Reverbiage: Stories from NPR tagged 'factories'

Report: Factory Orders Drop To 61-Year Low

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 14:35:00 EST

Orders from factories fell for the 13th month in a row in December, as demand for goods dropped to the lowest level since January 1948, according to a report issued Friday.

Recycling Suddenly Gets Expensive

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 13:00:00 EST

The market for recyclables is down sharply with shrinking demand from factories for raw material. In Seattle, the municipal recycling program that brought in millions of dollars each year may now end up costing money instead.

Economic Crisis Hits Chelyabinsk's Early Growth

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 00:19:00 EST

Ten years ago, the factories of Chelyabinsk were almost at a standstill. Then prices for raw materials and metal began to rise, which fueled extraordinary growth. Now factories and businesses have started cutting back again.

Economic Growing Pains For Russian Industrial City

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 00:58:00 EST

Ten years ago, Chelyabinsk was still stuck in the Soviet past, gray and grim. Now, instead of decrepit steel mills and arms factories, new mega-malls, supermarkets, cafes, hotels and museums fill the town center. But the new confidence has also seen a rise in drug use and widening class divisions.

Fears of Unrest Prompt Bailout Of China Exporters

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 18:15:00 EST

The current economic crisis signals a shift in China's role as factory to the world. As American consumers buy less of China's exports, many factories and companies in the industrial city of Dongguan are seeing sales fall off and production lines close.

Beating Washers Into Wind Turbines

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 17:24:00 EST

Sure, Iowa's known for corn. But for decades it was a major source of house hold appliances. Industry giants like Amana, Maytag and others supplied much of Americans' demand. Most of the factories are closed now, and the losses hit hard in the state. But Iowa has since taken the lead in the emerging field of wind energy.

Consumer Spending, Factory Orders Drop Steeply

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 09:02:00 EST

Americans cut back on their spending in October by the largest amount since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Meanwhile, orders to U.S. factories for big-ticket manufactured goods plunged by the largest amount in two years.

Toyota Cuts North American Production

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 06:00:00 EST

The world's biggest automaker says it will stop production at all U.S. and Canadian factories for two days next month. Toyota's assembly, transmission and engine plants will close in late December as the company tries to work through excess inventory. The Japanese carmaker is in much better financial shape than its U.S. rivals, but sales of Toyota's vehicles also are plunging.

Why Are Oil Prices Sinking So Quickly...

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 16:00:00 EDT

Oil prices are down to about $66 a barrel, a huge decrease from the all-time high of $147 in July. Consumption is down globally. People are driving less and the economic meltdown has resulted in factories producing less as well.

Automakers Seek $25 Billion In Federal Loans

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 07:53:00 EDT

Detroit's auto makers are campaigning to get at least $25 billion in low-cost loans from the federal government. The industry says the funds will help U.S. automakers retool their factories and produce more fuel efficient cars. Dustin Dwyer of Michigan Radio reports.

On The Trail With Obama

Sat, 06 Sep 2008 10:50:00 EDT

Barack Obama toured factories this week, trying to reach out to voters who supported Hillary Clinton in the primaries.

Boeing Workers Strike

Sat, 06 Sep 2008 10:38:00 EDT

Picket lines went up early Saturday at Boeing airplane factories. As many as 27,000 machinists are on strike. With many airlines desperate to update their fleets, Boeing can ill-afford a protracted walkout.

Some Economies Suffer As Beijing Cleans Up Air

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:30:00 EDT

In an effort to curb air pollution for the Olympics, more than 250 factories in Beijing and nearby towns like Tangshan have been shuttered temporarily. Some factory workers are on vacation for the first time in 20 years.

Stove Sales Hot

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 16:37:00 EDT

As nearby factories are downsizing, Harman Stoves in Halifax, Pa., is adding more than 100 jobs to try and keep up with skyrocketing demand for its pellet stoves. The spike comes as homeowners want to make the switch from oil to heating with wood pellets.

Olympic Athletes Apprehensive About Beijing Air

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 10:00:00 EDT

The summer Olympics begin on Aug. 8 — will Beijing's air be in shape for the games? The polluted city has taken drastic action to try to reduce smog during the events, shuttering some factories and adopting measures to limit the number of cars on the road.

Could Tobacco Plants Help Fight Cancer...

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 13:29:00 EDT

Researchers report that they've been able to use tobacco plants as biological factories to manufacture specialized proteins needed for an experimental individualized cancer therapy. The researchers are studying a potentially fatal form of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Greener Cars Change U.S. Auto Landscape

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 11:37:00 EDT

Honda plans to lease at least 200 fuel cell vehicles in the U.S. over the next three years. And automaker General Motors announced it will shift production away from large SUVs toward smaller, more fuel efficient vehicles — and close four factories in the process.

Senate to Vote on Carbon Cap-and-Trade Bill

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 07:29:00 EDT

The Senate voted Monday to take up a global warming bill that aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by putting a price on carbon. That would essentially require factories, utilities and refineries to pay for the right to emit carbon dioxide. The so-called cap-and-trade system aims to reduce emissions by 70 percent by 2050.

Chrysler Plans Two-Week Shutdown to Cut Costs

Fri, 14 Mar 2008 13:00:00 EDT

Chrysler has announced it will shut down factories for two weeks in July as a money-saving strategy. New York Times reporter Micheline Maynard talks about what the move says about the company's health.

'Made in China' Is Cheap No More

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 14:55:00 EST

South China is the world's factory floor. For years, it has churned out cheap products like toys, shoes and clothing. But now rising costs -- and shifts in Chinese government policy -- are knocking hundreds of smaller factories out of business.

Tasmin Little Takes the Classics to the Masses

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 00:01:00 EST

Britain's top concert violinist has released her latest album free on the Internet in an effort to draw more people to classical music, she says. Tasmin Little will begin a national concert tour later this year -- and the venues will be factories, airports and shopping malls. It's all part of her effort to try to get Bach and Mozart out of the cultural ghetto.

Small Town Reconciles Changing Economy

Tue, 18 Sep 2007 09:05:00 EDT

Berlin, New Hampshire marks the changing economy with the demolition of three smokestacks of the Burgess Pulp Mill. The town is built around factories that are now closed and trying to figure out its future.

New Zealand Tackles Methane Problem

Thu, 21 Jun 2007 14:07:00 EDT

As a signatory to the Kyoto Protocol, industrialized nations must reduce their greenhouse gas footprint to help slow global warming. For New Zealand, industrial emissions are not coming from factories, but from cow and sheep farms.

Job Creation Shows Signs of Slowing

Fri, 04 May 2007 06:00:00 EDT

April's employment report -- due Friday -- is expected to show that the U.S. economy added the fewest jobs in two years. Job losses have mostly been limited to factories and construction sites, but Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, recently announced it will fire 1,200 salaried workers.

N. Carolina Fights to Save Furniture Business

Sun, 08 Apr 2007 09:23:00 EDT

The furniture business is big in North Carolina, but it's also changing. The state is fighting competition from overseas factories -- and some in the United States, as well.