Newell Rubbermaid Inc. (NWL), a global marketer of consumer and commercial products, recently announced plans to close its office products manufacturing plant in Janesville, Wisconsin, to address key structural issues and improve profitability.   The company would relocate its manufacturing and distribution activities to Mexico, and shift the administrative jobs to other existing facilities in the U.S. Newell plans to utilize the excess capacity in its office products facility in Mexicali, Mexico, for manufacturing functions.   The restructuring would increase the profitability of the company through improved efficiencies. The move was further influenced by the continued economic downturn in the U.S. Newell is expected to cease operations in the plant, formerly a manufacturing hub for the world-famous Parker Pen, by the end of the first quarter of 2010.   The closure would result in a lay-off of 153 employees. Newell would offer transition services to these employees, including ...

by Dino Delellis

Amongst GM employees, aside from the fear of getting a pink paper next week ( or the week after ) speculation is high as to whether the concept vehicle, being called the Volt, is going to be as revolutionary as the hype suggests.

GM, Ford and Chrysler arrayed a huge number of lawyers and much cherished Washington lobbyists to go after California after it decided to introduce a zero emissions rule on part of all car fleets. While GM was fighting California, it was also building an electric car, 10 years ago called the EV1. The state lost, GM breathed a sigh of relief and promptly destroyed all EV1’s and sold the patents.

It was said that the link between GM and big Oil was never so blatant as when the EV1 was shelved, the many patents accompanying that huge R&D effort was simply sold to BIG OIL.

Balancing …

Cogdell Spencer ERDMAN, wholly owned subsidiary of Cogdell Spencer, Inc., signed two contracts totaling $88.8 million to construct two Healthcare facilities in Wisconsin. The deal helps solidify the company’s leading role in the Healthcare Real Estate Industry.

The first contract is for $53.9 million and is to construct the St. Mary’s Janesville Hospital, a 160,000 square foot facility. The Hospital will be a full service facility with 50 private patient rooms, an intensive care unit and an emergency room.

The second contract is for $34.9 million and is to construct the Dean Janesville Clinic, a 150,000 square foot outpatient clinic designed to be a multi specialty facility. The clinic will also have retail space incorporated into the design.

Cogdell Spencer ERDMAN will begin construction on both facilities later in 2009, and the estimated completion date is late in 2011. Both will be located in Janesville, WI.

Cogdell

...