USA and Canada

Osisko Mining Corporation reported record production in its Q1 2012 results today, but also issued a warning after a fire at its Canadian Malartic Mill in Quebec, Canada.

A fire occurred in the cyclone separator portion of the mill just before midnight on Wednesday 9 May, most likely started by welding near to the number four cyclone area, and then spread to the mill roof of that sector.

German multinational engineering and electronics giant Bosch Group had a record-setting year in 2011 and the outlook remains positive for 2012.

In fiscal year 2011, the company best known for its automotive components achieved worldwide sales of $71.7 billion (€51.5 billion), recording its second highest rate of growth since 2000.

Pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline has announced it will go hostile with its $2.6 billion bid for Human Genome Sciences by taking the offer directly to shareholders.

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) is refusing to participate in the strategic alternatives review process offered by US-based Human Genome Sciences (HGS), on the basis that it is unnecessary and that there is existing strategic and financial logic to the combination of the two companies. GSK said that HGS shareholders should have the opportunity to decide for themselves on the merits of the offer. 

The partnership between the Renault-Nissan Alliance and Daimler reached a milestone today when state officials joined Nissan leaders to break ground on a new manufacturing facility in Decherd, Tennessee.

The new facility – located at the existing Nissan powertrain assembly complex – will produce Mercedes-Benz 4-cylinder gasoline engines for Infiniti and Mercedes-Benz models.

The Alliance for Responsible Mining (ARM) seeks to transform global gold production by integrating and formalizing the position of countless artisanal and small-scale miners. Executive director Lina Villa Córdoba talks to Jayne Flannery about ARM’s vision for the human face of the industry.

Exploration companies GTA Resources and Balmoral Resources have just announced an exciting set of drilling results for their Northshore Gold joint venture. Peter Clausi and Darin Wagner talk to Gay Sutton about relationships and teamwork in this rapidly developing story.

Lucien Bradet explains how the Canadian Council on Africa is working to change negative perceptions of the continent, support investment into Africa, and ensure that knowledge and skills are transferred with it.

Lean manufacturing is not about adopting Toyota’s tools, or using Japanese terminology, it’s a continuous improvement philosophy that becomes a way of life, says plant manager Billy Taylor.

Goodyear’s Fayetteville plant in North Carolina was struggling to survive in 2010. It was a high cost plant and it wasn’t meeting market demand. The plant was producing 31,200 tires a day, but the market wanted between 36,000 and 38,000. Something had to change.

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based LB Foster Company has completed the relocation of its threaded products water well group from Houston to a new facility in Magnolia, Texas.

The Magnolia plant uses advanced technology and has extended operating hours to increase production capacity. "The new facility provides our production team with single flow manufacturing that expedites the movement of pipe through our threading process," said Merry Brumbaugh, vice president, LB Foster Tubular Products.

Goodrich Corporation has been chosen to provide the air data system, ice detector, windshield ice protection controller, and the fuel quantity gauging and control system for the new Embraer KC-390 military transport aircraft.

Initial hardware deliveries are expected to begin in 2013. The systems will be provided by Goodrich's Sensors and Integrated Systems teams in Minnesota and Vermont.