plus 4, The Business of NASCAR - Examiner |
- The Business of NASCAR - Examiner
- Let's hear it for Iowa's hens: Layers rank No. 1 for eggs - Des Moines Register
- Volvo plant officials hope for upturn - Roanoke Times
- India firm pushes trucks' U.S. debut back to the spring - Toledo Blade
- A look back at 2009 - Battle Creek Enquirer
The Business of NASCAR - Examiner Posted: 27 Dec 2009 02:47 AM PST Bruton Smith, the Chairman of Speedway Motor sports, is rallying against NASCAR to move the NASCAR season finale from Homestead to his track at Las Vegas. Once aging Burton will come off, and be labeled by NASCAR, as a loud mouth jerk, however this plan makes a whole lot of sense in a number of different ways. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. |
Let's hear it for Iowa's hens: Layers rank No. 1 for eggs - Des Moines Register Posted: 27 Dec 2009 02:04 AM PST When Iowans brag about their state as a national leader, they almost always talk about corn, soybeans, hogs or maybe the presidential caucuses. They should be talking about eggs and, specifically, those hardworking hens who produce them. In today's specialized world, Iowa is a layer state, meaning its poultry largely confine themselves to producing eggs. Broilers, the kind you eat, come primarily from Southern states. The U.S. Department of Agriculture advises that in November, Iowa's 52.3 million laying hens produced 1.21 billion eggs. Iowa is ahead of the rest of the country, and it's not even close. The No. 2 egg state is Ohio, with 26.5 million layers producing 603 million eggs in a month. Indiana is home to 23 million layers that produced 531 million eggs in November. Iowa's egg industry isn't just egg money, economically. It contributes more than $1 billion annually in cash receipts to the state's economy. Iowa, Indiana and Ohio are all major corn-producing states, so it is logical that the layer and egg industry be centered there. Illinois, which annually is a close No. 2 to Iowa in corn and soybean production, is a piker when it comes to eggs. The Land of Lincoln has just 5.3 million layers, about one-tenth of Iowa's hen population, and they produced a measly 130 million eggs in November. Nationally, 277.4 million layers produced 7.55 billion eggs last month, up 1 percent from last year. Of that total, 6.52 billion were table eggs and the other billion or so were hatching eggs. Food economists say demand for eggs has held up relatively well this year in a tight economy because unlike steak, for instance, they're considered a staple in most households. They also are backed by a bountiful network of diners, short-order and all-night cafes, and truck stops where the egg is the centerpiece of the menu. The rate of lay, says the USDA, is 74.8 eggs per 100 layers a day. Grassley: Obama needs fast-track trade powerThere's little talk around Washington of renewing trade negotiations. But at some point, Congress must resurrect the president's fast-track authority to negotiate agreements, said Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Ia. Under fast-track, Congress can approve or disapprove a trade agreement that a president has negotiated but can't change the details. "It'll have to come back," Grassley said, suggesting that the United States could start losing export sales if competitors are more aggressive in cutting deals with countries such as South Korea. A trade deal that the Bush administration reached with the Koreans has never been approved by Congress because of concerns by Democrats about the impact on the U.S. auto industry. The Korean deal is "better than anything the United States has had since we reached an agreement with Canada in the late 1980s. So you - you've got to realize that the rest of the world is not going to sit around and wait for the United States. And when we realize that we're losing out, then maybe we'll wake up and there'll be less protectionist tendencies that keep trade promotion authority from passing," Grassley said. He said Obama won't get the negotiating authority unless he pushes for it. Grassley is the senior Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, which oversees trade issues. A worrisome forecast about soybeansSoybeans had a nice run in 2009 as strong Chinese demand kept prices above $10 per bushel most of the year. That is a contrast to the yearlong weakness in corn prices, which except for a brief period in June failed to break consistently above $4 per bushel. But soybeans may be in for a rockier year, according to a report by BNP Paribus Fortis. The European bank said last week that soybeans could drop to as low as $7 a bushel. That would happen primarily because of an expected recovery in Brazil's soybean crop, which was about 30 percent below normal yield averages in 2009 because of drought. The kink in Brazil's soybean supply forced China to turn to the United States for soybeans. Growing conditions in Brazil and Argentina thus far have been "ideal," the report noted. On this side of the ocean, market commentator Bob Utterback noted on Agweb: "I continue to warn producers that are holding bean inventory that once we have a solid confirmation that the South American crop is on the way, it's going to be increasingly difficult to hold bean prices together. I believe it's time to get a floor under expected 2010 production." All bean factors aren't gloomy. The report notes the possibility of a surge in world oil prices in mid-2010 that could push up grain prices. The Web site Agrimoney has a summary of the BNP Paribas report. Read it at www.agrimoney.com/news/ record-oil-price-may-rescue-soybean-market1146.html. 