Manufacturing news
June 2005
3M CEO becomes Boeing CEO
Aerospace giant Boeing announced today that its board of directors has elected 3M Chairman and CEO W. James McNerney Jr. as its chairman of the board, president and chief executive officer, effective July 1. He is the third Boeing CEO in 18 months.
30 Jun 2005 20:19
First lean certification
Experts in lean manufacturing from around the country are getting together for a “Blitz Week” next month at the International Headquarters of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) in Dearborn, MI, to develop the first ever Lean Certification for manufacturing professionals.
30 Jun 2005 14:47
Canadian trucker strike could harm Canadian manufacturers, help US ports
A strike begun last Saturday by 1,000 Canadian truckers has shut down shipment of containers to and from manufacturers in British Columbia, many of whom carry little or no inventory, and are expecting to feel the impact shortly.
29 Jun 2005 19:42
Energy bill passes US Senate
The US Senate approved its massive energy bill on a 85-12 vote today, and the manufacturer-friendly bill now heads back to the US House of Representatives for debate.
28 Jun 2005 16:34
Airbus to collaborate with Adobe
Airbus, the world’s largest aircraft manufacturer, announced today that it has adopted Adobe Acrobat 7.0 in its offices all over the world.
27 Jun 2005 21:11
International Paper crumples earnings forecast
Paper manufacturing giant International Paper said that its second-quarter earnings could be 30 percent or more below forecasts due in part to declining sales of industrial packaging and printing paper.
27 Jun 2005 21:38
Raytheon lands Taiwanese radar contract
The $752 million contract, awarded by the US Air Force, calls for Raytheon to provide Taiwan with an early warning radar surveillance system.
24 Jun 2005 18:46
Symantec’s takeover of Veritas Software secure
Shareholders okayed security software manufacturer Symantec's takeover of Veritas Software today, possibly the largest merger in software industry history.
24 Jun 2005 19:24
GE mixes it up
General Electric announced that it will reorganize its 11 businesses into six industry-focused businesses: GE Infrastructure; GE Industrial; GE Commercial Financial Services; NBC Universal; GE Healthcare; and GE Consumer Finance.
23 Jun 2005 19:53
SAP acquires Lighthammer
SAP announced it will acquire Lighthammer Software Development Corp., a leading supplier of enterprise manufacturing intelligence and collaborative manufacturing software.
23 Jun 2005 16:46
Ford to cut more jobs
The beleaguered Ford Motor Company has announced plans to cut an addition 1,700 salaried positions.
22 Jun 2005 18:15
Krispy Kreme exodus has hole in the middle
Confection maker Krispy Kreme Doughnuts announced the departure of six company executives, for reasons that remain mysterious.
22 Jun 2005 19:15
Chinese firm bids on Maytag
China’s Haier Group has placed a $1.28 billion bid for Maytag Corp.
21 Jun 2005 17:32
Manufacturing exec named president of American Welding Society
Dr. Damian Kotecki, a technical director for The Lincoln Electric Company’s consumable division, has been elected president of the American Welding Society.
21 Jun 2005 19:54
Heinz gets saucy
Condiment maker H.J. Heinz Company today announced that it has signed an agreement with French sauce maker Groupe Danone to acquire its Lea & Perrins and HP sauce brands for about $855 million in cash.
20 Jun 2005 20:19
Nissan to build hybrids in TN
Nissan Motor Co. has announced plans to build hybrid vehicles at its assembly plant in Tennessee.
20 Jun 2005 16:13
Former Tyco execs convicted
Former Tyco International CEO Dennis Kozlowski and former CFO Mark Swartz were convicted of looting the company of more than $600 million.
17 Jun 2005 21:18
Former Bristol-Myers execs indicted
Two former Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. executives have been charged with conspiracy and securities fraud.
16 Jun 2005 18:29
Pfizer acquires Vicuron Pharmaceuticals
Pfizer, the world’s largest pharmaceutical manufacturer, announced that it will acquire Vicuron Pharmaceuticals, a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing anti-infection drugs, for $1.9 billion in cash.
16 Jun 2005 17:48
Alcoa inks deal with Airbus
Aluminum giant Alcoa has announced an agreement with Airbus to supply the aircraft maker with sheet and plate products.
15 Jun 2005 17:54
Infantino recalls play mat after infant injuries
Multimillion-dollar infant product manufacturer Infantino, in cooperation with retailer Wal-Mart, is recalling one of its infant play mats that have caused reported injuries to two babies, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission announced.
