Industrial Manufacturing News

Think about other problems you’ve seen in your own company. What’s going on with your incentive program – if you have one? It may be time to consider a different approach.

Recognition over Rewards

Because safety incentive programs can become routine, ineffective, and irrelevant with the passing of time, consider that there has to be a better way.

Companies that train and encourage leaders to recognize safe behavior and positive outcomes have excellent safety cultures. Rather than the prescriptive, one-size-fits-all approach in most safety incentive programs, recognition is much more personal. Leaders who are deeply involved in the safety management process can have the most positive influence above and beyond any other factor. Recognition goes a long way to motivate workers.

Five Great Alternatives to Safety Incentive Programs

Rather than try to “buy” your employees’ commitment to safety with a safety incentive program, consider these techniques to engage everyone to take personal responsibility for safety:

1. Make safety a core value. Safety needs to be as important to your organization as production and profits are. Let employees know that no job is so important that it should be done at personal risk. Start every meeting with an update from a safety contact.

2. Commit management to worker safety. When executives, managers, and supervisors are actively engaged in the organization’s safety efforts, employees will notice. Leaders can demonstrate their commitment to safety by following the company’s safe work procedures, listening to and acting upon employees’ concerns, and actively participating in safety meetings.

3. Involve employees in the safety process. Encourage employees to take part in making your workplace safe by including them in safety committees, inspections, accident investigations, and safety suggestion programs. Give them time to participate during their regular work hours and recognize their efforts. And find out what motivates them to work safe.

4. Set high expectations for safe behavior. Research shows that employees will usually work hard to meet their managers’ and supervisors’ expectations. Clearly state expectations that everyone will follow safety procedures and wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). Managers and supervisors should also expect employees to identify, control, and report all hazards found in the workplace.

5. Allow employees to set their own goals. Most incentive programs develop around corporate safety objectives, but employees may resist the proclamations of executives or managers, especially if the workers consider management to be out of touch with their day-to-day experiences. However, employees will respond more positively to setting their own goals. Give them the autonomy to do this and encourage them to make it a personal aim to go home each day without injury.

Invest in Motivation, not Incentives

Even the most creative incentive program won’t get you the result you want: a workplace where nobody gets hurt. Safety incentive programs take money out of your company’s bottom-line without a significant or sustainable return on your investment. So instead, make motivation a priority for executives, managers, and supervisors. Get them to commit to investing their time and effort to improving their safety and encourage workers to do the same. That way, each individual becomes responsible, not only for his or her own safety, but also for that of everyone in the organization. That way, more people will go home every day without injury.

Carl Potter, CSP, CMC and Deb Potter, PhD, CMC work with organizations that want to create an environment where nobody gets hurt. As advocates of a zero-injury workplace, they are speakers, authors, and consultants to industry. For information about bringing Carl and Deb to your company or your next conference, contact them at Potter and Associates International, Inc.

800-259-6209
www.SimplySeamlessSafety.com

Posted by Industrial at 08:44 PM | Comments (0)

Continuous 5-Axis Cutting Motion of Pockets, Sculptured Surfaces, and 3-D Features Made Possible with New 5-Axis Vise Clamping System from Kurt - See at kurtworkholding.com or Call 1-877-226-7823

The new 5-Axis vise clamping system from Kurt allows continuous 5-axis cutting motion. Called the Kurt VB 5AX100 Schenker Clamping System, it is the solution to five-axis machining, extending the operating range of the machining center to its full output potential by providing for high speed machining in all 5 axes. Kurt is the exclusive North American agent for the 5-Axis clamping system, which is consistent with their mission to be first with new workholding designs.

Minneapolis, Minnesota (PRWEB) April 21, 2007 -- The workholding answer to five-axis machining operations is Kurt's new 5-axis clamping system. It allows continuous 5-axis cutting motion of complex pockets, sculptured and contoured surfaces, and intricate 3-D features with repeatable high precision accuracy.

Called the Kurt VB 5AX100 Schenker Clamping System, this system provides a clamping force up to 8992 lb (40kN) for obstruction-free, high speed machining in all 5 axes. Where conventional workholding limits a 5-axis machining center to just 3-axis operation, the Kurt VB 5AX100 Schenker Clamping System extends the operating range of the machining center to its full output potential.

