospace and defense contractor will split its electronic systems division into two separate units that will help to lower costs and streamline its operations. It is also folding its global training and logistics unit into the two divisions being created from the electronics systems business.
Renew Growth, Eliminate Volatility With Dynamic Operations
October 8, 2012 12:57 pm | by Gary Godfrey and Russ Rasmus, Accenture | Articles | CommentsBy adapting their operations to flex with markets, smart manufacturers with global footprints are learning to profit from permanent volatility, while insulating themselves against downside risk and simultaneously moving with speed and agility to capitalize on opportunities as they arise.
Productivity Monitoring Solution Fits Like A Glove
October 8, 2012 12:28 pm | Articles | CommentsCAS DataLoggers recently provided an effective productivity monitoring solution for the Wells-Lamont Industry Group, a high-production work glove manufacturer and member of the Marmon Group of companies. Their factory in Philadelphia, MS produces hand-stitched quality products from Kevlar and other materials.
Grand Opening
October 8, 2012 12:19 pm | by Jeff Reinke, IMPO Editorial Director | Articles | CommentsNews about manufacturing growth is usually well received. When that expansion relates to a European company growing its presence in the U.S., it’s even better. And when there are significant lessons that can be learned from this particular expansion, it warrants a closer look. This brings us to Plymouth, Minnesota where Germany-headquartered TURCK recently doubled the size of a production and distribution facility.
Foxconn Denies Worker Unrest Slowing Production
October 8, 2012 10:27 am | by Didi Tang, Associated Press | News | CommentsFoxconn Technology Group denied on Saturday that production was affected at a Chinese factory that makes Apple's iPhones, although both state media and an overseas labor watch group said some workers halted production lines on Friday, apparently over higher quality control standards.
Bombardier Workers Reject Contract, Vote To Strike
October 8, 2012 10:23 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsBombardier Learjet workers rejected a contract offer and voted to strike Saturday, moves that will have them walking the picket line starting early Monday, a machinists union spokesman said. Bob Wood told The Associated Press that union members voted 79 percent in favor of rejecting the proposed five-year contract and also 79 percent in favor of a strike.
Tulsa American Airlines Plant To Lay Off 450
October 8, 2012 10:21 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsAbout 450 mechanics and fleet service workers at American Airlines' Tulsa maintenance base will be laid off by February, the company and union officials announced Friday. The figure is much lower than the 2,700 workers the embattled airline estimated it needed to cut in Tulsa when it filed for bankruptcy protection in November, after its parent, AMR Corp. of Fort Worth, Texas, lost $11 billion since 2001.
Problems Found At Peanut Butter Plant In 2010
October 8, 2012 10:19 am | by Mary Clare Jalonick, Associated Press | News | CommentsThe Food and Drug Administration found what it called "objectionable conditions" at a New Mexico peanut butter plant in 2010, two years before the current outbreak of salmonella poisoning linked to Trader Joe's peanut butter produced there. The FDA said Friday that a recent inspection found salmonella in the plant which produced nut butters and nut products for several large national grocery chains.
HP CEO's Turnaround Message Flops On Wall Street
October 5, 2012 9:54 am | by Michael Liedtke, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsComing off the biggest quarterly loss in Hewlett-Packard's history, CEO Meg Whitman braced investors for even more trouble ahead as she methodically tries to fix a wide range of longstanding problems. Those challenges will be compounded by a feeble economy that Whitman expects to weaken even more during the next year.
Burned-Out U.S. Bell Factory Resumes Production
October 4, 2012 2:37 pm | by Susan Haigh, Associated Press | News | CommentsThe 180-year-old New England company that made the little bell that rings every time an angel gets its wings in the Christmas classic "It's a Wonderful Life" has resumed production in time for the holidays, four months after its 19th-century factory burned down.
Job Cuts In More Regions For Google's Motorola
October 4, 2012 2:35 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsGoogle is broadening job cuts from its Motorola Mobility unit outside the U.S. and will take $390M in severance costs and other charges related to the layoffs. The Motorola restructuring is now expected to "include additional geographic regions outside of the U.S.," Google said in a filing by Google with the Securities and Exchange Commission, but the online search leader is not adding to the 4,000 layoffs announced in late August.
Boeing, GE Cement Order For 85 737s Worth $6B
October 3, 2012 2:17 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsBoeing Co. and the commercial aircraft leasing and financing arm of General Electric Co. have agreed on a firm order for 85 737s. The planes are worth $6 billion at list prices, although discounts for major customers are common. The order includes 75 737 MAX 8s and 10 Next-Generation 737-800s.
Sharp To Cut TV Production To Focus On Smartphones
October 3, 2012 2:14 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsSharp Corp. plans to drastically reduce production of liquid crystal display panels for televisions at its plant in Mie Prefecture and shift the focus to producing LCD panels for smartphones, the company's restructuring plan showed Wednesday.