15 Jun 2005 17:31
Boeing lands $4 billion in orders
Two companies, GE Commercial Aviation Services and International Lease Finance Corp., have placed significant orders with Boeing.
14 Jun 2005 15:51
Global manufacturing survey reports productivity improvements
A major new survey has revealed that manufacturers across the world are increasingly getting to grips with productivity and customer responsiveness.
14 Jun 2005 16:05
Qatar Airways flies with Airbus A350
Qatar Airways announced today that it has chosen to place an order for the Airbus A350 over Boeing's 787 Dreamliner.
13 Jun 2005 16:53
Eli Lilly to settle Zyprexa suits
Eli Lilly and Co. has reached agreement to settle lawsuits relating to the company’s schizophrenia drug Zyprexa.
10 Jun 2005 20:38
Steelscape to build $200 million plant in Louisiana
Louisiana Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco today announced the location of a $200 million Steelscape facility at the Port of Shreveport-Bossier in Louisiana.
10 Jun 2005 21:03
New CEO at Volvo
Big Three automaker Ford announced today that former polymer company CEO Fredrik Arp has been appointed chief executive officer and president of Volvo Cars, succeeding Hans-Olov Olsson, who becomes chairman of the board of Volvo Cars.
09 Jun 2005 21:25
Unemployment filings decline after last week’s jump
The number of first-time claims for unemployment benefits dropped by 21,000 last week, according to the US Department of Labor, countering a 27,000 increase in claims the previous week, which had been the largest jump since early 2004.
09 Jun 2005 18:45
Canadian manufacturer to build two plants in South Carolina
Canadian engineered wood manufacturer Grant Forest Products annpunced plans to invest more than $400 million to build two US plants and add 240 jobs in South Carolina.
08 Jun 2005 20:33
DRS Technologies to upgrade Navy radar
DRS Technologies has received a US Navy contract to upgrade radar systems on Aegis class surface ships.
08 Jun 2005 21:07
General Motors to cut 25,000 jobs
General Motors Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner said that GM plans to cut 25,000 or more jobs between 2005 and 2008 at plants in the United States, as he addressed shareholders today.
07 Jun 2005 16:56
Opening doors in Ohio
The world’s first fully automated fiberglass door factory was officially opened by Ohio Governor Robert Taft last Friday.
06 Jun 2005 17:48
ServiceCraft Logistics supplies new leader
ServiceCraft Logistics, a leading third party logistics provider acquired by Sumitrans Corporation last September, announced today that Rick Moradian, formerly with APL Logistics, has been named its new president and CEO.
06 Jun 2005 21:27
General Motors offers employee discount to public to accelerate sales
Struggling against falling sales figures, General Motors, the world’s largest automaker, announced today that it will offer the same discount it gives to its employees to all buyers of a new GM car or truck in the next month.
02 Jun 2005 19:58
Stride Rite to acquire Saucony
The Stride Rite Corporation enters into agreement to purchase running shoe manufacturer Saucony, Inc.
02 Jun 2005 20:33
Delayed flights for Airbus A380
European aircraft manufacturer Airbus announced a delay of two to six months in delivering its new airliner, the A380, to several airline customers. The reasons for the delays were unspecified.
01 Jun 2005 19:37
EDO Corp. lands Navy F/A-18 contract
EDO Corporation announce an $11 million contract to outfit the US Navy’s F/A-18 aircraft with the first production run of 135 smart bomb racks.
01 Jun 2005 21:21
Bombardier rides the German rails
Canadian transportation manufacturer Bombardier Transportation announced that it received an order for 78 double-deck coaches and nine locomotives from Landesnahverkehrsgesellschaft Niedersachsen (LNVG) in Germany, valued at approximately $172 million.
01 Jun 2005 16:23
Crown to enter China, leave Ireland
Leading lift-truck maker Crown Equipment signed a memorandum of understanding with the government of China to build a manufacturing plant in the Suzhou New District, a high-tech industrial park located in the city of Suzhou, west of Shanghai, China.
01 Jun 2005 16:23
Some Viagra users report blindness
The US Food and Drug Administration announced that it has received some 38 reports of a rare condition, called non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, among users of Pfizer’s impotency drug Viagra. The condition causes permanent blindness.
01 Jun 2005 16:24
Subsidy dust-up hits WTO
An “entente discordiale” has developed between the United States and Europe over subsidies to their respective aircraft manufacturers Boeing and Airbus, after talks to resolve the dispute broke down.
01 Jun 2005 16:22