The system is adjustable to handle any desired clamping width and it is limited only by the size of the machine table. The system's two clamping jaws, one stationary and one moveable, can be positioned at any desired distance from each other.

Kurt Manufacturing says its new VB 5AX100 Schenker Clamping System eliminates jaw deflection and/or part misalignment during machining operations. By locating the tension spindle directly under the workpiece, the jaws do not flare out under tension and the machine table does not distort. The system handles blank workpieces, machined workpieces, and round and irregularly shaped workpieces with repeatable accuracy.

Specifications of the Kurt VB 5AX100 Schenker Clamping System include a clamping width from 0.0787 inch to 9.291 inch (2 mm to 236 mm) that can be extended with optional spindle screws, a clamping depth of 0.315 inch (8 mm), height above the machine table of 6.889 inch (175 mm) with extended height options to 7.874 inch (200 mm) and 8.858 inch (225 mm). The system is designed to mount easily on standard T-slot tables, location grid machine tables or custom fixtures.

"Five-axis machining is growing rapidly as evidenced by the number of these systems now in the manufacturing sector, particularly where medical devices and aerospace engine components are manufactured," reports Steve Kane, sales manager for Kurt Industrial Products. "The workholding that addresses the output potential for these complex 5-axis machines is proven with the advent of the Kurt VB 5AX100 Schenker Clamping System. Kurt's delighted to be the exclusive North American Agent for this product which is consistent with our mission to be first with new workholding designs."

Kurt also provides integrated custom engineered workholding systems and custom gaging systems for automated manufacturing. Both workholding and gaging are designed around a customer's requirements with systems available for many industries including automotive, medical and aerospace applications.

First introduced in 1961, Kurt pioneered the precision machine vise with its patented Anglock® design. This development paralleled the development of computer numerical controlled machines with the Anglock vise providing the workholding accuracy and repeatability for these automated, high speed systems. With over 500,000 vises sold, Kurt was recently awarded "Best Brand For 2006" for machine vises and workholding.

Currently, Kurt offers a full line of single and multiple station vises and towers and offers a Lifetime Ironclad Warrantee on the products it manufactures.

About Kurt : As a leader in workholding technology for over four decades, Kurt has an ongoing commitment to innovative new products and services. Kurt provides a full line of single station vises, modular systems, custom engineered workholding, accessories, Power Drawbars and Precision Instruments.

Contact:
Kurt Manufacturing Company
Industrial Products Division
1325 Quincy Street NE
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55413
1-877-226-7823
Fax 1-877-226-7828
www.kurtworkholding.com

Editorial contact:
Anderson Madison Advertising
7710 Computer Avenue
Edina, Minnesota 55435
952-835-5133
Fax 952-835-4977

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 04:39 AM | Comments (0)

DuPont CEO Heads Stellar List of Speakers at Industrial Engineering Flat World Conference in May

Charles O. (Chad) Holliday, Jr., Chairman and CEO DuPont, headlines a stellar list of speakers from industry and top universities at the Institute of Industrial Engineers Annual Conference and Expo 2007, focusing on "Industrial Engineering's Critical Role in a Flat World." This is the most significant event of the year for anyone in process improvement, operations research, industrial engineering, supply chain management, and logistics.

Norcross, GA (PRWEB) April 21, 2007 -- Charles O. (Chad) Holliday, Jr., Chairman and CEO DuPont, headlines a stellar list of speakers from industry and top universities at the Institute of Industrial Engineers Annual Conference and Expo 2007, focusing on "Industrial Engineering's Critical Role in a Flat World." This is the most significant event of the year for anyone in process improvement, operations research, industrial engineering, supply chain management, and logistics.

More than 1400 people will assemble in Nashville May 19-23 to hear Chad Holliday and others discuss how industrial engineering's principles and tools enable the world's largest companies to compete effectively in the world's puzzle.

