Plant Operations/Management
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Daily industrial news and top headlines for plant and maintenance managers
Fisker Looking To Form Alliances To Share Costs
October 2, 2012 10:29 am | by Dee-Ann Durbin, AP Auto Writer | News | CommentsElectric car maker Fisker Automotive is talking with other car companies about sharing parts and technology. The company, based in Anaheim, Calif., is also preparing for a public offering of stock that would help it raise money for new vehicles, Fisker's new CEO Tony Posawatz said Monday during a speech to the Automotive Press Association.
Suzuki's India Unit Sees Sales Recover To Pre-Riot Level
October 2, 2012 10:27 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsMaruti Suzuki India Ltd., the Indian arm of Japan's Suzuki Motor Corp., said Monday its domestic sales in September grew 12.7 percent from a year earlier to 88,801 new cars, after a sharp 35 percent drop in August affected by worker violence.
BAE, EADS Blast Merger 'Myths And Misconceptions'
October 1, 2012 1:57 pm | by David Rising, Associated Press | News | CommentsThe chief executives of BAE Systems PLC and EADS NV sought to drum up support Monday for the merger of their two aeronautics and defense companies in the face of growing criticism to the deal, saying in a joint newspaper article an agreement would help both organizations grow.
Canadian Chrysler Workers Accept New Contract
October 1, 2012 10:21 am | by Charmaine Noronha, Associated Press | News | CommentsCanadian auto workers at Chrysler ratified a new contract with the automaker, the auto union said Sunday. The Canadian Auto Workers union said 90 percent of those voting approved the tentative deal that was reached last week. It was not immediately clear how many of the 8,000 workers at Chrysler's plants in Ontario cast ballots in the ratification vote held this weekend.
Old Claims Follow Hawker Beechcraft In Bankruptcy
October 1, 2012 10:15 am | by Roxana Hegeman, Associated Press | News | CommentsA long-running legal fight involving allegations that Hawker Beechcraft made false statements and misrepresentations in the sale of military aircraft to the United States is now dogging the company's bankruptcy proceedings in New York. Former employees of a subcontractor of Hawker Beechcraft sued the company more than five years ago under the False Claims Act.
ExxonMobil To Expand 2 LA Chemical Plants
September 28, 2012 1:51 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsExxonMobil said Thursday a $200 million project to expand two of its Louisiana chemical and lubricant plants will bring more than 400 construction and full-time jobs to the state over the next two years. Company officials say construction on the chemical and lubricants plants in Baton Rouge and Port Allen will begin at the end of the year.
Manufacturing Day 2012: Making A Difference
September 28, 2012 8:13 am | Articles | CommentsManufacturing Day will highlight the importance of manufacturing to the nation’s economy and draw attention to the rewarding, high-skill jobs available in manufacturing fields. Through open houses, tours, career workshops, and other events held at participating facilities on October 5, MEP and other sponsors hope to introduce as many as possible to the important role played by manufacturing.
Fiat CEO: Europe Car Problem Needs Europe Solution
September 27, 2012 2:04 pm | by Sarah DiLorenzo, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsSergio Marchionne thinks Europe's carmakers can only survive if they reduce their enormous overcapacity together, rather than retreating behind national borders to find piecemeal solutions. Marchionne wants the European Union to coordinate continent-wide restructuring because when individual countries get involved, they only save plants on their home turf and end up injecting money to prop up hometown companies.
Spirit AeroSystems, Union Seek Lawsuit Dismissal
September 26, 2012 2:10 pm | by Roxana Hegeman, Associated Press | News | CommentsSpirit AeroSystems Holdings Inc. and its unions asked a federal court Tuesday to dismiss the workers' claims against the Wichita aircraft maker, agreeing there is not enough evidence to support the class-action lawsuit it faces over pension benefits.
Ford Offers Buyouts To Workers In Europe
September 26, 2012 10:27 am | by Dee-Ann Durbin, AP Auto Writer | News | CommentsFord Motor Co. said Tuesday it plans to cut several hundred salaried workers in Europe as part of a larger restructuring in the money-losing region. The company is offering voluntary buyout programs in Germany, the U.K. and the rest of Europe. It's also cutting temporary salaried positions and some outsourced services.
BlackBerry Maker Plants Seeds For Comeback Attempt
September 26, 2012 10:23 am | by Michael Liedtke, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsResearch In Motion CEO Thorsten Heins is promising to restore the BlackBerry phone's stature as a trailblazing device even as many investors fret about its potential demise. Heins took the stage Tuesday at a conference for mobile applications developers to rally support for the upcoming release of BlackBerry 10, a new operating system that Research In Motion Ltd. is touting as its salvation.
Troubled BlackBerry Maker Sees Africa Potential
September 25, 2012 2:08 pm | by Jon Gambrell, Associated Press | News | CommentsThe mobile phones made by RIM hold the dominant market share in both Nigeria and South Africa, two of the biggest economies on the African continent. Now opening an office in Nigeria, RIM hopes to hold onto that African advantage as its sales in Western nations tumble, company officials say.
