Manufacturing & Technology News articles from September 2007

Manufacturing & Technology News archives from September 2007

Gomory: Transferring production offshore is not free trade.
September 17, 2007... The traditional theory of free trade, in place for two centuries, no longer makes sense and must be replaced with a new model, given the radical changes that have taken place in the global economy over the past 30 years, argues Ralph Gomory,...

Blinder warns of a political upheaval when millions of skilled service workers lose their jobs to outsourcing.
September 17, 2007... When former vice chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve and member of Bill Clinton's original Council of Economic Advisors Alan Blinder declared earlier this year that between 30 million and 40 million high-end U.S. service...

Trade policy debates lead NAM to propose changes to its constitution.
September 17, 2007... The National Association of Manufacturers has proposed changing its constitution as a result of the controversy over a June 27, 2006, vote by one of its policy committees endorsing legislation that would challenge Chinese currency manipulation....

Cities with the best job growth, and worst.
September 17, 2007... The worst job markets continue to be located in the industrial heartland of the country, according to recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and MBG Information Services. Flint, Mich., was the nation's worst job market for the year...

Companies struggle to improve innovation.
September 17, 2007... Executives with major companies worldwide are becoming increasingly frustrated with the returns they're making on investments in innovation, according to the Boston Consulting Group. Of the nearly 2,500 executives BCG surveyed only 46 percent...

Cato says quit whining about manufacturing decline.
September 17, 2007... The United States manufacturing sector is experiencing record growth, record profits, record output, record exports and record return on investment and is in no need of legislative or protectionist support from Washington, according to the Cato...

Ed McGaffigan.
September 17, 2007... Ed McGaffigan, a commissioner on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and former top science and technology aide in Congress, passed away on Sunday, September 2, of melanoma. He was 58 and cast his last vote as the longest serving NRC commissioner...

Port industry.(MARKETS)
September 17, 2007... The United States port industry is booming. Port sector businesses generated $1,976 billion last year in revenue. Of this amount, $207 billion came directly from businesses involved in handling international waterborne commerce, according to...

Cruise industry.(MARKETS)
September 17, 2007... The U.S. cruise industry grew by 10 percent last year to $35.7 billion in revenue. The industry supported 348,000 American jobs and paid $14.7 billion in wages. "Direct purchases by the cruise lines for goods and services such as food and...

Printed circuit.(MARKETS)
September 17, 2007... The U.S. printed circuit board industry is in a trough. Shipments of rigid PCBs are down 10.4 percent from January through July of this year, and bookings are down 14.6 percent. Compared to June, July shipments were off by 17.7 percent and...

Air conditioning and heat pump market.(MARKETS)
September 17, 2007... The air conditioning and heat pump market is beginning to feel the impacts of a slowing economy. July shipments of air conditioners and heat pumps were down 3 percent from the same month in 2007, to 637,606 units, according to the Air...

DOD's R&D account can't be deciphered.
September 17, 2007... The Government Accountability Office has concurred with anyone who has ever tried and failed to figure out the budget for the Defense Department's Mantech Program or for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency: there is no way of...

Best Mfg. practices.
September 17, 2007... The Best Manufacturing Practices Center located at the University of Maryland and funded by the Office of Naval Research has published two new surveys of best practices: one describing those at the University of New Orleans' College of...

Manufacturing jobs take another monthly hit.
September 17, 2007... Manufacturing employment continues to get hammered. In August, manufacturing establishments shed 46,000 jobs. Manufacturers have reduced employment by 215,000 workers over the past year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. There are...

USTR files case against China for protecting pirates.
September 17, 2007... The United States Trade Representative has filed a case with the World Trade Organization's dispute settlement panel aimed at challenging China's legal system for protecting and enforcing copyrights and trademarks. After three months of...

OMB Watch claims chemical companies siderail cancer research.(Clinical report)
September 17, 2007... The chemical industry is playing games with the National Institutes of Health's National Toxicology Program, resulting in the obstruction of research on cancer-causing chemicals, according to OBM Watch. The chemical industry is using a...

OECD report: China is becoming an R&D force.
September 17, 2007... China is well on its way to becoming the world's largest exporting nation "and is regaining its former historic place in the world economy," according to the OECD. But the majority of its exports of information and communication technology...