Other keynote speakers include:

- James P. Womack, Ph.D., Founder and Chairman of Lean Enterprise Institute, who will also be doing a book signing following his talk;
- John Birge, Ph.D., professor of Operations Management and Neubauer Family Faculty Fellow Graduate School of Business at the University of Chicago;
- Eugene S. Meieran, Ph.D., Director of Manufacturing Strategic Support Intel, Intel Senior Fellow, NAE Member; and
- John A. White, Ph.D., P.E., Chancellor and Distinguished Professor Industrial Engineering, University of Arkansas

The conference offers several days of educational sessions, tutorials, stimulating speakers, networking, awards and tours of Nashville's distinguished companies. It is open to the public.

A key segment of the annual conference is the Enterprise Management Forum where executives from across the world will reveal strategies to mastering the integral processes in a world with no boundaries. In addition to Chad Holliday, other panel members include:

- Jacob Chen, VP, Foxconn Technology Group;
- Georg Kell, Executive Head of the United Nations Global Compact; and
- Jim Spohrer, Director, Almaden Services Research, IBM Research.

Media representatives are offered a complimentary registration to attend and get your brain ignited with all the corporate and academic leaders that will be assembled in one place. See the list below of prospective companies you can meet.

Tours include Fleetwood Homes, Inc, Hot Topic Distribution Facility, Genesco, Inc. Lebanon Distribution Center, Old Navy Southern Distribution Center, Bowling Green Assembly Plant, and Nissan North America Manufacturing Plant.

The following companies are a sample of the presenters and attendees who will be at this conference. For complete lists, please see www.iieannual.org.

Air Force Inst of Tech
Auburn U
Deere
Dept. of Homeland Security
DuPont
East Carolina U
Embry-Riddle
Florida Int'l U
Florida State U
Gap, Inc.
GE
Georgia Tech
Hershey's
IBM
International Paper
Kraft
Liberty Mutual
LSU
Maynard
Mayo Clinic
Merck
Oak Ridge Nat'l Lab
Operations Concepts, Inc.
Penn State
Purdue U
Raytheon
Rockwell
Rutgers
SUNY
Tennessee Tech
Texas A & M
The Boeing Company
U of Arizona
U of Houston
U of Missouri
U of Singapore
U of Tennessee
UPS
Virginia Tech
Walt Disney World
Wells Fargo Bank

KEYNOTE AND FORUM SPEAKER INFO

Please contact Elaine Fuerst at 770-349-1106 if you wish to set up an interview with any of the speakers. Our complimentary registration includes meals and drink tickets at the exhibitor reception. To attend the awards dinner, please make arrangements with Elaine (efuerst(at)iienet.org). See www.iieannual.org for schedule so you can arrange your coverage.

Background on each speaker:
1.Charles Holliday, Jr.
CEO and Chairman of the Board at DuPont
BSIE University of Tennessee (Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering)
Licensed Professional Engineer (P.E.)
Past president of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD)
Founding member of the International Business Council
Member of the National Academy of Engineering

2.James Womack
Founder and Chairman of the Lean Enterprise Institute
B. A. in political science from the University of Chicago
Master's degree in transportation systems from Harvard University
Ph.D. in political science from MIT -0 dissertation on comparative industrial policy in the U.S., Germany, and Japan
1975-1991, full-time research scientist at MIT directing a series of comparative studies of world manufacturing practices.

3.John Birge, Ph.D.
Professor of Operations Management
Neubauer Family faculty Fellow, Graduate School of Business, University of Chicago
BA in mathematics from Princeton University
MS in operations research, Stanford University
Ph.D., operations research, Stanford University

4. Eugene S. Meieran, Ph.D.
Director of Manufacturing Strategic Support Intel
Intel Senior Fellow; NAE Member
BS, metallurgy, Purdue University
Masters and ScD degrees from MIT

5. John A. White, Ph.D., P.E.
Chancellor and Distinguished Professor of Industrial Engineering, University of Arkansas
BS in industrial engineering form the University of Arkansas
MS in industrial engineering form Virginia Tech
Ph.D. from The Ohio State University
Past President of the Institute of Industrial Engineers (IIE)
Frank and Lillian Gilbreth Award Recipient (highest award bestowed by IIE)

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 04:39 AM | Comments (0)

Verifier Plus™ BGA/SMT X-Ray Inspection System, New low-cost, high-quality addition to the FocalSpot Verifier Series

The role of the Verifier Plus is to provide fast, intuitive manufacturing quality assessment and defect detection. The Verifier Plus has a large 40mm Field-of-View for swift inspection of large board areas or components and provides >200X magnification for detailed viewing of the smallest BGA/SMT electrical interconnections. The system is Ideal for BGA/SMT solder quality assessment and low-density material analysis applications.

