Manufacturing news
December 2006 - View Entire Month
Manufacturing pay settlements edge up
Manufacturing pay settlements are edging up according to new figures published yesterday.
22 Dec 2006 9:02
Warm weather dampens Premier
Oxo cubes to Angel Delight group Premier Foods said today that its brand development programme was going well but cost pressures over the second half of the year exceptionally warm weather which continued into December meant trading for the year would be at the lower end of its expectations.
22 Dec 2006 8:55
Good Christmas tidings for Airbus
Airbus is approaching the new year on a high after signing a contract with Singapore Airlines for an additional nine of the troubled Airbus A380s, in spite of the aircraft’s long production delays.
21 Dec 2006 9:47
November 2006 - View Entire Month
'Significant change' as Avon turns to profit
Avon Rubber said today that it had undergone 18 months of “significant change” since disposing of its automotive and other loss-making businesses.
30 Nov 2006 9:54
Airbus skates over North Pole
There was rare good news for the beleaguered Airbus 380 today as it successfully completed a series of technical route proving missions.
30 Nov 2006 17:18
Britvic flat but still confident
Drinks maker Britvic has seen a dip in the popularity of its fizzy drinks countered by sales of water and juices.
30 Nov 2006 10:12
October 2006 - View Entire Month
The Manufacturing Skills Academy is launched
Education and skills secretary Alan Johnson has launched the long awaited Manufacturing Skills Academy, to help drive up the standard of industry training, improve productivity and tackle skills shortages.
31 Oct 2006 15:59
Chloride powers on
Industry’s growing need to protect its power supplies is providing a welcome boost to the fortunes of the Chloride group.
30 Oct 2006 11:33
Stern report welcomed by manufacturers
Manufacturing organisations guardedly welcomed today’s report on the economic consequences of global warming by Sir Nicholas Stern today.
30 Oct 2006 14:46
September 2006 - View Entire Month
700 new jobs for Honda Swindon
Japanese car maker Honda is creating an extra 700 jobs at its Swindon plant, taking the workforce to 4,900.
29 Sep 2006 7:57
Hot July and World Cup helps Britvic
A hot July and the World Cup helped drinks maker Britvic to improved trading in the 20 weeks to 3 September, it said in an update today.
29 Sep 2006 9:37
QinetiQ flying
QinetiQ, the international defence and security technology company, said today that its UK business had traded broadly in line with the prior year.
29 Sep 2006 9:35
August 2006 - View Entire Month
Airfix in a fix
Airfix, the iconic maker of plastic plane kits, went into administration this morning, as problems with its French manufacturing supplier and cash flow difficulties caused parent company Humbrol to throw in the towel.
31 Aug 2006 16:10
Irish market hampers Diageo
Drinks giant, Diageo, which has reported a six per cent rise in operating profit, has blamed challenges in the Irish market for poor growth in its European operations.
31 Aug 2006 13:31
Positive results for Corus
Corus Group announces second quarter results for 2006
31 Aug 2006 10:24
July 2006 - View Entire Month
Severn Trent involved in takeover speculation
In a possible £5 billion takeover deal, Severn Trent is the key focus of a group of private equity firms.
31 Jul 2006 9:13
Pay deals remain unchanged
Pay awards in the UK manufacturing sector changed little in the year to May, according to pay specialists Industrial Relations Services (IRS).
28 Jul 2006 8:45
Strong sales boosts Rolls-Royce profits
Aerospace engine-maker, Rolls-Royce, has announced a buoyant half year results. Orders are up from £23.0 billion for the half year 2005 to £25.1 billion this year, and underlying profit up by 22 per cent to £324 million.
27 Jul 2006 15:09
June 2006 - View Entire Month
Buy-out for automotive plastics firm
A former Manufacturer Awards finalist at the heart of the Midlands automotive supply chain has been acquired in a management buy-out by its founder.
29 Jun 2006 7:40
BP to sell Essex refinery
BP has announced that it will sell its Coryton Refinery in Essex, UK
28 Jun 2006 13:52
GM staff take voluntary redundancy
Around 35,000 workers at US car giant GM have agreed to take voluntary redundancy or early retirement.
27 Jun 2006 9:23
May 2006 - View Entire Month
Northern Foods to sell 40 pc of business
Northern Foods has announced plans to sell a number of its businesses, accounting for 40 per cent of current group revenues.
31 May 2006 9:31
Mittal considers smaller stake
The world’s biggest steelmaker Mittal may settle for a minority stake in its rival Arcelor, according to one of its senior executives.
30 May 2006 12:44
AstraZeneca announces $100 Million investment to battle cancer in China
Anglo-Swiss pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca said today it planned to invest $100 million (£54m) in China over the next three years.
26 May 2006 14:00
April 2006 - View Entire Month
VT Group buys four vehicle support businesses
Shipbuilding and support services company, VT Group, has acquired four vehicle support businesses from RAC, part of insurance giant Aviva, for a total of £87 million.
28 Apr 2006 9:41
The Airbus A380 scheduled to make its debut at Heathrow
The Airbus A380 will be making its first appearance at Heathrow next month, parking at one of the four specially built stands at Terminal 3.
27 Apr 2006 11:33
New health and safety director creates positive response
Manufacturers have welcomed National Director for Health & Safety at Work, Professor Black
26 Apr 2006 10:54
March 2006 - View Entire Month
EU and US hit out at Chinese taffifs on car parts
The EU and the US became rare trade allies today, ganging up on China over tariffs on imported car parts.
31 Mar 2006 14:15
Bid for 'skills Olympics' posted
Skills Minister Phil Hope put the seal on the UK’s bid to host the 2011 ‘skills Olympics’, by formally posting the bid from the House of Commons Post Office this week to David Hoey, Worldskills secretary general in the Netherlands.
30 Mar 2006 14:55
ILFC urges Airbus to redesign new A350
Airbus has been told by one of its biggest customers to redesign its planned A350 aircraft by the summer or risk being beaten by rival Boeing.
30 Mar 2006 9:30
February 2006 - View Entire Month
Glass takeover will enhance ‘world class’ position
Speculation on the future of Britain’s most famous glass-maker ended today with a £2.2 billion Japanese takeover.
27 Feb 2006 12:50
Manufacturing decline ‘may be coming to an end’
Manufacturers' total order books are at an 11-month high, provoking hopes of an increase in output over the coming months.
24 Feb 2006 14:22
Airbus pushes up BAE profits
Operating profits at BAE Systems have risen by 16 per cent to £900 million. Europe's largest defence group attributed the success to strong orders for Airbus planes.
23 Feb 2006 9:10
January 2006 - View Entire Month
Diesel car sales set to overtake petrol
Sometime this year, sales of new diesel cars in Europe will overtake their petrol-driven counterparts.
30 Jan 2006 22:51
Government letting down small businesses
The Government's business support network is failing to provide consistently high quality help and advice to new and growing firms, according to a damning report by the CBI released today (Monday).
30 Jan 2006 9:49
Mittal Steel makes Arcelor bid
Mittal Steel, the world's largest steelmaker, has made an €18.6 billion (£12.7 billion) bid for rival firm Arcelor.
27 Jan 2006 12:12