Fiat Plans To Refocus Italian Plants On Exports
September 24, 2012 10:08 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsItalian carmaker Fiat has restated its commitment to remain in Italy and says it will refocus its Italian plants on exports. Fiat, which controls U.S. carmaker Chrysler, made the assurances Saturday after CEO Sergio Marchionne met with Premier Mario Monti amid growing concerns that the crisis would force plant closures.
10 Common Project Management Mistakes
September 24, 2012 8:16 am | by Paul Glover, Founder, The Glover Group | Articles | CommentsProject management typically has five stages. Some project managers make mistakes during one or more of those stages, which can sabotage the chance of a successful outcome and have disastrous results for everyone involved. Here are two of the most common mistakes — and ways to avoid them — during each of the five stages. Which ones have you made?
Tesla To Open 10 New Stores Over Next Few Months
September 21, 2012 1:22 pm | News | CommentsThe first of the new stores was set to open Friday in Garden City, N.Y. The location is expected to include interactive displays and design studios where customers can design their own Tesla Model S sedan on a large touchscreen and then view it on an 85-inch video wall.
Siemens To Lay Off 615
September 19, 2012 1:27 pm | News | CommentsA wind energy equipment manufacturer says it will lay off 615 workers in Iowa, Kansas and Florida in part because Congress has not renewed a tax credit for wind energy. Siemens Energy Inc. says it told workers the news Tuesday at plants in Fort Madison, Iowa; Hutchinson, Kan., and Orlando, Fla.
Canadian Auto Union Makes Progress With GM
September 19, 2012 9:31 am | by Rob Gillies, Associated Press | News | CommentsThe head of the Canadian Auto Workers said late Tuesday there has been significant progress toward a new labor deal with General Motors and said the Detroit automaker is waiting for a counter-proposal from the union. CAW President Ken Lewenza said they will make the offer Wednesday. He also said they've made progress with Chrysler, but not as much as they've made with GM.
Energizer Plans To Cut Jobs, Lower Spending
September 18, 2012 2:05 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsEnergizer Holdings Inc., which makes batteries, flashlights, and other consumer products, plans to cut jobs and lower its overhead spending as part of its efforts to reduce costs and improve its financials. The St. Louis company's stock rose $6.40, or 9.4 percent, to $74.32 in morning trading on Tuesday. The shares have traded in a 52-week range of $62.98 to $80.36.
ArcelorMittal To Spend $50M Upgrading PA Plant
September 18, 2012 10:08 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsArcelorMittal says it will spend $50 million to upgrade and restart a coke plant near Pittsburgh, adding more than 100 jobs in the process. Plant manager Paul Champagne says the Luxembourg-based metals company will modernize the pollution-control equipment at the plant, and make other improvements so the plant in Monessen will be safer and more competitive.
Does Your Product Have A Lasting Story?
September 18, 2012 8:16 am | by Jim Signorelli | Blogs | CommentsA brand has one layer, a brand story has two. Both have outer layers consisting of functional benefits or the results that can be achieved by using a given product. However, the brand story has an additional inner layer that gives it distance and longevity. The brand story's inner layer is more than just air. It's made up of very real values and beliefs.
Italy Gov't Demands Fiat Clarify Industrial Plans
September 17, 2012 10:14 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsTwo Italian Cabinet ministers have demanded that carmaker Fiat, which controls Chrysler, clarify its plans for investments in Italian plants amid mounting concern over possible closures. Economic Development Minister Corrado Passera said the government isn't interfering in Fiat's decision-making but that its concern is justified, given Fiat's importance in Italy.
Pakistan Factory Owners In Deadly Blaze Get Bail
September 14, 2012 10:10 am | by Adil Jawad, Associated Press | News | CommentsA Pakistani court has granted bail to three owners of a garment factory in the southern city of Karachi where a fire this week killed 258 people, a defense lawyer said Friday. Amir Mansoob Qureshi said the judge instructed the police that the factory owners cannot be arrested for eight days under bail terms. The court also asked the owners to surrender their passports and ordered them not to leave the country, the lawyer said.
Providing The Proper Workbench, Part 2
September 14, 2012 8:20 am | by Jim Norton, Custom Products & Services, Inc. | Articles | CommentsTaking the time to detail your requirements with a qualified sales representative and reputable workstation manufacturer will pay dividends from day one. A flexible, modular design with common, interchangeable components will allow your facility to grow and change as your business expands and moves toward new markets.
Murder Charges Filed After Pakistan Factory Fire
September 13, 2012 2:13 pm | by Adil Jawad, Associated Press | News | CommentsPakistani police registered a murder case against the owners and managers of a garment factory in the southern city of Karachi after a fire swept through the building and killed 258 people, many of whom were unable to escape because the exit doors were locked, a senior police officer said Thursday.
Making It In America
September 12, 2012 4:07 pm | by Rachel Leisemann Immel, Associate Editor, IMPO | Articles | CommentsFor 89 years, Alliance Rubber Company has been manufacturing a product that, besides paper, may have more uses than any other item on earth: the rubber band. Dedicated to “holding your world together,” the company has grown into a global leader and established itself as an innovative, American manufacturer.