San Diego, California (PRWEB) April 21, 2007 -- FocalSpot, Inc. (www.focalspot.com), a premiere provider of advanced BGA/SMT inspection and rework solutions to the electronic manufacturing industry, announced today the Verifier Plus X-Ray Inspection System, a mid-point addition to the Verifier Series of Portable X-Ray Inspection Systems.

The Verifier Plus is designed to provide high-quality imaging and inspection capabilities at an aggressively low price. Although the Verifier Plus is considered to be a mid-entry point system, it offers imaging and diagnostic abilities that rival many high-end systems costing several times as much.

The role of the Verifier Plus is to provide fast, intuitive manufacturing quality assessment and defect detection. The Verifier Plus has a large 40mm Field-of-View for swift inspection of large board areas or components and provides >200X magnification for detailed viewing of the smallest BGA/SMT electrical interconnections. The system is Ideal for BGA/SMT solder quality assessment and low-density material analysis applications.

X-ray inspection has become an indispensable tool for providing quality assessment and manufacturing process information. It is for this reason that x-ray inspection has become a process requirement by the vast majority of electronics manufacturers today, said "Glenn Olaes" X-Ray Product Manager for FocalSpot Inc. Therefore, having in-house x-ray inspection capabilities has become a competitive advantage. The Verifier Plus provides an ideal solution by offering just the right mix of high-quality capabilities and affordability to fulfill both application and budget requirements; making this a practical solution for any thrifty buyer, continued "Mr. Olaes".

Verifier Plus™ X-Ray Inspection System details and specifications can be found at: http://www.focalspot.com/verifier-plus.htm.

About FocalSpot, Inc.
FocalSpot, Inc. designs, manufactures and markets affordable high quality x-ray inspection systems worldwide and distributes DEN-ON advanced BGA semi-automated rework solutions and Optilia BGA/SMT Inspection microscopes in North/South America, Canada and Mexico.

FocalSpot also sells, reconditions and supports pre-owned Nicolet X-Ray Inspection systems; providing ongoing service, parts, installation and training. With over 18 years of experience, our team of certified technical support specialists and applications engineers deliver outstanding service worldwide.

For more information, please visit www.focalspot.com, email sales @ focalspot.com, or call (858) 536.5050.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 04:39 AM | Comments (0)

THE NAILER®, Drywall Fastener Now Being Sold In US by Tool Source Warehouse, Product Coming to Canada Soon

THE NAILER, a drywall fastener from The Millennium Group, is now being carried by Tool Source Warehouse through its wholesale centers in Norcross, GA and Reno, NV. It was introduced at the INTEX Tradeshow this past week in Orlando to great reception by suppliers and contractors. The unique drywall fastener will soon be available in Canada. It can be ordered direct by visiting www.TheNailer.com.

Loveland, Colorado (PRWEB) April 21, 2007 -- THE NAILER (www.TheNailer.com) is the only patented drywall fastener that fastens directly to the stud and allows the drywall to be directly fasted to THE NAILER. The product is receiving national attention because it works equally as well on both wood and metal studs and eliminates the need for any additional blocking or sliders on inside corners and top plates. It saves on not only material costs, but on labor and on call backs. THE NAILER also virtually eliminates any call backs caused by cracking drywall due to truss uplift or shifting soil.

Tool Source Warehouse, the professional's one-stop wholesale resource for drywall, concrete and masonry tools is offering THE NAILER to wholesalers across the US after seeing the positive results of field testing by contractors over the past six months.

Jim Murphy, National Sales Manager of Tool Source Warehouse states "We see good things in the marketplace for THE NAILER. The product addresses many issues that can help make drywall and framing contractors more competitive."

