Manufacturing

“I wouldn’t say I have seen a change in the market in recent years, so much as that I have witnessed an increase in realisation from companies and businesses that in order to implement lean correctly it requires the understanding of management, strong leadership and a complete culture change,” explains Lean Program Director, Glenn Uminger. “So many organisations have tried in the past to implement lean and have come up short in their goal.

The move comes as Opel, which is also recognised for carrying the badge of Vauxhall in the UK, enters its fourteenth year of losing money. This long period of making loses has sparked a great deal of speculation that the business might be sold.

Despite these rumours, GM’s chief executive, Dan Akerson said: “As a global automotive company, GM needs a strong presence in Europe and therefore we see Opel as key to our success. As such it continues to enjoy the full support of its parent company.”

Cambridge Design Partnership (CDP) originally developed its Oxygen Concentratorin 2011 as a way of delivering life-saving oxygen to frontline battlefields. It works by cycling air pressure in chambers filled with a gas absorbing substance to concentrate atmospheric oxygen to 95 percent purity.

SMTC is committed to delivering the right solutions to innovative partners around the world. President and co-chief executive officer, Claude Germain, and executive vice president and chief operating officer, Paul Blom, discuss how the company has successfully evolved into the business that it is today

President and Chief Executive Officer, Vivek Kamra, discusses how the success of NatSteel’s offsite prefabrication of steel reinforcement products and services have helped refocus the business into becoming a total solutions provider.

“There are very few places,” states President and Chief Executive Officer, Vivek Kamra, “that have provided a good economic environment to operate in over the last year or so. However, despite the challenges that exist, developing economies within South East Asia have remained reasonably robust.”

Durban based Grafton Everest was formed in 1953 when two South African furniture brands – Grafton Art Furnishers and Everest Upholsterers merged. That means that Grafton Everest is celebrating its diamond jubilee this year, and it is definitely not failing to make the most of its opportunity.

With the Chinese New Year holidays historically skewing the data show in January and February, March’s numbers are seen as a true indicator for the sector.

The preliminary reading of HSBC's Purchasing Managers Index rose to 51.7, from 50.4 in February. The PMI is a key indicator of the activity in the sector and a reading above 50 shows expansion.

The order, worth 18.4 billion euros, beats last year’s record order for 230 Boeing planes, also from Lion Air.

Lion, now a major airline in Indonesia, started up 13 years ago. The two orders, once fulfilled, would put the airline in the world's top ten by number of aircraft. Lion currently has just 92 Boeing planes, which fly mainly within Indonesia but also to Saudi Arabia.

Boasting a proven track record for producing quality products that meet the needs of the market, Turkey is recognised throughout the world as a major player in steel production and exportation. Over the last several decades the country has experienced consistent growth within its steel sector, expanding exponentially to the point where, in 2012, it was ranked as Europe’s second largest crude steel producer and eight in the world ranking of steel-producing countries.

On a quarter-on-quarter basis, Singapore’s economy grew 3.3 percent, boosted by a rebound in the country’s manufacturing sector.

According to the latest data from the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the sector expanded by an annualised rate of 3.1 percent in the October to December period, compared with the previous three months.

The ministry said the rebound was helped by growth in the biomedical manufacturing and transport engineering sectors, which helped offset a decline in the output of the electronics sector.