Manufacturing news
August 2005
Honda delivers 100,000th hybrid vehicle
American Honda announced today that it has delivered 100,000 hybrid vehicles to retail customers since it began offering the gasoline-electric technology nearly six years ago.
31 Aug 2005 21:14
Ford to fire 400 white-collar workers
Big Three automaker Ford announced plans to fire 400 US white-collar employees, as part of a plan to reduce its North American workforce by 2,750 jobs by the end of 2005.
30 Aug 2005 18:54
GM to recall 800,000 vehicles
General Motors Corp. is recalling approximately 800,000 sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks in 14 northern states.
30 Aug 2005 21:32
General Dynamics gets $30 million contract to take weapons apart
General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems, a business unit of military contractor General Dynamics, has been awarded a $30 million contract from the US Army to dismantle munitions.
29 Aug 2005 20:48
Intelsat and PanAmSat to merge
Intelsat, Ltd. and PanAmSat Holding Corporation have signed a definitive merger agreement under which Intelsat will acquire PanAmSat for $3.2 billion.
29 Aug 2005 19:52
California sues pharmaceutical makers
California Attorney General Bill Lockyer filed a lawsuit against 39 pharmaceutical companies, accusing them of defrauding California through a drug pricing scheme that has forced the state’s Medi-Cal program to pay artificially inflated rates, potentially resulting in a loss to the state of hundreds of millions of dollars.
26 Aug 2005 17:02
Precision to buy SMC
Precision Castparts Corp. has areed to acquire Special Metals Corporation (SMC), a world leader in the production of high-performance nickel-based alloys and super alloys.
26 Aug 2005 20:37
Kodak cuts 1,000 jobs
Eastman Kodak Co., will eliminate 1,000 jobs by closing facilities in Rochester, NY, and West Virginia.
25 Aug 2005 20:42
Lockheed Martin saluted by Asian American businesses
Military contractor Lockheed Martin has been recognized as Corporation of the Year by the Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce Southwest, an organization of Asian American-owned businesses based in Texas.
24 Aug 2005 19:10
BlackHawk jumps in with Wildfire Warrior
BlackHawk Products Group has announced the acquisition of smoke jumper/fire fighter equipment supplier Wildfire Warrior.
23 Aug 2005 19:28
GE and Rolls stealthily grab $2.47 billion contract
A General Electric and Rolls-Royce joint venture has won a $2.47 billion contract to develop an engine for the F-35 stealth jet, under the US Navy’s Joint Strike Fighter F136 System Development and Demonstration Program.
23 Aug 2005 17:50
Force Protection rolls with Tecstar
Force Protection, Inc. has selected Tecstar Automotive Group to help build the military’s Cougar JERRV vehicle.
22 Aug 2005 20:48
Whirlpool cleans up
Home-appliance manufacturers Whirlpool and Maytag today signed a definitive merger agreement in which Whirlpool will acquire all outstanding shares of Maytag in a cash and stock merger.
22 Aug 2005 18:47
Timken creates six sigma post
Steel and bearings maker The Timken Company announced today that Donna J. Demerling has been named senior vice president of quality and lean six sigma, a newly created position in the company.
19 Aug 2005 18:47
OnStar to recall GM vehicles
Beginning this month, General Motors Corp. will notify car and truck owners of recall notices through its OnStar in-vehicle communications service.
18 Aug 2005 19:51
Synalloy CEO supplies resignation
Synalloy Corporation, a producer of specialty chemicals, dyes and pigments, stainless steel pipe, vessels, and process equipment for various industries, announced today that Ralph Matera has resigned as chief executive officer of the company, effective at the end of September.
18 Aug 2005 16:13
Pratt & Whitney to take wing in Chile
LAN Airlines, based in Chile, will be the launch customer for US aerospace company Pratt & Whitney’s PW6000 engine.
17 Aug 2005 19:35
Sweet sell-off
Imperial Sugar Company announced the sale of its Holly Sugar subsidiary.
17 Aug 2005 17:00
Sanyo North America names new president
Sanyo North America (SNA), a subsidiary of Japanese electronics manufacturing giant Sanyo Electric, announced the appointment of Hideo Nakai as the new SNA president.
16 Aug 2005 19:41
US company to power German Army
New Jersey-based Exide Technologies has been awarded two battery supply contracts by the German Army.
16 Aug 2005 19:47
Agilent Technologies goes on selling spree
Agilent Technologies announced an agreement to sell its semiconductor unit and its stake in lighting technology firm Lumileds in deals totaling about $3.6 billion.
15 Aug 2005 17:27
US Air Force selects Intergraph team for contract
Intergraph Corporation announced today it is part of the Karta Technologies team selected by the US Air Force to be one of only 10 prime contractors allowed to compete for work under the Design and Engineering Support Program (DESP II) contract.