About THE NAILER and the Millennium Group
THE NAILER is a product of The Millennium Group of Loveland Colorado. The product has been featured on "This Old House" and is being widely used by Habitat for Humanity. THE NAILER is a product that benefits all that use it. Whether drywall and framing contractor, builder, electrician, plumber, or insulating contractor, the product offers savings to all that use it on their projects. It is a green product and meets all LEEDS specifications.

About Tool Source Warehouse
Tool Source Warehouse is the professional's one stop wholesale resource for drywall, concrete, and masonry tools. Their multi-million inventory includes over 4,000 tools, accessories and parts ready to deliver on demand to customers across the US. Construction professionals count on Tool Source because they know we are prepared to supply the right item, and willingly sell only the quantities they request.

Contacts:
Tom Ruzicka
THE NAILER (a product of The Millennium Group)
www.TheNailer.com
303-306-1257
800-280-2304
tomr @ TheNailer.com

Jim Murphy
Tool Source Warehouse
www.tool-source.com
800-372-0146
jjm @ tool-source.com

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 04:38 AM | Comments (0)

TwinEngines Supports the Arts in Atlanta; 15th Annual High Museum Atlanta Wine Auction Reaches Record Auction Sales

TwinEngines Inc. continues to support the Atlanta High Museum of Art in its Annual High Museum Atlanta Wine Auction fundraising campaign.

Atlanta, Georgia (PRWEB) April 21, 2007 -- In its 15th year, the 2007 High Museum Atlanta Wine Auction broke all past records -- including a Live Auction total of more than $1.5 million. Silent auctions on Friday night and Saturday and a Paddle Raise brought in another $300,000 for a grand total of over $1.8 million in auction sales.

The 2007 Wine Auction marks the seventh year TwinEngines has participated in this exciting event. TwinEngines has dedicated its time, service and technology resources to develop and host a dynamic, database driven, content managed web site listing the theme events, and sponsors for the Wine Auction.

"The Wine Auction is a wonderful event and we are honored to be a corporate sponsor", states Kevin Seefried, President of TwinEngines.

Senior Manager of Public Relations, Cassandra Champion Streich, expressed her appreciation in their recent news release stating " Sponsorship was also at an all time high this year, Select Corporate sponsors included Nalley Automotive Group, Delta Air Lines, Skanska USA Building Inc., Morgan Keegan - Chris Willett, Sherlock's Wine Merchant, Callaway Gardens, Hermes of Paris, The Atlantic, Southern Accents, and TwinEngines".

The Wine Auction is the single largest fund-raising event held annually for the High Museum of Art. One of the top charity fundraising events in Atlanta and the largest charity wine auction in the U.S. benefiting the arts, it was named number six in a national ranking of the Top 10 charity wine auctions in the United States by Wine Spectator magazine in their March 31, 2007 issue. Proceeds from the Auction are a vital part of the Museum's acquisition, exhibition and education plans.

To view the Atlanta Wine Auction website, go to http://www.atlanta-wineauction.org/

About The High Museum of Art
The High Museum of Art, founded in 1905, is the leading art museum in the Southeast. The Museum has two locations. Its main facility is the critically acclaimed 1983 building designed by Richard Meier and situated in the heart of midtown Atlanta's arts and business district. The High Museum of Art has an extensive collection of 19th-and 20th-century American art; acclaimed collections of European and decorative art; and burgeoning collections of photography and modern and contemporary art.

About TwinEngines
TwinEngines connects people, processes and organizations to enable manufacturing business leaders to become more effective, agile and connected. The company provides strategic consulting and tactical solutions to help small to mid-market Southeastern manufacturing firms to address absolute business necessities or to realize a return on investment within 12 months. TwinEngines synchronizes the flow of information throughout the enterprise, addressing the key components of Knowledge Logistics - Extension, Visibility, Presence, Collaboration and Analysis. For more information about how TwinEngines helps manufacturing companies to increase productivity and maximize profits, please visit www.twinengines.com.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 04:38 AM | Comments (0)

Digitech Video Demonstrates ROI for Self Storage Security

Digitech International features the ROI video for Self Storage owners looking for opportunities to maximize their Return on Investment with security.

