News Archive

ABB requests debt deadline extension

The Swiss-Swedish engineering company, ABB, has announced it’s been in talks with numerous banks to extend the deadline for repaying $1 billion (£641 million).
31 Oct 2002 9:50

Greener cars are go

A new method for making cars fully recyclable is under development in the UK.
31 Oct 2002 9:53

Plans to tighten corporate governance rules

Brussels aims to tighten corporate governance rules to avoid another Enron-style scandal.
31 Oct 2002 9:52

VW maintains profits target

Volkswagen, Europe’s largest car manufacturer, is keeping its 2002 profits target despite an abrupt downturn in its third quarter performance.
31 Oct 2002 9:51

Pilkington profits fall 29 pc

British glassmaker Pilkington today reported a 29 per cent drop in pre-tax profits for the first half of the year.
30 Oct 2002 10:05

Toyota’s 90 pc rise in profits

Toyota, Japan's biggest automotive manufacturer, has reported a 90 per cent increase in its half year net profits, compared to the same time last year.
30 Oct 2002 14:57

Both BAE Systems and its French-owned rival Thales have pledged to create 10,000 jobs as part of their respective bids for a £3bn contract to build a pair of aircraft carriers, which will be the length of the houses of parliament.
30 Oct 2002 12:01

Baby products firm moves to China

Yet another UK manufacturer has succumbed to the pressure to move to the Far East in an attempt to cut costs.
29 Oct 2002 9:37

Edmonds to retire early from GMB

John Edmonds has said he will retire from his post as general secretary of the GMB a year earlier than expected.
29 Oct 2002 9:37

Wind turbines blow cobwebs from Hebridian Island

An oil fabrication yard on the Hebridian Isle of Lewis that went into receivership three years ago has been re-opened to manufacture wind turbine towers.
29 Oct 2002 9:36

German export cut by MG Rover

MG Rover Group is to cut exports to Germany due to strength of the pound.
28 Oct 2002 10:16

Hewitt disgusted by Motor Show ad

Patricia Hewitt, the trade and industry secretary, has voiced concern over sexist Motor Show posters covering many of London’s billboards.
28 Oct 2002 10:10

Manufacturers warm to the euro

A recent survey of UK manufacturers carried out by NOP on behalf of the Engineering Employers’ Federation (EEF) has shown that companies have increased their support for the euro regardless of being less impressed by growth opportunities within the EU market.
28 Oct 2002 10:04

Cheap labour puts boot in

R Griggs Group, makers of Dr Martens boots, is planning to move production to China to take advantage of lower labour costs.
25 Oct 2002 9:50

Employers to bear cost of asbestos safety

As if life were not already difficult enough for employers, the government announced yesterday that the £1.5 billion cost of implementing new rules on asbestos safety would have to be borne by business.
25 Oct 2002 9:55

Reorganisation in attempt to save ABB

Seeking to save another £516 million from its operating costs over the next 18 months, ABB, Europe’s largest engineering group, is planning to divest its oil and gas division and merge its remaining four divisions into two.
25 Oct 2002 9:54

Steel jobs at risk

Tony Pedder, chief executive of Anglo-Dutch steel producer Corus, has warned in a letter to industry secretary Patricia Hewitt that thousands of jobs could be lost if eastern European countries joining the EU are allowed to carry on subsidising their steel industries.
25 Oct 2002 9:57

Corus to pay compensation

Corus, the Anglo-Dutch steel maker, is to make interim payments to workers affected by the massive explosion at the Port Talbot works in south Wales nearly a year ago which killed three workers and critically injured five others.
24 Oct 2002 9:29

Decline in output continues

The Confederation of British Industry’s (CBI’s) Quarterly Industrial Trends survey published yesterday suggest that the decline in output is continuing.
24 Oct 2002 9:55

Manufacturers urge Government to think before acting

The Engineering Employers Federation (EEF) has urged the Government to press head with the review of its waste management strategy fearing that the UK will fail to meet its targets under EU legislation.
24 Oct 2002 9:35

UK merger halted

British Biotech has vowed to continue looking for a merger partner after abandoning plans to merge with MorphosSys, a German biotechnology group.
24 Oct 2002 10:05

Corus steps closer to sale

The Anglo-Dutch group Corus announced today that it had provisionally agreed to sell the majority of its aluminium assets to Pechiney of France.
23 Oct 2002 10:06

