Manufacturing

Since the discovery of oil in Saudi Arabia in 1938, the country’s economy has grown exponentially, along with its hydrocarbon infrastructure. Over the last two decades, Yanbu Steel has become the country’s largest indigenous fabricator of specialist structures.

Sales of Toyota’s famous Prius hybrids have hit the one million mark in the United States, the car maker announced today.

The Prius has been the biggest-selling hybrid in the US since it was first launched 11 years ago.

Worldwide Prius sales topped two million in October last year; with Toyota hybrid sales globally hitting three million last month.

Drinks maker Diageo has made a bid for the Ethiopian state-owned brewery Meta Abo, according to a report in Kenya’s Business Daily newspaper.

The move could jeopardize East Africa Breweries Limited (EABL)’s plans to enter the Ethiopian market, the paper said. London, UK-based Diageo holds a 50.03 per cent stake in EABL.

Diageo is planning to expand its footprint throughout East Africa, and has so far used EABL as its vehicle in the region.

Diageo’s rivals Heineken and SABMiller are also said to have made bids to acquire Meta Abo.

Automobile sales in the United States had their best month for some time in March, with all major manufacturers recording growth in sales, apart from Toyota.

Chrysler sold 121,730 cars and light trucks during the month, a rise of 31 percent over the same month last year, while Nissan sales rose 26.9 percent from 98,468 last year to 121,141—making March an all-time record month for Nissan North America.

Lockheed Martin is to design and deliver an upgraded anti-submarine warfare (ASW) training target under a $5.4 million contract from the US Navy.

Known as EMATTs (short for MK39 Expendable Mobile Anti-submarine Warfare Training Targets) the targets are used by air and surface crews for unrestricted, open-ocean and on-range anti-submarine warfare training.

Designed to simulate the movements and sounds of diesel submarines, EMATTs help crews maintain their anti-submarine combat skills.

The World Trade Organization has ruled that Boeing did receive subsidies “inconsistent” with the Subsidies and Countervailing Measures Agreement, but not nearly as much as had been claimed by Europe on behalf of Airbus.

European countries had complained that Airbus had suffered because of payments and/or incentives to Boeing amounting to $19.1 billion between 1989 and 2006.

General Motors today announced a $30 million investment in new equipment for its stamping plant in Pontiac, Michigan, to make sheet metal for the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic and Buick Verano being built at GM’s nearby Orion Assembly Plant.

The investment will upgrade three conventional press lines already operating at the plant and add two additional presses.

Pontiac Stamping has provided parts for GM vehicles since 1932.

BAT Caribbean and Central America is operating in one of the most sensitive and spectacular locations. Federico Jenkins talks to Gay Sutton about protecting this natural environment and working to relieve poverty in the local communities.

Weir Oil & Gas today announced a $65 million expansion of its Weir SPM manufacturing and service facility in Fort Worth, Texas.

The investment is part of the company's strategy to keep up with growing industry demand for drilling and hydraulic fracturing following a rise in the numbers of horizontal rigs supported by oil and liquid rich shale in North America.

Toyota Motor Corporation has said that some interruptions to production in North America are likely in the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, although it was too early to predict their location or duration.

Toyota has 13 vehicle and engine plants in North America, which have continued to run normally until now, apart from overtime being discontinued.