'Corn-fed' still has cachet with steak loversBeef producers have had a tough time lately as the flaccid economy reduced demand for the choice cuts. But the term "Corn-fed, Midwestern beef" still is the call that beckons steak lovers, even among Texans who normally confine bragging to in-state products. What the beef crowd has long considered the best steak place in Dallas, Bob's Steak & Chop House, recently changed ownership. In the announcement, the new owners, which include Omni Hotels, saw fit to give this description of their main item: "Bob's Steak & Chop House is a nationally renowned steak house specializing in the finest corn-fed, Midwestern prime beef. Our formula is simple: incredible meat, gigantic shrimp, fabulous salads and decadent desserts. Classic steak house food prepared and presented in a manner that Bon Appetit magazine calls 'the kind of fare you'll want to go back for again and again.' " Those words will warm the hearts of Iowa cattle producers as they slog through the snow this week to get feed to their livestock. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. |
Volvo plant officials hope for upturn - Roanoke Times Posted: 27 Dec 2009 02:11 AM PST DUBLIN -- Volvo Trucks North America in Pulaski County is riding in low gear with a blind curve ahead.
No one knows what to expect in 2010. Will the industry pick up speed and call back some of its thousands of laid-off workers? Or, will the economy require more uphill climbing by one of the region's largest industrial employers? For answers, we talked to Lester Hancock, president of Local 2069 of the United Auto Workers. In 2008 and 2009, Volvo and other heavy-duty truck makers braked amid economic caution signs. Volvo responded to a major downturn in truck sales with major job cuts. The plant most recently dismissed 431 employees in April, leaving slightly less than 1,000 workers, and shifted one of two truck lines to another factory. In spite of the conditions, Hancock said, he remains optimistic about the long-term future of the plant. The plant is geared up to manufacture the 2010 big rigs, which come with newly mandated emission control equipment that positions the company for progress, Hancock said. He said company officials are dedicated to worker safety and reducing the plant's environmental impact. Q These are difficult times economically with numerous industries, including heavy-duty truck manufacturing, downsized to the max. How does the size of the work force inside the plant here at the end of 2009 compare to the start of 2009 and 2008 and earlier years. A From 2008 to now, it's one-third of the work force is what we have today. [In] 2008 we had 3,000 people here, 300 of which were nonbargaining unit workers, which was the salaried group. And today we have roughly 978 of the hourly bargaining unit and around 124 of the salaried bargaining unit. Q The New River Valley plant used to assemble both Volvo and Mack trucks and earlier this year was scheduled to lose the Mack line to a plant in Macungie, Pa. Officials said that transition was a strategic move. Describe the process as the Mack line was removed in terms of its impact on the work force and physical changes inside the facility. A We was contracted to build Mack trucks when they shut the Winnsboro (S.C.) plant down in 2003 ... which we was hoping to keep as long as we possibly could. In 2008, they mentioned that the Mack line will eventually leave and go to the Macungie plant but this transition probably wouldn't have happened until the first part of 2010. ... What they did was they took and they moved the Mack trucks out of the (New River Valley) plant in November of this year. With the layoffs that we've had, it did not affect the work force as much as what we thought it would. There was a few people that got displaced and moved to other jobs but they did not get laid off, due to the Mack trucks leaving. And we also, it was probably a good note, had increased our [production of] Volvo trucks. So now we're at the same line rate as we was building both Mack and Volvo where we had an increase in the Volvo trucks so that prevented a layoff. Q And what about the physical changes? A There's a lot of space left in the facility since they did take the Mack truck out, of course. The assembly line has changed dramatically. Basically it's just one straight line now, which the people have more room to work