Marconi fights back

Marconi has dismissed yesterday’s news reports concerning its sales slump by claiming that it’s outperforming its competitors.
23 Oct 2002 10:02

Mini success

This year’s production of the Mini Cooper looks set to exceed the 150,000 barrier as waiting lists continue to grow.
23 Oct 2002 10:04

UK car industry increases government pressure

Ford, the world’s second largest automotive group, has increased pressure on the government to introduce a single currency.
23 Oct 2002 9:59

ABB shares slide

The value of shares in Swiss-Swedish engineering firm ABB have been halved after the crisis-beset company warned late last night that its markets would be becalmed until late next year.
22 Oct 2002 10:44

ABB shares slide

The value of shares in Swiss-Swedish engineering firm ABB have been halved after the crisis-beset company warned late last night that its markets would be becalmed until late next year.
22 Oct 2002 10:12

Marconi’s challenge continues

Marconi today underlined the scale of the challenge it faces in returning to a stable financial condition by reporting a further deterioration in sales in its core network communications business.
22 Oct 2002 9:48

Recycle or else EU warns

Output may be on the up but UK car manufacturers will be faced with large daily fine if they fail to comply with EU recycling legislation, which should have become law last April.
22 Oct 2002 11:11

UK car production booming

Figures released yesterday show that Britain's car industry is booming. Production increased by almost 10 per cent last month when output rose to more than 144,000, bringing the total so far this year to 1.2m - up 13 per cent on a year earlier.
22 Oct 2002 10:44

UK car production booming

Figures released yesterday show that Britain's car industry is booming. Production increased by almost 10 per cent last month when output rose to more than 144,000, bringing the total so far this year to 1.2m - up 13 per cent on a year earlier.
22 Oct 2002 10:39

Manufacturing pay rises stay low

Pay awards in manufacturing firms have stayed low amid fears of a faltering economy, according to a CBI survey released today.
21 Oct 2002 9:04

West McLaren orders more CNC machine tools

The West McLaren Mercedes Formula One team has ordered for a further seven high technology machine tools from Yamazaki Mazak, in addition to the eight previously announced.
21 Oct 2002 15:17

Premier Farnell gears up Vauxhall stock rooms

Premier Farnell, the global distributor of electronic components and industrial products, has won a five year maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) contract with Vauxhall Motors.
17 Oct 2002 11:11

Work related stress leads health and safety week

This week is European Health and Safety at Work Week and this year the emphasis is on work-related stress.
16 Oct 2002 8:46

Easyjet switches from Boeing to Airbus

Easyjet has ended its dealings with US plane maker Boeing and ordered for 120 planes from European manufacturer Airbus.
15 Oct 2002 9:01

K3 offers free ERP implementation guide

K3 Business Technology Group has published a free guide for SME manufacturers detailing how to guarantee the success of ERP implementations.
14 Oct 2002 10:21

UK interest rates left on hold

The Bank of England's monetary policy committee has left interest rates unchanged at 4 per cent for the 11th month running.
10 Oct 2002 14:51

Volvo saves energy with dry air

Swedish carmaker Volvo has developed a new technique to save energy that could be used by many other manufacturers.
10 Oct 2002 9:06

Manufacturing employers call exchange from industry and academia

Leaders of the UK's manufacturing sector have called for the introduction of a 'fast track' teaching qualification to facilitate a greater exchange of staff between Industry and Further Education (FE).
09 Oct 2002 9:08

Manufacturers call for pre-determined formula to set national minimum wage

The Engineering Employers Federation (EEF) has re-iterated to the Low Pay Commission its previous calls for a pre-determined formula to be used to set the next and, any subsequent, increase in the national minimum wage.
08 Oct 2002 10:00

UK to buy 150 fighter planes

The UK Government has announced plans to buy 150 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft for its naval and air forces.
08 Oct 2002 9:59

950 job losses at Black & Decker

UK manufacturing suffered a further blow this month as power tool manufacturer Black & Decker announced it was to move most of its Durham production to the Czech Republic.
04 Oct 2002 12:16

Manufacturing warns Government against more taxes

The UK manufacturing sector has warned the Government against imposing any further taxes on business which might damage its competitiveness, as the first evidence emerged of the significant impact on jobs and profits from the forthcoming rises in National Insurance Contributions (NICs), due to be introduced next April.
03 Oct 2002 8:55

Manufacturing news