(PRWEB) April 21, 2007 -- One of the many tools Digitech International features on its website is a video produced specifically for owners looking for opportunities to maximize their Return on Investment, showing the bottom-line impact that investing in a comprehensive security solutuion brings to the operation. Acting as spokesperson for Digitech International, Alex Lekas, Southeast Territory Manager offers facts and details that cover the topic in a thorough and professional manner.

"Alex, our former newscaster presents the information in a way that is easy to understand and quick to take in. We've already had people tell us how helpful it is," says Rick Stumpf, Digitech Sales Manager.

Pointing out the advantages to access control, automatic gates, individual unit door alarms, video surveillance, and the other ways to promote security and customer service, the presentation covers the payback the investment brings in customer acquisition and retention. The entire video presents the compelling reasons in just about seven minutes. It can be readily downloaded for viewing at the web site for ISS, http://www.insideselfstorage.com/expo/tv/digitech.html and at the web site for Digitech, www.digitech-intl.com/video.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 04:37 AM | Comments (0)

Human Error Reduction on Steroids: PPC Certification is Now Available

The Practicing Perfection Institute, Inc. announces the first wave of PPC Certifications for professionals involved in the reduction of human error. This First Wave opportunity, to be conducted during the week of June 3, 2007, will certify participants to facilitate the process of Practicing Perfection®. This process, destined to become the next 'excellence', offers the quickest and most sustainable system of error reducing strategies and tools on the planet.

Chester, Vermont (PRWEB) April 20, 2007 -- The Practicing Perfection Institute, Inc. today announced the First Wave of PPC Certifications to be awarded to professionals involved in the reduction of human error.

"This is the first opportunity," stated Tim Autrey, Founder/CEO of the Practicing Perfection Institute, Inc., "for professionals working toward the improvement of human performance to achieve a professional designation that will attest to their commitment, their level of knowledge, and their expertise."

Those achieving PPC Certification will be recognized as leaders in this discipline- the discipline of human performance improvement / human error reduction.

"Human error," continued Autrey, "remains the primary cause for untold deaths and suffering due to medical error, catastrophic accidents in commercial transportation, environmental disasters, deaths and injuries, security breaches, and substantial waste and rework in virtually all organizations. The time has come to put a stop to needless and senseless mistakes. That's what PPC Certification is all about."

The "PPC" designation (Practicing Perfection Certified) will be awarded to those professionals who complete a course of study and demonstrate an appropriate level of passion, skill and ability at facilitating rollout of the strategies and tools known as Practicing Perfection®.

Many of these strategies and tools have been directly responsible for the tremendous success within the US commercial nuclear power industry over the past ten years, where a reduction in human error has resulted in a 300% reduction in the annual industry average of significant events, a 12% rise in capacity factor and a 30% lowering of production costs.

"We've taken the lessons learned over the past fifteen years," continues Autrey, "and put them into the quickest most sustainable error reducing system of tools and strategies available on the planet. Practicing Perfection® is like human error reduction on steroids!"

"Since the implementation of Practicing Perfection® in System Operations," states Jerry Willms, System Operations Superintendent, Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA), "I am happy to announce human errors in Transmission Switching have virtually come to a stop. To date, we have had absolutely no human errors attributing to a loss of customer load."

Until now, the system known as Practicing Perfection® has only been available for implementation through the Practicing Perfection Institute, Inc. "What we're doing," offers Tim Autrey, "is…we're teaching people how to fish. These strategies and tools have proven to be so effective that we want all organizations, large and small, to have access to them as quickly and cost effectively as possible."

The PPC Certification process offers candidates the opportunity to develop a level of insight and expertise in the field of human error reduction that would otherwise take years of study and trial-and-error experience to learn. During the hands-on program, Tim Autrey will be offering each participant the full benefit of his 20+ years of in-the-trenches experience at reducing human error.

