News Archive

Manufacturing news

September 2004

Initial unemployment claims spike again

First-time unemployment filings spiked by 18,000, to 369,000, for the week ending September 25, the US Department of Labor reported today, continuing an upward trend.
30 Sep 2004 18:23

Merck announces Vioxx recall

Merck & Co., Inc. has announced the voluntary withdrawal of Vioxx, the company’s arthritis and acute pain medication.
30 Sep 2004 16:26

McCormick profit down, sales and earnings up

Spice maker McCormick reported a decline in profit for its latest quarter of 4.1 percent, but also reported higher sales and earnings for the quarter.
29 Sep 2004 17:03

Metropolitan areas shed manufacturing jobs

According to a new report from the US Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, 154 metropolitan areas posted manufacturing employment losses over the year, the worst record of any industry sector.
29 Sep 2004 19:03

Motorola to cut 1,000 jobs

Motorola announced today that it plans to eliminate 1,000 jobs as it finishes spinning off its semiconductor unit.
28 Sep 2004 22:13

US Air Force selects Lockheed Martin for $45 million repair contract

The US Air Force Warner Robins Air Logistics Center has selected a Lockheed Martin team to repair C-130 Hercules aircraft under the Unprogrammed Depot Level Maintenance program.
28 Sep 2004 18:22

California approves toughened emissions regulations

The California Air Resources Board (ARB) today approved a landmark regulation that requires automakers to begin selling vehicles with reduced greenhouse gas emissions by model year 2009.
27 Sep 2004 17:00

Parker Hannefin becomes Boeing 7E7 supplier

Boeing announced that it has selected Parker Hannifin as the hydraulic subsystem supplier for the 7E7 Dreamliner passenger airplane.
27 Sep 2004 21:58

Durable goods orders drop

Durable goods orders in the United States dropped in August, including a dive in civilian aircraft orders, the US Department of Commerce reported today.
24 Sep 2004 17:46

Precision Castparts to sell two businesses

Jet engine component maker Precision Castparts announced that it plans to sell its pump and valve businesses.
24 Sep 2004 15:32

Hurricanes cause unemployment claims to spike

In the wake of recent hurricanes hitting the southern United States, first-time unemployment filings again jumped sharply by 14,000, to 350,000, for the week ending September 18, the US Department of Labor reported today.
23 Sep 2004 15:33

Johnson Controls announces new appointments

Automotive systems manufacturing giant Johnson Controls announced new appointments for five of the company’s corporate officers today.
23 Sep 2004 21:51

Brooks Software awarded multimillion-dollar contract by Taiwanese chip manufacturer

Brooks Software, a maker of real-time software applications for collaborative manufacturing operations, announced that Taiwanese chip maker Powerchip Semiconductor has awarded Brooks a multimillion-dollar contract for large-scale deployment of Brooks’ fault detection software at Powerchip’s new 300mm-chip factories.
22 Sep 2004 19:57

IBC files Chapter 11 bankruptcy

Interstate Bakeries Corp. (IBC), the largest wholesale baker and distributor of fresh baked bread and sweet goods in the United States, and the maker of Hostess Twinkies and Wonder bread, announced that it and its operating subsidiaries have filed for bankruptcy protection under Chapter 11 of the US Bankruptcy Code.
22 Sep 2004 18:10

General Mills earnings down

Foods maker General Mills reported first-quarter earnings of $183 million, down 19 percent from 227 million a year ago, due to higher ingredient prices and restructuring costs.
21 Sep 2004 17:11

Taser International announces $440,000 National Guard order

Nonlethal-weapons manufacturer Taser International announced today that it received a $440,000 order for 360 Taser X26 conducted-energy weapons and accessories for use by the United States Army National Guard.
21 Sep 2004 17:24

Boeing signs component and repair deal with Kenya Airways

Boeing and Kenya Airways today said the airline is now a customer of the Component Services Program offered jointly by Boeing and Air France Industries, which provides components and repairs for the airline’s Boeing 777 airplane.
20 Sep 2004 20:22

Colgate-Palmolive shares drop

Household and personal-care products manufacturer Colgate-Palmolive announced that its results in its second half would be lower than expected, due to increased marketing spending and higher costs for packaging and raw materials, sending its shares down 11 percent to its lowest level in four years.
20 Sep 2004 17:39

General Dynamics acquires TriPoint Global Communications

Military equipment manufacturer General Dynamics today completed its acquisition of TriPoint Global Communications, a provider of ground-based satellite and wireless communication equipment.
17 Sep 2004 21:24

Lockheed Martin signs licensing agreement with HMT Vehicles

Defense contractor Lockheed Martin announced that it has entered into a license agreement with UK manufacturer HMT Vehicles Ltd. to manufacture and sell tactical wheeled vehicles to government customers in North America.
17 Sep 2004 16:26

Coke surprises with poor third quarter outlook

The Coca-Cola Co. announced that third quarter earnings may be off as much as 24 percent or more.
16 Sep 2004 15:13

