News Archive

Manufacturing news

July 2007

TBM Consulting Group opens office in India

GURGAON, INDIA – April 12, 2007 – TBM Consulting Group, the global business improvement leader for the manufacturing and service sectors, announced today the opening of a new office here to provide LeanSigma management tools and consulting services to manufacturing companies in India. This marks TBM’s second office location in Asia…the other in Shanghai.
27 Jul 2007 11:01

TBM names WIKA winner of 2007 “Perfect Engine Award”

Manufacturer Recognized For Best Continuous Business Improvement
27 Jul 2007 11:03

New headquarters and manufacturing plant as GE Honda Aero jet engine gets set for production

Honda Aero, Inc., has announced it will build its new corporate headquarters and a state-of-the-art jet engine manufacturing plant in Burlington, North Carolina. Employing 70 associates, Honda Aero will develop advanced, efficient GE Honda Aero jet engines ready for production in 2010.
20 Jul 2007 8:48

Flowserve Acquires MF Sealing Systems

Flowserve Corporation, a leading global provider of fluid motion and control products and services (NYSE: FLS), has announced it has acquired MF Sealing Systems in Middlesbrough, UK.
19 Jul 2007 15:37

Attitude adjustment: judges' views of auditors take a dive

Reprinted with permission of the W. P. Carey School of Business, Arizona State University After Enron imploded and WorldCom bit the dust, one question topped investors' minds: Where were the auditors?
11 Jul 2007 16:19

Ford Motor Company, Southern California Edison join forces to promote plug-in hybrids

ROSEMEAD, Calif., July 9, 2007— The automaker that introduced the world’s first hybrid sport-utility vehicle and the electric utility with the nation’s largest and most advanced electric vehicle (EV) fleet are combining resources to explore ways to make plug-in hybrid (PHEV) vehicles more accessible to consumers, reduce petroleum-related emissions and improve the cost-effectiveness of the nation’s electricity grid.
11 Jul 2007 18:01

Guest Editorial: Checklist - Seven Recommendations for Improved Profits

by Abbott A. Imberman, PhD, Professor of Economics at University of Chicago, retired, 1975. A checklist is most helpful in the pursuit of excellence. The latest suggestions on improved management practices are made in the widely read “The World Is Flat,” by the New York Times writer, Thomas L. Friedman, three times Pulitzer Prize winner.
11 Jul 2007 17:45

NAM Critizes EPA's Failure to File Ozone Health/Economic Anaylsis

WASHINGTON, D.C., July 11, 2007 – The National Association of Manufacturers today voiced support for cleaner air and continued implementation of the current ozone standard as the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works held a hearing on newly proposed Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rules. Currently, EPA has designated 391 counties as being in noncompliance with the current standard, which is not scheduled to be implemented in some regions until 2018.
11 Jul 2007 15:17

FKI LOGISTEX OPENS NORTH AMERICAN TECHNOLOGY & EDUCATION CENTER (TEC)

(St. Louis, Missouri, USA: July 10, 2007) FKI Logistex® (www.fkilogistex.com), a global leader in integrated material handling solutions, announces the grand opening of the new, multimillion-dollar FKI Logistex Technology & Education Center (TEC) in Cincinnati, Ohio on July 17, 2007. The 31,000-square-foot training and demonstration center offers FKI Logistex customers access to fully functional, automated sortation, conveying, AS/RS, and order fulfillment systems for solutions demonstrations, proof-of-concept testing, and operator training.
10 Jul 2007 21:56

Good News about Bad Press: For Corporate Governance, Humiliation Pays Off

Published: June 27, 2007 in Knowledge@Wharton, http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu Seven years ago, Bill Browder sifted through reams of obscure Russian securities registration data to piece together an elaborate 41-page PowerPoint presentation outlining how managers of the Russian oil company Gazprom were shifting corporate assets to entities controlled by friends and relatives.
10 Jul 2007 18:39

Guess selects the tradecard platformand SourceView suite to optimize global trade

NEW YORK, July 10, 2007 – TradeCard Inc., the leading provider of global trade solutions for financial and physical supply chain automation, has announced that leading global brand and retailer Guess has signed with TradeCard to implement the TradeCard Platform and SourceView visibility suite for deductions management, goods receipt and supply chain scorecarding.
10 Jul 2007 21:53

ICSC Conference Educates Attendees, Reinforces Strong Ties to Law Enforcement

WASHINGTON (July 10, 2007) – The International Cargo Security Council (ICSC), the preeminent non-profit organization dedicated to the security of products in transit, recently completed a highly successful conference in San Diego that concentrated on port security issues and showcased the latest tactics and successful strategies currently being used to combat cargo theft.
10 Jul 2007 18:43

Jergens Industrial Supply Wins ISA American Eagle Award

July 10, 2007—Jergens Industrial Supply (JIS), a Division of Jergens, Inc. in Cleveland, Ohio, was named recipient of the 2007 American Eagle Value-Added Distributor Award in recognition of its program as commodity manager of perishable tooling for Cleveland Track, a manufacturer of railway track and components. The award was presented to JIS in Las Vegas at this year’s ISA convention in front of 3,000 fellow manufacturers, distributors, and rep agencies.
10 Jul 2007 18:20

