Supply Chain

• Workers injured in Amsted Rail blast Mar 07, 2013

  As many as 10 Amsted Rail Co. Inc. employees were injured March 7 following an explosion at the Chicago-based company’s Granite City, Ill., foundry, with two men listed in critical condition.

• Accuride posts 4th-qtr. loss but eyes long-term growth Mar 07, 2013

  Accuride Corp., which manufactures wheels and wheel-end components for commercial vehicles, recorded a net loss of $156.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2012 and $178 million for the year ended Dec. 31.

• Titanium fire at RTI Alloys under control Mar 07, 2013

  A titanium fire at a unit of RTI International Metals Inc. appears to be under control after breaking out late Tuesday, a fire department official said.

• Quanex slips further into red on Nichols loss Mar 07, 2013

  Quanex Building Products Corp.’s net loss widened in its fiscal first quarter due to the effects of lower aluminum prices on its Nichols Aluminum LLC subsidiary and expenses incurred by its enterprise resource planning (ERP) system.

• Navistar International trims quarterly loss Mar 07, 2013

  Class 8 truck and engine builder Navistar International Corp. posted a $123-million loss in its fiscal first quarter, down 19.6 percent from a $153-million loss a year earlier, on sales that shrank 12.4 percent to $2.64 billion.

• Kiafoulis succeeds Turner at Central Steel & Wire Mar 07, 2013

  Central Steel & Wire Co. has named Harry Kiafoulis director of sales for the east region, succeeding Larry Turner, who will retire in July after 41 years with the metals processor and distributor.

• Navistar’s Clarke to step up role, named new chief exec Mar 07, 2013

  Navistar International Corp. has named Troy A. Clarke chief executive officer effective April 15, replacing interim chief executive Lewis B. Campbell.

• Mexican car output rises in Feb. Mar 07, 2013

  Mexico’s automotive sector produced 246,197 vehicles in February, up 1.6 percent year on year, according to domestic automotive association Amia.

• US saves Klöckner from larger losses in 2012 Mar 06, 2013

  Metals distributor and processor Klöckner & Co. SE credits its acquisition of Macsteel Service Centers USA Inc. and strong organic growth in the United States for providing a lift in quarterly and annual revenues.

• Kotecki named to Abakan board Mar 06, 2013

  Abakan Inc. has appointed welding expert Damian Kotecki to its board of advisors.

• Mississippi River ready for navigation Mar 05, 2013

  The middle Mississippi River is finally wide enough and deep enough for near-normal seasonal navigation, thanks to dredging projects and precipitation, according to a major barge operator and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

• Federal law pre-empts Ala. coil law: ruling Mar 05, 2013

  Federal laws override an Alabama law regulating the securement of metal coils on trucks, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has ruled.

• O’Neal’s manufacturing arm takes off Mar 05, 2013

  From the seed of an idea only two years ago, privately owned O’Neal Industries Inc.’s manufacturing subsidiary has gained traction.

• New M/K warehouse reflects 'testament to fortitude' Mar 05, 2013

  Marmon/Keystone Corp. workers have moved into a rebuilt Birmingham, Ala., warehouse, a year after a tornado destroyed the former facility and forced operations to temporarily relocate.

• AZZ chief exec Dingus to maintain role during treatment Mar 05, 2013

  AZZ Inc. president and chief executive officer David Dingus will continue to serve in his role while undergoing aggressive treatment for pancreatic cancer, the company said.

• OSHA penalizes railroads for alleged retaliatory firings Mar 05, 2013

  Union Pacific Railroad Co. and Norfolk Southern Railway Co. have been ordered to pay more than $1.43 million after firing employees who reported workplace injuries, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) said.

• Automakers bullish as Feb. sales jump Mar 04, 2013

  The top-selling automakers in the United States sold nearly 1.03 million vehicles in February, a 3.3-percent improvement from the same month last year and 15.2 percent higher than the previous month.

• Boeing technical workers receive no recommendation on vote Mar 04, 2013

  Boeing Co.’s technical workers will hold a third vote on a new four-year labor contract without any recommendation from their union leaders.

• Japex takes stake in Canadian natural gas projects Mar 04, 2013

  Tokyo-based energy company Japan Petroleum Exploration Co. Ltd. (Japex) has agreed to acquire a stake in two natural gas projects in Canada from Malaysian oil and gas company Petroliam Nasional Berhad (Petronas) .

• Boeing to cut labor force at SC facility Mar 04, 2013

  Boeing Co. said labor cuts at its South Carolina facility, which manufactures its 787 Dreamliner, aren’t related to current issues with the aircraft’s batteries but are "standard practice."

• Drilling declines in US, Canada Mar 04, 2013

  The number of drill rigs running in the United States dipped by four last week, led by Louisiana (down five), and Canadian drilling activity fell by seven rigs compared with the previous week.

• Chrysler plans $374-million transmissions investment Mar 04, 2013

  Chrysler Group LLC will invest nearly $374 million to boost its transmission production in Indiana, adding about 1,250 jobs.

• Boeing battery failures not seen derailing lithium-ion growth Mar 04, 2013

  The recent failure of the lithium-ion battery used in Boeing Co.’s 787 Dreamliner is a setback for the technology but will not derail overall growth in new and existing applications, according to Emma Kendrick, research supervisor at Sharp Laboratories of Europe Ltd.

• Senators calling on Kerry to sign off on Keystone XL Mar 04, 2013

  A bipartisan coalition of senators has called on Secretary of State John Kerry to approve TransCanada Corp.’s proposed Keystone XL pipeline.