First-time unemployment claims spike

Initial unemployment filings climbed significantly by 16,000, to 333,000, for the week ending September 11, the US Department of Labor reported today.
16 Sep 2004 16:31

Hamilton Sundstrand awarded eighth Boeing 7E7 contract

Boeing has selected aerospace equipment manufacturer Hamilton Sundstrand to supply an electric motor pump subsystem for the 7E7 Dreamliner passenger airliner.
15 Sep 2004 22:17

Industrial production slows in August

Overall industrial production rose just 0.1 percent last month, down from a 0.6 percent jump in July, according to a report released by the Federal Reserve.
15 Sep 2004 16:31

Raytheon and EADS to create missile defense systems

Defense giant Raytheon Company and EADS SPACE Transportation have signed an agreement to collaborate on ballistic missile defense (BMD) interceptor programs in Europe, the US, and around the world
14 Sep 2004 16:25

Universal Automotive appoints new director of supply chain

Auto parts manufacturer Universal Automotive Industries today announced the appointment of Lisa J. Kusluski as director of supply chain, a newly created position.
14 Sep 2004 15:58

Bayer to shift or eliminate 1,800 US jobs due to Schering-Plough agreement

German drugmaker Bayer estimates that about 1,800 of its US-based primary care sales and marketing positions will be affected due to its new alliance agreement with US drugmaker Schering-Plough, either through transfer to Schering-Plough or through job reductions.
13 Sep 2004 18:02

Campbell Soup reports profit drop

Soup maker Campbell Soup Co. reported that net profit fell 20 percent to $59 million in its latest quarter, down from $74 million one year earlier.
13 Sep 2004 15:50

Ford recalls 234,208 vans

Big Three automaker Ford announced that it is recalling 234,208 Econoline vans sold in North America in order to repair an anti-lock brake unit that can overheat and present a fire hazard.
10 Sep 2004 19:23

Goodyear to take multimillion-dollar charges, cut jobs

Tire maker Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. announced that it plans to take charges of between $29 million and $33.5 million in the third quarter, due to cost-cutting efforts in its engineered products and chemical divisions.
10 Sep 2004 15:20

Federal forestland rule change delayed

The Bush administration announced that it will postpone a final decision on a plan to allow road building and logging on 58 million acres of remote forests—which could affect many manufacturing industries—until after the presidential election.
09 Sep 2004 15:58

National Semiconductor profits, revenue up

National Semiconductor Corp. announced that profits for its first quarter were $117.7 million, up sharply from $29.7 million during the same period one year ago.
09 Sep 2004 19:17

Ford to eliminate 800 assembly plant jobs

Automaker Ford announced that it will eliminate about 800 jobs at its Hazelwood assembly plant in suburban St. Louis after the end of 2004.
08 Sep 2004 15:45

Rolls-Royce appoints new helicopter division president

Rolls-Royce today announced the appointment of Scott Crislip as president of its helicopter division.
08 Sep 2004 21:27

Eli Lilly antidepressant drug approved for diabetic pain

Drug manufacturer Eli Lilly and Co. announced that US Food and Drug Administration has approved its antidepressant Cymbalta to treat diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain, which affects up to five million people in the United States.
07 Sep 2004 15:58

Honda to manufacture new SUV in Ohio

Honda of America announced that it would begin manufacturing a new Acura SUV at its Ohio plant starting in 2006.
07 Sep 2004 19:45

IBM power adapters recalled

Computer manufacturer IBM plans to recall about 553,000 AC power adapters worldwide for some of its ThinkPad laptop computer models, due to potential fire or electrical shock hazards to consumers.
03 Sep 2004 17:33

Manufacturing employment up in August

Employment in manufacturing edged up by 22,000 jobs in August, according to figures released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the US Department of Labor today.
03 Sep 2004 14:30

Acclaim Entertainment files bankruptcy

Video game maker Acclaim Entertainment announced that it has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection after failing to line up new financing.
02 Sep 2004 14:29

New orders, shipments increase

New orders for manufactured durable goods in July increased $3.1 billion, or 1.6 percent, to $195.8 billion, while shipments also increased during the month, according to US Department of Commerce figures released today.
02 Sep 2004 18:06

Ford announces cut in production, drop in sales

The second-largest US automaker, Ford, announced that it would cutting its fourth-quarter North American production levels, setting them below levels for last year’s fourth quarter.
01 Sep 2004 18:30

Survey shows coming increase in IT spending

Fifty-five percent of business and information technology executives in the United States anticipate increases in IT expenditures over the next three years, according to a survey released by consulting firm Accenture.
01 Sep 2004 21:09

FDA aims to stop Utah Med

The US Food and Drug Administration announced that it is seeking an injunction to stop Utah Medical Products from manufacturing and distributing medical devices until the firm has demonstrated that it has corrected deviations from FDA manufacturing regulations.
01 Sep 2004 15:50

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