Kimberly-Clark Professional Crosses Final Touchless Frontier With Introduction of First Electronic Bath Tissue Dispenser

ROSWELL, Ga. (July 9, 2007) – Kimberly-Clark Professional is about to go where no health and hygiene company has gone before – crossing the final touchless restroom frontier – with the introduction of the first electronic bath tissue dispenser.
10 Jul 2007 21:46

New Alloy is a Champion of Efficiency in Harsh Steel Environment

An award-winning aluminum bronze alloy is proving to be a champion for the steelmaking industry, extending the estimated life of basic oxygen furnace (BOF) components fivefold, and saving more than 9.3 billion Btu per year at Republic Engineered Products, Inc. This according to a Department of Energy report.
10 Jul 2007 22:03

Russia to begin China oil pipeline

Construction work will begin next year on a much-anticipated pipeline to deliver crude oil directly from Siberia to China, according to an Agence France Presse story.
10 Jul 2007 21:59

Ashland / Cargill license technology from Davy

COVINGTON, Ky., MINNEAPOLIS – Ashland Inc. (NYSE:ASH) and Cargill today announced they have entered into a technology licensing agreement with Davy Process Technology Ltd., a Johnson Matthey Company, on behalf of the joint venture the companies intend to form. The basis of the agreement is a highly efficient vapor-phase hydrogenation technology for use in converting glycerin to propylene glycol (PG).
09 Jul 2007 15:10

Jeff Lytle receives first-ever Lean Gold Certification

Dearborn, MI—The Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME), the Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME), and the Shingo Prize for Excellence in Manufacturing have conferred upon Jeff Lytle, Lean SixSigma Master BlackBelt, Omnova Solutions Inc., the first-ever Lean Gold Certification, the highest level of Lean Certification achievement.
09 Jul 2007 17:19

Knight & Carver officially opens South Dakota facility

Howard, SD—A Grand Opening party attracting some 250 attendees was held Friday, June 22, to celebrate the official launch of Knight & Carver’s new wind-blade production and repair facility.
09 Jul 2007 17:18

Norwegian military logistics organization upgrades upgrades its instance of IFS Applications

SCHAUMBURG, Ill., July 9 /PRNewswire/ -- The Norwegian Defence Logistics Organisation (NDLO) has entered into an agreement with IFS to upgrade its existing maintenance and logistics solutions for the air force and navy to IFS Applications 7. The agreement has a maximum value of approximately $8 million.
09 Jul 2007 14:39

ZINK Imaging purchases Konica Minolta manufacturing facility

Waltham, MA, July 3, 2007—ZINK Imaging, the innovators behind the recently unveiled Zero-Ink digital printing technology, officially completed purchase of a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility from Konica Minolta Manufacturing USA, Inc. (KMMU). ZINK Imaging plans to begin manufacturing its Zero-Ink paper at the North Carolina facility this year. It will also manufacture other digital imaging materials for OEM customers.
09 Jul 2007 16:52

Boeing Celebrates the Premiere of the 787 Dreamliner

EVERETT, Wash., July 08, 2007 -- Today, Boeing [NYSE: BA] officially debuted the technologically advanced and environmentally progressive 787 Dreamliner in a celebration attended by employees, airline customers, supplier partners and government and community officials.
08 Jul 2007 15:22

Chrysler, Chery finalize agreement for global sales

Chrysler Group President and CEO Tom LaSorda joined Chery Automobile Co. Chairman and President Yin Tongyue to finalize the highly anticipated cooperative agreement between the two automakers.
06 Jul 2007 14:36

Lincoln industries rewards wellness with 14,000-ft day out of the office

LINCOLN, Neb. – It's not often that a thriving manufacturing company rewards 84 of its people with an all-expense paid Colorado mountain climbing expedition that includes a paid day off, transportation expenses and lodging.
06 Jul 2007 16:43

UOP gets DARPA dollars to develop biofuel technology for military jets

UOP LLC, a Honeywell company, will accelerate research and development on renewable energy technology to convert vegetable and algal oils to military jet fuels.
06 Jul 2007 16:51

3PD Acquires Affinity Logistics

Seven months after a merger made it one of the country’s largest last-mile logistics and delivery providers, 3PD has acquired Affinity Logistics (HD) Corporation, another leading last-mile company.
05 Jul 2007 19:58

Al Gore III proves hybrids not sluggish

If he did nothing else to support his father's environmental initiatives, 24-year-old Al Gore III proved that hybrid cars are capable of high speed.
05 Jul 2007 21:24

Editorial: American workers, you're saved! Journalists are here to rescue you!