The formal portion of this First Wave of PPC Certification will take place during the week of June 3, 2007 at the Interlaken Resort and Conference Center in Lakeville, CT. To provide an abundance of one-on-one interface, attendance in the program is limited. As of this release, there are only 36 seats remaining. For more information and eligibility requirements, click here: PPC Certification Opportunity

Contact:
Suzette Pare'
802-875-6978

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 04:36 AM | Comments (0)

Pacific Natural Energy Launches Innovative Alternative Energy Solution: A Mobile Biodiesel Processor Makes Renewable Resources Anyone's Business

Pacific Natural Energy, a Los Angeles-based startup, unveils an innovative and cost-effective way to turn urban waste oil into Biodiesel. The company will supply both mobile processing reactors and fully processed biodiesel fuel. This will introduce a new option for individuals, businesses, entrepreneurs and local communities to become fuel manufacturers and produce ASTM grade biodiesel at approximately $1.50 per gallon, opening a new market of legal biodiesel production in the 50,000 to 250,000 gallon per year range. The announcement comes just in time to coincide with Earth Day 2007.

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) April 20, 2007 - Eric McLeod, founder and CEO of Pacific Natural Energy (PNE), today announced the launch of his new alternative energy company just in time for Earth Day. PNE will be a pioneer producer of high-grade biodiesel fuel (manufactured from common vegetable oil or animal fats) and also provide the opportunity for other innovators to produce their own biodiesel fuel on-site.

According to recent surveys, almost two-thirds of Americans are now interested in making "green" choices, including making the switch from gasoline or diesel to more environmentally friendly forms of fuel. Unfortunately, opportunities in the alternative fuel market have been quite limited. PNE is about to make the choice to "go green" much easier - for everyone who is ready to make the transition.

"PNE offers an efficient and functional mobile biodiesel processing unit that we make available anywhere in North America," said McLeod. "We provide the ability to safely and easily convert the nastiest stuff you've ever seen or smelled into biodiesel that can exceed ASTM quality standards. Our processors are completely self-contained and come installed in one standard 20- or 40-foot cargo container."

The containers can be easily transported and set up virtually anywhere that the materials in the supply chain dictate. By introducing highly mobile units, PNE will overcome many of the problems conventionally associated with biodiesel production, including the cost. Now the manufacturing plant can go to the supply in many cases, reducing transportation costs and the need to order fuel far in advance. The PNE business model allows for a new mid-range of biodiesel production. Restaurant chains, governmental bodies, and entrepreneurs can now service their own fleets of trucks, vans, or sell biodiesel at a profit.

"We're anticipating the construction of the first pilot plant that will produce approximately 20,000 gallons per month. I estimate the cost of a similar unit for retail sale should be around $150,000. And with a net profit of $1.50 we can show some pretty exciting projections," McLeod said. "I'm looking for some smart people with good ideas that can bring their talents and excitement to PNE because I see this venture as being well suited to a grass-roots approach. Whenever I tell people about my latest business, their eyes light up. They think it's a 'no brainer' even before I can tell them the size of the profit margin."

"They seem to be happy only that someone's working on ending this quagmire of old ideas," he added. "I want other people or businesses that are excited about these possibilities and can see that -- from a business standpoint. When you have a profit margin in biodiesel, you've got gold."

This will be a major step toward ending dependence on petroleum products, and aid in the nation's pursuit of energy independence. Farmers, entrepreneurs, and new "green" companies will have easy access to innovative growth and generate good publicity by promoting better technology and solutions for meeting many major environmental and political challenges.

About Pacific Natural Energy

Pacific Natural Energy (PNE) produces environmentally friendly biodiesel fuel manufactured from vegetable oils and animal fats. Its mission is to provide a cost-effective biodiesel production solution to meet the growing need for alternative fuels in the greater Los Angeles area and beyond. PNE transports biodiesel fuel and the equipment to manufacture it throughout California, Nevada and the Pacific Northwest.

PNE, Inc. is a privately held, privately funded company headquartered in Studio City, California. For more information, visit the company's website at http://www.stopXon.com.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 04:35 AM | Comments (0)

QuantumClean's Washington and California Advanced Technology Cleaning Centers® (ATCC®) Earn ISO 9001:2000 Certification

QuantumClean's Washington and California sites are the latest to achieve the ISO quality standard

DUBLIN, Pa ---April 20, 2007---QuantumClean®, the leading provider of outsourced parts cleaning and refurbishment for the semiconductor industry, recently announced the ISO certification of its Advanced Technology Cleaning Centers® in Washougal, Wash., that serves the Pacific Northwest, and San Jose, Calif., that supports the Silicon Valley.