Intel CEO Barrett: India and U.S. are a lot alike.
September 17, 2007... Intel has bypassed India for a new semiconductor factory in Asia because the government there was too slow in making decisions, according to a report in the Economic Times of India. "India has the same issues as the United States," Intel...

Consultant: be careful outsourcing design work.
September 17, 2007... Manufacturing companies should be "extremely cautious" when they hire overseas outsourcing firms to do product design and engineering work, says Rai Chowdhary, a specialist in Indian outsourcing and quality systems. "There is a great...

Mexican truck scheme succumbs to political pressure.
September 17, 2007... The Bush administration's decision to allow 100 trucking companies in Mexico to drive their cargo to destinations throughout the United States has been beaten down in the House and Senate after drawing opposition throughout the country. The...

Mfg. workers lose their spirit.
September 17, 2007... Manufacturing workers aren't feeling too optimistic about their job prospects. In its monthly employment index, the Hudson Institute says manufacturing worker confidence slipped 2.8 points in August to 85.1, far below the level of a year ago,...

Technology Administration goes 'poof'.
September 28, 2007... The Commerce Department's Technology Administration, which bills itself on its Web site as being "the only Federal agency working to maximize technology's contribution to America's economic growth," has quietly shut down. The political...

'Made In America' show host wants manufacturing to be on political agenda.(Interview)
September 28, 2007... The recently created Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM) has hired the country's leading manufacturing celebrity and is taking him on the road to sell the importance of manufacturing to voters in the early presidential primary states....

India to compete with China for mfg. plants.
September 28, 2007... India will challenge China as a global leader in manufacturing within the next three to five years, according to a survey of 340 of the world's largest manufacturing companies done by Capgemini. "Some of the main manufacturing locations in...

China's furniture industry is booming.
September 28, 2007... China's furniture industry is booming, with exports reaching $17.4 billion last year, making China the world's largest exporter of furniture, according to the China Building Decoration Association and reported by the Xinhau press agency....

Green investors want companies to disclose pollution liabilities.
September 28, 2007... A coalition of 22 groups including institutional investors, state officials with fiscal management responsibilities and environmental groups have filed a "landmark" petition asking that the Securities and Exchange Commission require...

Government pricing will determine future of carbon sequestration.
September 28, 2007... The sequestration of carbon emitted from electric generating plants and industrial facilities depends on the amount that it will cost to pollute carbon dioxide, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Using technology to capture carbon is...

Evergreen solar.(NEW PLANTS IN THE UNITED STATES)
September 28, 2007... Evergreen Solar has started construction of a $165-million solar manufacturing plant in Devens, Mass. The plant will increase the company's production of solar panels in Massachusetts to 75 megawatts and its employment in the state to more than...

UltraCell Corp.(NEW PLANTS IN THE UNITED STATES)
September 28, 2007... UltraCell Corp. of Livermore, Calif., a developer of formed methanol fuel cells for mobile power applications, has announced plans to open a manufacturing plant in Dayton, Ohio. UltraCell, which has an exclusive license with Lawrence Livermore...

Sanofi Pasteur.(NEW PLANTS IN THE UNITED STATES)
September 28, 2007... Sanofi Pasteur has opened a new 140,000-square-foot influenza vaccine manufacturing facility in Monroe County, Penn. The facility will create 100 jobs and cost $150 million. The Pennsylvania Financing Authority provided a $5-million "PennWorks"...

AU Optronics Corp.(NEW PLANTS IN CHINA)
September 28, 2007... AU Optronics Corp. of Taiwan has opened a 250,000-square-meter manufacturing plant in Xiamen, South China, to make LCD modules for fast-growing companies in the Xiamen Special Economic Zone. The plant will have an estimated production capacity...

LDK solar.(NEW PLANTS IN CHINA)
September 28, 2007... Chinese company LDK Solar, a maker of multicrystalline solar wafers, has broken ground on a new polysilicon manufacturing plant in Xinyu City, China. The company's new plant will put it on a trajectory of producing 6,000 metric tons of...

