USA and Canada

The 2011 International Home + Housewares Show in Chicago from 4-6 March will see a new glass bottle from BottlesUp, designed by the company’s founder, nationally-acclaimed glass artist Laurel Herter.

The show is considered the world's premier housewares marketplace, featuring over 2,000 exhibitors from 34 countries, and more than 20,000 buyers. BottlesUp will debut in the special invitation-only “Discover Design” section (Booth #3971) at the show.

Two new power stations that will convert landfill gas to electricity are to be installed at Fort Benning, Georgia, as part of a green power initiative by the US Department of Defense.

Irvine, California-based FlexEnergy will deliver two of its Powerstation units to Fort Benning in collaboration with Southern Research Institute (SRI) through the DoD's Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTC).

Lockheed Martin has passed a landmark in its F-35 Lightning II program with the inaugural flight of the first production model of the jet sometimes referred to as the stealth fighter or joint strike fighter.

The one-hour flight of an F-35A conventional takeoff-and-landing version took off from Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base.

Ford Motor Company announced today that its supply network is creating thousands of new jobs around the world to support the launch of the new Ford Focus.

Ford is using 310 suppliers in 22 countries to make parts for the new Focus, and many are adding jobs, facilities and equipment to meet demand for the vehicle. Suppliers have added 5,500 jobs at facilities in North America, Europe and Asia to produce parts for the new Focus.

Newmont Mining, the world’s largest producer of gold, announced record results today for the year ended 31 December 2010.

Revenue of $9.5 billion represents a 24 percent increase over 2009. Gold and copper production came in at 5.4 million ounces and 327 million pounds, respectively, with gold production up only slightly while copper production was up almost 44 percent over 2009.

In Q4 2010 Newmont produced 1.4 million ounces of gold and 74 million pounds of copper.

Ohio has emerged as the No.1 state in the US Midwest for advanced energy manufacturing, according to a report published today by the Environmental Law and Policy Center (ELPC).

"Renewable energy is one of the fastest-growing business sectors for job creation" in Ohio, the ELPC report notes, and the increasing demand for wind turbines places it behind only California in terms of job growth.

Global automotive supplier Federal Mogul Corporation today reported an increase in sales and net income for Q4 and the full year 2010.

Federal-Mogul reported Q4 2010 sales of $1.6 billion, up from $1.4 billion in Q4 2009, after growth in all business segments and all markets. OE sales grew by 20 percent in the quarter, and US aftermarket sales by 12 percent. Q4 net income was $45 million or $0.45 per share, better than most analyst estimates.

Business excellence in Canada was rewarded today with the announcement of Canada's 50 Best Managed Companies.

Established in 1993, Canada's 50 Best Managed Companies is the mark of excellence for Canadian-owned and managed companies with revenues over $10 million. They are not ranked in order, however.

The Best Managed program is the country’s leading business award, recognizing the efforts of the entire organization towards overall business performance and sustained growth, as well as financial performance.

Altair Engineering, a global provider of simulation technology and engineering services, today announced an expansion of its presence in Huntsville, Alabama, one of the major centres of aerospace research and development in the United States.

The new office, only a short distance from NASA's Marshall Space Center, will provide local aerospace engineers with free training courses on Altair’s HyperWorks computer-aided engineering tools, along with technical services support.