Manufacturing news
April 2004
Numbers looking up
Estimates released yesterday by the Bureau of Economic Analysis reported that real gross domestic product -- the output of goods and services produced by labor and property located in the United States -- increased at an annual rate of 4.2 percent in the first quarter of 2004.
30 Apr 2004 16:14
Kerry stumps on manufacturing
Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry yesterday unveiled what he called his three-point plan for American manufacturing to a crowd at Washtenaw Community College in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
29 Apr 2004 16:19
Boeing first quarter earnings, revenue up
Chicago, IL-based aerospace company Boeing posted first-quarter earnings of $623 million, due in part to increased military sales.
28 Apr 2004 15:44
U.S. Steel first-quarter profits up
Pittsburgh, PA-based steelmaker U.S. Steel reported a first-quarter profit of $58 million, compared with a loss of $38 million one year ago.
27 Apr 2004 17:48
Boeing receives 7E7 launch order
Chicago, IL-based aerospace company Boeing Co. announced today that it had recieved its largest-ever launch order, for 50 of is new 7E7 Dreamliner passenger jets, from Japanese airline All Nippon Airways (ANA).
26 Apr 2004 16:53
New orders, shipments of durable goods up
New orders for manufactured durable goods in March increased $6.3 billion, or 3.4 percent, to $192.7 billion, the US Department of Commerce’s Census Bureau reported today.
23 Apr 2004 17:40
Mass layoffs down in March
There were 920 mass layoff actions by employers in March, sharply lower than one year ago, according to data from the US Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics released today.
22 Apr 2004 18:54
Ford doubles profits
Dearborn, MI-based Ford, the second-largest automaker in the United States and the third-largest worldwide, reported a first-quarter profit of $1.95 billion companywide, more than doubling its profits of one year ago.
21 Apr 2004 21:13
Ex-Boeing employee pleads guilty to conspiracy
Darleen Druyun, a former Boeing employee and US Air Force acquisition official, pleaded guilty to conspiracy today.
20 Apr 2004 17:39
DHB Industries opens new body armor manufacturing facility
Westbury, NY-based DHB Industries, the leader in the protective body armor manufacturing industry, announced today that it has opened its third Florida facility in Pompano Beach, FL, to accommodate growth.
19 Apr 2004 17:11
Industrial production falls
Industrial production fell in March after two months of gains, due to a drop in demand seen by utilities and factories, the Federal Reserve reported today.
16 Apr 2004 16:33
Jobless claims jump after last week's decline
In an unexpected increase, first-time unemployment filings shot up to 360,000 for the week ending April 10, up 30,000 from the previous week and the largest weekly rise since December 2002, reported the US Department of Labor today.
15 Apr 2004 18:50
US trade deficit decreases, as imports and exports rise
The US Census Bureau and the US Bureau of Economic Analysis announced today a goods and services trade deficit of $42.1 billion, $1.4 billion less than January’s revised $43.5 billion.
14 Apr 2004 19:09
DuPont to cut more than 3,500 jobs
Wilmington, DE-based chemical manufacturer DuPont announced plans today to cut 3,500 jobs and 450 contractor positions by the end of 2004, as part of a cost-cutting plan announced last December.
12 Apr 2004 15:00
Raytheon receives $82.4 million missile contract
Waltham, MA-based defense contractor Raytheon Company has received a $82.4 million contract from the Naval Air Systems Command for continued production of the AIM-9X Sidewinder short-range air-to-air missile.
09 Apr 2004 18:44
Long-awaited manufacturing czar nominated
The Bush administration today announced its nomination of Al Frink, owner of Santa Ana, CA-based carpet manufacturer Fabrica International, for assistant commerce secretary of manufacturing and services.
08 Apr 2004 18:06
Unemployment claims drop to lowest level in three years
In a bit of good news for the economy, first-time unemployment filings significantly dropped to 328,000 for the week ending April 3, down 14,000 from the previous week, reported the US Department of Labor today—the lowest level since President George W. Bush took office.
08 Apr 2004 17:40
Boeing picks engine makers
General Electric Co. and Rolls Royce PLC are the joint winners for the heavily-anticipated Boeing 7E7 project, according to the US aerospace company.
07 Apr 2004 20:53
Manufacturing profits up
After-tax profits of US manufacturing corporations totaled $79.6 billion in the fourth quarter 2003, seasonally adjusted, exceeding the previous record high of $76.3 billion in the first quarter of 2000, the US Department of Commerce’s Census Bureau reported.
06 Apr 2004 15:20
No manufacturing job gains as unemployment rate rises
The unemployment rate rose slightly to 5.7 percent in March, even though nonfarm employment rose by 308,000 jobs, according to figures released today by the US Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.
02 Apr 2004 17:11
Tyco International case declared mistrial
A mistrial was declared in the New York corruption trial of two former executives of manufacturing conglomerate Tyco International today.
02 Apr 2004 21:19
Jobless claims continue downward slide
Initial unemployment filings dropped to 342,000 for the week ending March 27, down 3,000 from the previous week, reported the US Department of Labor today.
01 Apr 2004 17:19
European Union, WTO hit US with tariffs on exports
The European Union began levying World Trade Organization-approved penalty tariffs on several US exports in March, in an effort to force the US Congress to repeal certain tax breaks for US exporters.
01 Apr 2004 20:38
Expected manufacturing czar announcement postponed
The Bush administration postponed the announcement of its first choice for a new manufacturing post, after Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry's campaign publicly criticized the potential nominee's past outsourcing practices.
01 Apr 2004 20:40
Ford, HP sign $100 million contract
Ford, the second-largest US automaker and the third-largest worldwide, seems to be focusing on internal efficiency after having an off year in 2003.
01 Apr 2004 20:39
MEP eligible for $45.4 million in federal grants
Following the recent uproar from manufacturers following the recent cut in funding from the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program, US Secretary of Commerce Donald Evans announced, during budget hearing testimony before Congress in late February, that MEP will soon be eligible to compete for up to $45.4 million in economic adjustment assistance grants.
01 Apr 2004 20:39