"Today's ultra-lean corporations take pride in shedding 'surplus' people. Join UP and me to make our education, our families and our professions matter again," beseeches Barbara Ehrenreich
05 Jul 2007 17:32

Mr Coffee undergoes design rejuvenation

It's pretty slick. Mr. Coffee modernized coffee makers in 1972. Recall those ads with baseball legend Joe DiMaggio looking awkward and annoyed, and you'll remember the coffeemaker's surprisingly small footprint and modern design, compared to the perculators and other designs. That was 35 years ago, and Altitude, Inc., one of the country’s leading product innovation firms, was recently commissioned to design the Mr. Coffee MRX35 Classic Edition Automatic Drip Coffeemaker .
05 Jul 2007 18:51

The Internet grows up: What Web 2.0 means to business

The new-and-improved Web 2.0 means more than connectivity to consumers: it means profit to business, find the experts at the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University.
05 Jul 2007 20:57

Top Ranked Companies Promote Work-life Balance, says workplace thinktank

GREENSBORO, NC, June 25, 2007 — Contrary to conventional wisdom, encouraging employees to find time for their families and life outside of the office is good for business. According to Fortune Magazine’s latest ranking of the 100 Best Companies to Work For 2007, four of the best 25 companies also received high marks for promoting a healthy work-life balance.
05 Jul 2007 20:07

Toyota Material Handling announces fleet solution management program

IRVINE, Calif., (July 2, 2007) — Toyota Material Handling, U.S.A., Inc. (TMHU) today announced the launch of the Toyota Fleet Solution program, its lift truck fleet management program. Designed to anticipate and meet customers’ lift truck needs, the Toyota Fleet Solution provides an enterprise-wide view of lift truck procurement, use and service.
05 Jul 2007 22:05

Wi-Fi Alliance qualifies TÜVRheinland® as an authorized test lab for Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 802.11n Draft 2.0 Program

TÜVRheinland®, the world leader in independent testing and certification services, has been qualified by the Wi-Fi Alliance as an Authorized Test Laboratory (ATL). With this qualification, TÜVRheinland can conduct tests of wireless products for the Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ 802.11n draft 2.0 program.
05 Jul 2007 21:02

Allegiance Capital arranges acquisition of J&L Wire Cloth

Dallas, July 2, 2007—Allegiance Capital Corporation, a full-service investment banking firm, announced the acquisition of J&L Wire Cloth Company by American Spring Wire Corporation, an Ohio-based valve and wire manufacturing firm. Allegiance Capital represented J&L Wire Cloth and successfully managed the transaction through the acquisition closing.
03 Jul 2007 15:28

Oracle v. SAP - SAP hangs head, Oracle thumps chest

David Mitchell, software practice leader at industry thinktank Ovum, offers these observations on Oracle v. SAP, which heated up this week.
03 Jul 2007 13:43

Patent Court’s Ruling Creates New Risks for Patent Holders, Boon for License Buyers

Patent holders who want to license their patents to earn royalties will find it trickier to avoid declaratory judgment actions under the top patent’s court recent ruling. But prospective licensees have a potential boon, says Michael J. Pomianek, a shareholder with Wolf, Greenfield & Sacks, P.C. in Boston.
03 Jul 2007 17:33

Branding evolution: the Dove story

Clever manufacturers are taking advantage of the 'Net and blogosphere - free media buzz about a product or ad. We've written before about how web buzz can kill a brand, the experts at the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State U describe how web buzz can build a brand. Following from their online magazine, knowledge@W. P. Carey.
02 Jul 2007 14:58

HR: The Gen-X friendly workplace

A few days ago we reported on Generation Y.

This keenly entitled bunch doesn't like to get its hands dirty. But its teenaged siblings, called Generation X, are even more entitled and less patient. Author Deanne DeMarco explains why.
02 Jul 2007 19:52

NAM will advocate preservation of existing ozone standard

Washington, DC, June 21, 2007—The National Association of Manufacturers today expressed concern over the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision to take comments on revising the current ozone standard by releasing a proposal that includes options and thereby raises the possibility of moving to a more stringent standard.
02 Jul 2007 18:45

Opinion: Manufacturers overlook credit, continuity insurance

By Marjorie Young, vice president of E.G. Bowman Company, Inc. No one who’s responsible for insuring a factory would dream of skimping on basic property and general liability insurance. But many executives aren’t as keen on two other key types of coverage: credit insurance and business interruption (BI) insurance. With credit insurance, it’s usually a case of not having it at all. In contrast, BI is bought by virtually every company, but skimping on it and failing to get full coverage is all-too common.
02 Jul 2007 16:23

STC first college in Texas to earn NIMS accreditation

South Texas College is the first college in the State of Texas to earn the National Institute of Metalworking Skills (NIMS) Accreditation for its Precision Manufacturing Technology (PMT) Program. This new accreditation means that STC has met and exceeded national metalworking industry standards for quality of instruction, incorporation of important, high-level industry skills, and overall safety.
02 Jul 2007 19:29

UGS PLM Software and Roush Fenway Racing announce technology sponsorship partnership

Plano, TX, July 2, 2007—UGS PLM Software, a division of Siemens Automation and Drives (A&D) and a leading global provider of product lifecycle management (PLM) software and services, and Roush Fenway Racing today announced a technology sponsorship partnership formed earlier this year through which Roush Fenway Racing develops cars with the help of UGS PLM Software’s digital product development technology.
02 Jul 2007 18:40

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