All articles by Robin Meczes
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FeatureEquinox production resumes at GM Ingersoll site as strike ends
Production of the Chevrolet Equinox at GM Canada’s CAMI site in Ingersoll recommenced late on Monday October 16th after a new labour agreement was reached with union Unifor, bringing a month-long strike by its members to an end.The strike, which began on September 17th, was called after the previous agreement ...
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FeatureJLR brings agreement for the supply of engines from Ford to an end
Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has confirmed it will bring a long-standing agreement with Ford for the supply of six- and eight-cylinder petrol engines from the latter’s plant in Bridgend, Wales, to an end in 2020.In a statement, JLR said: “In line with its contractual agreement established in 2008, Jaguar Land ...
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FeatureScania vows to appeal against EC's €880m fine for price-fixing
Volkswagen-owned commercial vehicle manufacturer Scania has said it will appeal against a European Commission fine of just over €880m ($1.04 billion) for its role in an alleged truckmaking cartel that is said to have lasted 14 years.In late September, the EC said its long-running investigation had found that Scania had ...
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FeatureGM Canada’s Ingersoll site still in paralysis as Unifor strike continues
Production of the Chevrolet Equinox at GM Canada’s CAMI site in Ingersoll (pictured) remains suspended as a strike by members of the Unifor union there continues, GM Canada has confirmed.The strike, which began on September 17th, revolves around the expiry of the collective bargaining agreement between the OEM and the ...
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FeatureHöegh Autoliners settles with US authorities after cartel investigation
Shipping company Höegh Autoliners has agreed a settlement with the US Department of Justice (DOJ) after a price-fixing investigation dating back five years.The company has agreed to pay $21m in fines related to exports from the US to the Middle East, following the DOJ’s investigation into the car carrier industry ...
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FeatureZebra survey shows manufacturers moving to greater use of technology
Manufacturers are making ever greater use of industry 4.0 technology in their supply chains and moving ever closer to smart factories, a survey by technology provider Zebra Technologies has suggested.Zebra’s 2017 Manufacturing Vision Study, based on 1,100 respondents from the automotive, high-tech, food, beverage, tobacco and pharmaceutical sectors in Europe, ...
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FeatureEvolution Time Critical expands Atlanta control centre
UK-based time-sensitive logistics services supplier, Evolution Time Critical (ETC), has expanded its North American control centre in Atlanta, adding what it terms “significant numbers” of additional staff in response to growing demand from the automotive sector.The Atlanta, Georgia office was only established late last year. Since then, demand for ETC’s ...
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FeatureFraunhofer IIS to test new multi-directional RFID antenna
The Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits (IIS) has invited applications from companies interested in helping it test a new, multi-directional RFID reader antenna that it believes will provider higher read range and accuracy than current antennas in difficult environments.The Multibeam Antenna, which features nine directional beams, can be used to ...
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FeatureGefco confirms partial sale being considered by controlling shareholder
Gefco has confirmed its parent company, Russian Railways (RZD), is considering selling a partial stake in the company but plans to remain the majority shareholder.RZD completed an €800m ($900m) acquisition of a 75% stake in the logistics provider from PSA Group in December 2012. PSA remains its biggest customer and ...
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FeatureDSV expands warehouse footprint in the Netherlands
European logistics provider DSV is to expand its site in Venlo, the Netherlands, with a further 83,000 sq.m warehouse after acquiring a new plot of land adjacent to its existing facilities there.The Danish-headquartered transport and logistics firm said the additional warehouse would be completed on the new 140,000 sq.m site ...
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FeatureYanfeng Automotive Interiors opens new plant in the Czech Republic
Yanfeng Automotive Interiors (YFAI) has opened a new production plant in Planá nad Luznicí, in the Czech Republic, to produce instrument and door panels.The new plant, near Tabor in South Bohemia, currently employs 170 staff but will increase this to 300 by the beginning of next year as production is ...
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FeatureEU truckmakers set out roadmap for platooning
European truck manufacturer body ACEA has provided a roadmap for EU-wide truck platooning calling for a wide range of regulatory change as well as upgrades to EU roads.Speaking at the European Parliament on May 9th, Erik Jonnaert, secretary general of ACEA, said the roadmap provided an overview of the steps ...
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CSX names new CEO as part of move to ‘reconstitute’ its board
North American rail provider CSX has named veteran railroad executive E. Hunter Harrison as its new CEO. Harrison replaces Michael Ward, who recently announced his decision to retire as chairman and CEO at the end of May but will continue to serve as a consultant.Harrison, whose experience includes stints at ...
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FeatureIntel shifts gear in driverless car market with Mobileye acquisition
Chipmaker Intel has made a massive push into the autonomous car sector with an agreement to buy driverless vehicle technology firm Mobileye for just over $15 billion.The acquisition of the Jerusalem-based technology company, which should be completed over the next nine months, gives Intel access to a vehicle systems, data ...
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FeatureInttra snaps up Avantida to move into container logistics
Parsippany, New Jersey-based electronic shipping transaction platform Inttra has acquired Belgian empty container management solutions provider Avantida for an undisclosed sum.Avantida, based in Antwerp, specialises in optimising the handling of empty shipping containers. Its reuse and repositioning applications provide information for shippers and transport companies to help minimise miles driven, ...
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FeatureChemicals firm Ineos to start producing new 4x4 off-roader
Chemicals company Ineos has confirmed it is to invest “many hundreds of millions” in producing a new 4x4 off-roader.Following a six-month feasibility study, the firm said this week that it saw a gap in the market for an “uncompromising” off-road vehicle, following Jaguar Land Rover’s decision to stop producing the ...
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FeatureP3 predicts a buoyant 2017 after surge in developments last year
Pan-European logistics property developer P3 has reported a surge in new property developments last year, leaving it with a portfolio of 165 buildings across nine countries totalling 3.5m sq.m.During 2016, the firm completed 15 new warehouses totalling 320,000 sq.m – nearly three times the amount of the previous year. It ...
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FeatureScania welcomes plans to promote electrified road technology
Truckmaker Scania has welcomed plans by Sweden and Germany to speed up the development of electrified road technology.The plans are part of a new innovation partnership between the two countries launched on Tuesday (January 31st) during a visit to Sweden by German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The partnership aims to strengthen ...
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FeaturePriority Freight recognised for crisis-management project
Time-critical logistics provider Priority Freight has been recognised with a Specialist Services Award from the British International Freight Association (BIFA) after a complex crisis-management project that involved moving a component production operation from the UK to the US to prevent supplies to numerous carmakers from being suspended.Priority Freight MD Neal ...
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FeatureGerman investigation into Ford over bribery allegations continues
The German authorities have confirmed they are continuing to investigate the role played by Ford in the alleged bribery of Russian officials at the port of St Petersburg between 2010 and 2012 – despite the carmaker’s lawyers issuing a statement recently rejecting all knowledge of the matter.A spokesman for the ...