15 Aug 2005 21:53
Duerr CEO to leave, North American job cuts announced
German manufacturer Duerr, which supplies painting and assembly systems for several US automakers, announced that its CEO is departing at the end of this year. It also announced that would cut some 800 jobs, many of them in its North America operations, as part of a restructuring plan.
12 Aug 2005 20:32
Initial unemployment claims drop
First-time unemployment filings unexpectedly dropped by 6,000, to 308,000, for the week ending August 6, the US Department of Labor reported today, continuing a downward trend.
11 Aug 2005 18:58
Pfizer to cut jobs in Nebraska
Pfizer Inc. announced it will cut 300 jobs at a Nebraska animal health products plant.
11 Aug 2005 19:11
Lionel lawsuit settled
Lionel, the nation’s number-one model train maker, today announced that it has reached a settlement with K-Line Electric Trains, in a trade secrets lawsuit brought by Lionel.
10 Aug 2005 18:36
Bush signs $12.3 billion energy bill into law
President George W. Bush signed the long-awaited 1,724-page energy bill, the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (H.R. 6), into law yesterday, a legislative development which could prove to be a boon to US manufacturers.
09 Aug 2005 18:49
China confirms part of Boeing order
A firm Chinese order for 42 new generation Boeing 7E7 Dreamliner aircraft was confirmed yesterday giving the Chicago-based planemaker a welcome boost to an order book that has fallen behind that of its European rival Airbus.
09 Aug 2005 14:10
Dover Electronics warms up to Colder Products
Colder Products, a leading manufacturer of quick-disconnect couplings, today announced that it has been acquired by Dover Electronics, a subsidiary of Dover Corporation.
08 Aug 2005 20:21
Carrier cools down hottest cities
Carrier Corporation has teamed up with TV stations across the country to donate thousands of air conditioners.
05 Aug 2005 18:36
GM to buy more auto parts from India
A General Motors India executive announced the automaker’s plans to buy $1 billion worth of auto parts from India annually, starting in 2008.
05 Aug 2005 21:34
Detroit Diesel names new quality and compliance officers
Truck engine manufacturer Detroit Diesel today announced the appointments of John Galbraith to the position of chief quality officer and Glenn Lysinger to the newly created position of chief compliance officer.
04 Aug 2005 22:12
Adidas sprints toward Reebok acquisition
Germany-based shoe manufacturer Adidas and US shoe maker Reebok International today announced that their Boards of Directors have unanimously approved an agreement under which Adidas would acquire Reebok for approximately $3.8 billion.
03 Aug 2005 16:50
Nissan NA sets new record
Nissan North America's Smyrna, TN, plant produced its seven-millionth vehicle today.
03 Aug 2005 19:34
GM ends LAT boycott
General Motors Corp. has ended its advertising boycott against the Los Angeles Times.
02 Aug 2005 22:00
New CEO at NCR
Automated teller machine manufacturer NCR today announced that its board of directors has named William Nuti to the posts of president and chief executive officer of NCR, and elected him to the board of directors.
02 Aug 2005 16:17
Manufacturing economic activity up: ISM
Economic activity in the manufacturing sector grew in July for the 26th month in a row, while the overall economy grew for the 45th consecutive month, according to US supply executives in the latest Manufacturing ISM Report On Business.
01 Aug 2005 21:50
Nokia names new CEO
The world’s largest cellular phone manufacturer, Nokia, announced that Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo will become president and COO as of October, and he will become president and CEO in June of next year.
01 Aug 2005 17:15
DaimlerChrysler chairman to leave
Jürgen E. Schrempp, chairman of the board of German automaker DaimlerChrysler, will leave the company after 44 years of service at the end of 2005.
01 Aug 2005 14:02
HP to jettison 14,500 jobs
Computer manufacturer Hewlett-Packard announced that it plans to cut 14,500 workers over the next year and a half, and expects these actions to save the company $1.9 billion annually.
01 Aug 2005 14:04
Kodak to cut 10,000 more jobs
Eastman Kodak announced that it plans to cut up to 10,000 more jobs than previously announced, as the company continues its struggle through its transition from traditional film to digital photography.
01 Aug 2005 14:03
New CEO at NCR
Automated teller machine manufacturer NCR today announced that its board of directors has named former Symbol Technologies President William Nuti to the posts of president and chief executive officer of NCR, and elected him to the board of directors.
01 Aug 2005 14:03
The spirit of innovation
Over 1,100 people squeezed into the Chattanooga Convention Center on July 20th to witness the presentation of the fifth annual Kruesi Award for Innovation, and to hear Henry Ford’s great-grandson, William (Bill) Clay Ford Jr. deliver a keynote address.
01 Aug 2005 14:10