Netlist Inc.(NEW PLANTS IN CHINA)
September 28, 2007... Netlist Inc., a Calif.-based designer of memory subsystems for computing and communications, has started production at a new manufacturing facility in Suzhou, China, the company's first overseas manufacturing plant. The 40,000-square-foot...

Rakon.(NEW PLANTS IN CHINA)
September 28, 2007... Rakon, a manufacturer of high-performance quartz and crystal components, has announced plans to build a new manufacturing facility in southern China. The Aukland, New Zealand-based company says Asia represents its largest market, with 65...

Ford Motor Co.(NEW PLANTS IN CHINA)
September 28, 2007... Ford Motor Co. has opened its second assembly plant in China. The facility in Nanjing will have an initial annual production capacity of 160,000 vehicles, and is a joint venture between Mazda and Chinese state-owned Changan Automobile Group....

Siemens AG.(NEW PLANTS IN CHINA)
September 28, 2007... Siemens AG has opened a new transducer manufacturing plant in Dalian, China, according to the Xinhua news agency. The plant will produce transducers to be used in petrochemical, power, paper-making and food industries in China, and for export...

General electric.(NEW PLANTS IN VIETNAM, SINGAPORE)
September 28, 2007... General Electric has announced plans to build a $50-million manufacturing plant in Vietnam to produce equipment for its power generation division. The factory will employ more than 400 people and will be located near Vietnam's third largest...

FormFactor Inc.(NEW PLANTS IN VIETNAM, SINGAPORE)
September 28, 2007... FormFactor Inc., a Livermore, Calif.-based maker of semiconductor chip testing equipment, has announced plans to spend $200 million expanding its Singapore manufacturing operations. The facility will eventually employ more than 1,000 people....

Dell.(NEW PLANTS IN INDIA, SRI LANKA)
September 28, 2007... Dell has started production of its new computer assembly line in Sriperumbudur, near Chennai, India. The company's first Indian-made computer was sold to Infosys Technologies, one of Dell's largest customers in India. The Sriperumbudur facility...

Semiconductor manufacturing companies.(NEW PLANTS IN INDIA, SRI LANKA)
September 28, 2007... India is getting ready to release a "Special Incentive Package Scheme" to attract semiconductor manufacturing companies. "Already scores of companies including SemIndia and Hindustan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (HSMC) have announced...

Sanden Vikas.(NEW PLANTS IN INDIA, SRI LANKA)
September 28, 2007... Sanden Vikas, an India-based maker of automobile air conditioners, has announced plans to build a $25-million plant in India to produce energy efficient variable compressors for car air conditioners. The plant will produce one million units per...

Tata Group.(NEW PLANTS IN INDIA, SRI LANKA)
September 28, 2007... Tata Group, which started India's first airline in the 1930s, is planning to build a factory to make aircraft components for the export market. The company is buying land at a special economic zone in Nagpur next to Boeing's planned...

Sabinsa Corp.(NEW PLANTS IN INDIA, SRI LANKA)
September 28, 2007... Sabinsa Corp. of Piscataway, N.J., has built a $6-million factory in Hyderabad, India, to manufacture herbal extracts and phytochemicals for world markets including the United States, Europe and Japan. The 200,000-square-foot plant and its 100...

MAS Holdings.(NEW PLANTS IN INDIA, SRI LANKA)
September 28, 2007... MAS Holdings has started building a manufacturing plant in Thulhiriya, Sri Lanka, to produce lingerie for British retailer Marks & Spencer (M&S). The Sri Lanka-based company with 41,000 employees says the plant is part of its "Plan-A"...

Kimberly-Clark Corp.(NEW PLANTS IN EASTERN EUROPE, RUSSIA)
September 28, 2007... Kimberly-Clark Corp. has announced plans to build its first manufacturing facility in Russia to produce products under the Huggies and Kleenex brands. "Russia is a strategically important market for Kimberly-Clark due to its rapid economic...

PolyOne Corp.(NEW PLANTS IN EASTERN EUROPE, RUSSIA)
September 28, 2007... PolyOne Corp., a $2.6-billion Cleveland, Ohio-based maker of specialized polymer materials, has opened a new color concentrates manufacturing facility in Kutno, Poland, to serve rapidly growing markets in Eastern Europe. The plant is located on...