on the trucks. We accept that a lot -- to give us more elbow space I guess you could say. The equipment, all the equipment's been updated. So the older equipment that we used for the Mack trucks was really obsolete so that [losing it] really didn't affect us too much because that was going to be replaced anyway. Q Is there any new work or new types of work coming into the plant that you can talk about? A We are doing the engine grooming now, which we hadn't been doing for several years. When they come in, we put the starters on them, the fans, fan belts, the air conditioner units. Just anything other than the block itself. So that brought approximately 60 jobs into the factory, so that helped prevent 60 more people from getting laid off. We're all the time looking at more in-sourcing work so we can get some more work in the factory to bring our laid-off people back. But we have nothing concrete right yet of anything else coming in. Q Have you heard of any new orders? A Yes, there's some orders coming in. There's a lot of quotes coming in, which you got to have quotes before you have orders. There's probability out there. Q How are the laid-off workers coping? What is happening to them? A We have three groups of laid-off workers. May of 2008 there was two groups, the middle of May and then the last of May. Those people are probably having the hardest time right now, due to there is no employment anywhere else in the state of Virginia close to this area and their benefits that they had secured here have run out now. We had another group in April of 2009 that are still receiving the benefits that they contractually have here. So they're doing fairly well, but the ones that were in May 2008, they're starting to really struggle right now. I haven't heard of anyone as far as foreclosures on their homes or anything. I think the stimulus package has really prevented that from happening; it's really been helpful to them to go forward. Mostly, the people are just trying to adapt to a lesser environment. Their living standards are decreased from what they're used to. They've been able to adapt but it's a struggle for them. Q Some people believe that laid off Volvo workers have a harder time getting a new job because other employers are afraid to hire them out of fear that, if they're called back by Volvo, they'll leave. Is that true? A That's a fear. I can't say that it's true, that's what's happening. But if you look at it, if I'm paying you X amount of dollars and then I have to lay you off and you have to seek work elsewhere and the employer that you're looking at doesn't pay half of what you was making, they're going to look at [believe] that you're not going to be happy working for them. So that could play a part of that, too. You know what I mean? It's just that, if I'm paying you 16 bucks an hour, I'm getting minimum wage at another employer and they know you're not going to be happy and then, if you get called back, you're gone. You're going. Q How many people are eligible to be called back? A Everyone is eligible to be called back until the next contract, which is in 2011. Q Volvo prides itself on three core values that company officials say guide decision making -- safety, quality and environmental care. How well do you believe the company is living up to these core values? Where could it improve? A [In] 2008 we had some very good language on our health and safety. Volvo, the company, has pretty much complied by that. They've done very well since we got our contract agreed upon in 2008 as far as doing all this stuff that they agreed to do and we wanted them to do. Environmental? It's just a start of what they have planned. I'm very impressed to see what they have in store in the future, as far as protecting the environment. It's unreal. They're talking about different -- solar, wind, everything like that -- to help make the factory use less of the Mother Nature I guess which you could say. Quality? The quality of the trucks now -- well, they've always been a good quality truck, but you pay for what you get -- the quality is very focused. That's the No. 1 in that factory. When we come in, there's signs everywhere: Customer comes first, quality's No. 1. And that's what keeps our jobs here is satisfying the customer and giving them a good quality truck. Q Increasing total truck sales the past few months are a welcome sign. November saw the third consecutive month-to-month improvement in total truck sales. What is your take on why that is happening? A As it happens periodically when you have emission standards [raised] as we had in 2007, you have a pre-buyout, which makes the customers want to come in early to buy trucks due to the higher cost of the next increase of emission standards. That's what we're seeing now is a semi pre-buyout of trucks trying to get the newer trucks on the road without spending the more money for the 2010 emission standards. Q What do you see for the industry for the next six to 12 months? A The next six months will