Best Suppliers out of 4,000
The Continental Automotive Group has rewarded the outstanding performance of nine companies with its Automotive Supplier of the Year 2008 Award. Read more
Global Economic Trends in Q3
Although the world economic situation looks gloomy, there is some hope of improvement, according to the current Global Economic Outlook by Deloitte. Read more
Vale and ThyssenKrupp Sign MoU
The Brazilian Vale S.A. (Vale) and ThyssenKrupp Steel AG have signed today a Memorandum of Understanding that Vale will increase its stake in ThyssenKrupp CSA Siderúrgica do Atlântico Ltda. (CSA) to 26.87%, from its current 10% interest, through a capital infusion of € 965 million. Read more
Kuka Closes Two Locations in France
Kuka AG, a company that specializes in automating industrial manufacturing processes, is reorganizing its business in France and announced the closing of two Kuka Systems locations in Tours and Montigny near Paris. Dr. Lothar Bakowsky becomes Chairman of the Management Board at Kuka Roboter GmbH, the Robotics Division. Read more
Weekly Joint Service Line to Asia
The handling of shipments for the Xin Hong Kong at the Eurogate Container Terminal Hamburg (CTH) on 17 July 2009 launched a scheduled weekly container service which connects North Europe to the Far East.
Under this new joint service schedule the Chinese ocean carrier Shipping Container Line (CSCL) and Evergreen Line from Taiwan cooperate on these routes for the first time. The new AEX-1 / CEM uses 4 container boats of CSCL, with a capacity of about 9,600 TEU and four Evergreen units between 7,000 and 8,000 TEU. The carriers CMA CGM, ZIM and IRIS Lines have also booked container positions for the service line.
After its first calling at Hamburg, the XIN HONG KONG called at Rotterdam and Zeebrügge, then entered its home port Hong Kong as well as Qingdao, Shanghai, Ningbo and Yantian (Shenzhen). The cruising speed of the units used allows a traveling time of 56 days for a roundtrip.
In Hamburg, container traffic with Asia reached a total volume of 5.5 million containers (TEU) in 2008. With 3.1 million TEU the People’s Republic of China (including Hong Kong) achieved also in 2008 a top position among the ten major trading partners of Hamburg Harbour in container traffic .
(Picture: Hamburg and its new joint service line China Shipping and Evergreen Line / photo: Hamburg Harbour)
Lederer Receives Large Order from China
Ennepetal-based Lederer GmbH will, for the undercarriage construction of 85 state-of-the-art trains, deliver fasteners like screws, nuts and DIN and standard parts with a value of almost EUR 1 million over the next two years. Read more
Software AG Planning IDS Scheer Takeover
Software AG is planning to purchase IDS Scheer AG in a friendly takeover, offering €15 per outstanding share. Read more
Upward Trend in Production of Basic Chemicals
After the slump at the end of 2008, the chemical industry in Germany has reached the trough of recession: Since February 2009 the production of basic chemicals – a central indicator for business trends in Germany’s fourth largest industry – has been improving slightly but steadily. Read more
Purchasing Managers’ Index at 8-Month High
The Markit/BME Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) rose 1.3 points, to 40.9 points in June. The latest PMI reading was the highest since October 2008, however, it was still below the growth threshold of 50 for the eleventh consecutive month. Read more
MicroNanoTec at Hannover Messe 2010
From 2010 Hannover Messe will bundle all topics relating to microsystem engineering and nanotechnology in a leading trade fair called MicroNanoTec. Read more
Prices of Air Freight Transports in Free Fall
As reported by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), the index of air freight prices in the first quarter of 2009 was by 24.4% lower than in the first quarter of 2008. Compared with the fourth quarter of 2008, prices were down an average 21.2%. Hence the price index decreased for the second consecutive quarter, reaching its lowest level since it was first calculated in 2007. Previously, the prices rose continuously from the beginning of 2007 into the 3rd quarter of 2008. Read more
BASF Increases Prices for Butanediol
Effective July 1, 2009, or as contracts allow, BASF is increasing the sales prices for butanediol and butanediol derivatives by EUR50 per metric ton in Europe. Read more
Siemens Provides Consultancy Services
The Process Consultancy Services offered by Siemens VAI Metals Technologies provide consulting for manufacturers of flat aluminum products. These services range from examining one single sub-system to analyzing complete factory operations. At a Chinese foil mill, it was possible to increase productivity by around 25 percent. Read more
Purchasers Now Taking Full Advantage
“The current financial and economic crisis is affecting purchasing and procurement massively across the globe,” says Roland Schwientek, Partner at Roland Berger Strategy Consultants’ Competence Center Operations Strategy. “The most obvious trend is that cost targets are quite clearly top priority once again in purchasing. The procurement markets of recent years have turned into buyer’s markets.” And purchasers are taking full advantage of the situation. Read more