Whitepath fabtech.(NEW PLANTS IN MEXICO)
September 28, 2007... Whitepath Fabtech, a Ellijay, Ga.-based supplier of heating and cooling equipment components, will open a 35,000-square-foot factory in Ramos Arizpe, Coahuila, Mexico, to supply Carrier Corp. with control panels for HVAC systems. The company...

Greenheck Fan Corp.(NEW PLANTS IN MEXICO)
September 28, 2007... Greenheck Fan Corp. of Shofield, Wisc., has announced plans to build a manufacturing facility in Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico, to produce ventilation equipment for the heating and cooling market. The company has contracted with the Offshore Group...

Albany International Corp.(PLANTS CLOSING IN THE U.S. & BRITAIN)
September 28, 2007... Albany International Corp. will close its press fabric manufacturing facility in East Greenbush, N.Y., and stop manufacturing dryer fabrics at its headquarters in Albany, N.Y., laying off 225 employees. "This planned action is a business...

Friedrich Air Conditioning Co.(PLANTS CLOSING IN THE U.S. & BRITAIN)
September 28, 2007... The last U.S. manufacturer of air-conditioning window units is moving its production to Mexico. Friedrich Air Conditioning Co. has announced its intention to close its San Antonio manufacturing plant and move the work to Monterrey, Mexico. At...

Hartmann.(PLANTS CLOSING IN THE U.S. & BRITAIN)
September 28, 2007... Hartmann, a manufacturer of luggage and leather goods, has announced plans to close its manufacturing facility in Lebanon, Tenn., and lay off 90 workers. The company will keep its headquarters and local retail outlet in Lebanon. "While this...

IBM.(PLANTS CLOSING IN THE U.S. & BRITAIN)
September 28, 2007... IBM has laid off 450 workers at its U.S. computer chip manufacturing facilities, including 300 at its Poughkeepsie and East Fishkill, N.Y., facilities, and another 90 at is plant in Burlington, Vt. The layoffs are part of IBM's recent merger of...

Hexion specialty chemicals.(PLANTS CLOSING IN THE U.S. & BRITAIN)
September 28, 2007... Hexion Specialty Chemicals has announced plans to close its manufacturing operations in Clayton, UK, and shift production of pressure-sensitive adhesives to its plant in the Czech Republic. It will also divest itself of its foam control agents....

Pfizer.(PLANTS CLOSING IN THE U.S. & BRITAIN)
September 28, 2007... Pfizer has announced plans to close its last British manufacturing plant at Sandwich, Kent, and lay off 420 workers. The world's largest drug manufacturer will stop manufacturing in Britain for the fist time in 53 years. The company says it...

USTR seeks help identifying trade barriers.
September 28, 2007... The United States Trade Representative is asking companies to provide it with cases where foreign countries have used standards to block imports. "Of concern are impediments materially affecting the actual and potential financial performance of...

SBA seeks nominations for meaningless regs.
September 28, 2007... The Small Business Administration's Office of Advocacy is asking companies and trade associations to provide it with the most unnecessary and onerous federal regulations that are in need of reform. The "Top 10 rules nominated by small business...

Applied Materials enters solar mfg. industry.
September 28, 2007... Applied Materials Inc., the world's largest supplier of computer chip manufacturing machines, has entered the solar industry by acquiring HCT Shaping Systems of Switzerland for $483 million. HCT, a privately held supplier of precision wafering...

BLS has record geothermal auction.
September 28, 2007... The Bureau of Land Management's competitive auction of geothermal sites on public lands in Nevada and California in mid August generated nearly $20 million in bids, "including the highest per-acre bid in history," says the BLS. The agency's...

NIST names last ATP winners.
September 28, 2007... The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has made the final awards in its long-running Advanced Technology Program. The program, which is being phased out in favor of a new "Technology Innovation Program," selected 56 proposals...

Quotable.(Quotation)
September 28, 2007... "If you don't have strong manufacturing, if you lose that, you can't pay for anything else--you can't pay for social programs, you can't pay for defense. Our standard of living is falling for the first time. Our role in international markets...