probably be very difficult for all the trucking markets because of the buyouts. And that's pretty obvious. That's the way it's been in the past. But after the six months I believe that it's going to start picking up. It will be a gradual increase, but these trucks, people want them. They're going to be buying them when they wear down. I say the first six months are going to be difficult, but the last two quarters of this year [2010], we'll probably see some kind of an upturn, we hope. Q The new Volvo trucks, the 2010s, come with advanced anti-pollution devices. These are legal requirements, and Volvo was ahead of the game, ahead of the industry in equipping its vehicles. How will being an environmental leader help the company? Does it help create jobs? A Yes, it could create jobs because the truck sales should increase tremendously because they're so far ahead in the market. Q I'm interested in your view of the long-term future of the plant. A I really feel positive about going to one truck, which I'm talking about the Volvo truck instead of building two products. I feel very positive that that was a good decision. That way, people can focus on one product. The future's going to break loose sooner or later. The trucks now are built so well they last longer, but in 2006 we had a tremendous market and the market was flooded with trucks. So, as you can see, it's already four years have passed. I would say in the next year or two years, that that market's going to come back to us. So but to see Volvo clean up the factory and do so much to try to better theirselves, I look for a future here. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. |
India firm pushes trucks' U.S. debut back to the spring - Toledo Blade Posted: 27 Dec 2009 01:43 AM PST A pair of diesel-powered pickups made in India that were expected to be on sale last summer in the United States have been delayed again, and now won't make their debut until spring. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. |
A look back at 2009 - Battle Creek Enquirer Posted: 27 Dec 2009 01:07 AM PST (5 of 5) CEREAL FESTIVAL COMES BACK TO LIFEThe 2009 Cereal Festival, an annual tradition in Battle Creek once known as the World's Longest Breakfast Table, was off before it was on. The Festival Advisory Board originally announced the breakfast event would be put on hiatus while plans would be made to revamp it in the face of a down economy. Shortly after the cancellation was announced, local business owner Bill Morris and then-mayor Mark Behnke teamed up to revive the event. Through their organization of volunteers, they eventually got Prairie Farms Dairy, Ralston Foods, Kellogg's and Post to donate cereal, milk and breakfast products to the festival. Other groups and businesses donated time and services, like providing waste services and Web site design, to make sure the June 13 festival happened. "It was citizens taking ownership in the community," Morris said in a June 11 Enquirer article. "There were a few bumps in the road, but we just stayed focused and if the (problems) didn't mean anything, we pushed them aside and moved forward." SWINE FLU SCARENews reports of a disease epidemic can seem like they only happen in far-off places. The Calhoun County area found out otherwise when the H1N1 virus, or swine flu, hit this year. Local high school games were cancelled or re-scheduled because of concerns over spreading the flu. Battle Creek Public Schools, Lakeview School District, Harper Creek Community Schools and Pennfield Schools, along with other area schools, closed certain school buildings in October to keep students at home and prevent the spread of the virus. In December, the Calhoun County Public Health Department reported it had administered 25,000 doses of the 35,000 it had received. Two people in Calhoun County died from the flu; the Enquirer reported in November that a 21-year-old man and a 71-year old woman tested positive for the flu at the time of their deaths. BRIDGE CLOSING CAUSES DELAYS, FRUSTRATIONIn May, the portion of I-94 crossing over Riverside Drive in Battle Creek shifted, causing what would turn into about a year's worth of work for the Michigan Department of Transportation. This left local motorists having to seek alternate routes; those using I-94 were diverted temporarily onto Beckley Road until the interstate could be re-opened, while drivers using Riverside Drive to travel to and from Beckley's bustling business district had to seek alternate routes. Work on the overpasses will be suspended during the winter, when weather makes work difficult. MDOT is expecting to have construction work completed in the spring. It was originally projected to cost about $2.3 million, but a final estimate won't be available until work is finished. Trace Christenson contributed to this story. Andy Fitzpatrick can be reached at 966-0697 or afitzpatrick@battlecr.gannett.com. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. |
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