The Washington and California sites are the latest QuantumClean locations to receive ISO 9001:2000 certification. QuantumClean has actively pursued ISO certification for all of its U.S. sites, and these two plants were the last remaining sites to earn ISO certification. The Pacific Northwest ATCC® received ISO 9001:2000 certification March 12, and the Silicon Valley ATCC® received certification March 27. QuantumClean acquired these locations from Saint-Gobain in April 2006, consistent with its strategy to be the only outsourced parts cleaning provider with service centers in every major semiconductor market in the U.S.

"ISO 9001:2000 certification provides standardized operating protocols, methods and procedures that assure our customers that they are receiving a consistent level of excellence and performance," said Michael Brakefield, Corporate Quality Director for QuantumClean.

QuantumClean's ISO certification provides assurance that business is operating as planned and that problems are being addressed effectively. The standard and proscribed processes required for ISO certification provide better consistency in performance and keep the company focused on the established business objectives to drive increased customer satisfaction. The certification also offers an independent ongoing compliance review of business operations, bolstering QuantumClean's own continual improvement procedures.

ISO 9001:2000, an international quality management system standard, aids in the operation of QuantumClean's business by meeting internal and customer requirements, requiring continual improvement, increasing top management involvement and maintaining enhanced customer satisfaction as the company's top goal.

About QuantumClean
QuantumClean (Quantum Global Technologies, LLC) is the leading provider of Outsourced Parts Cleaning, process tool part restoration and surface treatment for semiconductor fabricators. The company operates technologically innovative cleaning centers in every major semiconductor market across the U.S. and Asia, providing process improvement through consistently cleaner parts® that exceeds industry standards, dramatically reducing its customers' Total Cost of Ownership. Founded in 2000, QuantumClean is headquartered in Dublin, Pa with Advanced Technology Cleaning Centers® in the Silicon Valley, Pacific Northwest, Arizona, Colorado, Texas, and New England regions.

For more about QuantumClean, visit their website at http://www.quantumclean.com.

Media Contact
Maceo Ward
Vice President of Sales and Marketing
972-465-9700
e-mail protected from spam bots

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 04:34 AM | Comments (0)

Best Forklift Service Enters Into No-Risk Marketing Agreement with Independent SEO Consultant

EL MONTE, Calif. (BusinessWire EON/PRWEB ) April 20, 2007 -- Best Forklift Service announced today their unique partnership with SEO consultant, Renea Blanck, to develop a strategy focused on driving targeted traffic to their website using Search Engine Optimization. Blanck puts her money where her mouth is by providing services at no upfront cost.

Best Forklift’s website (http://www.bestforkliftservice.com) features forklift parts, specialty items, and other material handling supplies. “There’s a lot of revenue potential for them online, but also a lot of competition. By using ethical optimization techniques I expect to ‘rev’ up their Internet visibility and help them gain more of the online market share,” says Renea Blanck, SEO Consultant. (http://www.expertseoconsultant.com).

Many small businesses find it difficult to afford online marketing like SEO. Blanck has launched a pilot program in which small businesses can implement such strategies at no risk. In other words, no business, no charge. What’s the catch? Clients who partake in this program are charged according to an agreed upon percentage of the online sales brought in by SEO efforts.

“We are very excited with this new venture,” Says Jim Nicholson, CEO, Best Forklift Service. “Renea provided the expertise we needed and developed an affordable, easy-to-use website for us. It was natural to approach her again when we were ready for SEO.”

“I’ve had a long-standing relationship with Best Forklift and wanted very much to see them succeed online,” remarks Blanck. “I’ve had great success achieving high search rankings for clients in the past, so I was confident I could do the same for them. While I don’t get paid unless we succeed, I feel it’s really win-win.”

This type of partnership, if proven successful, may potentially give rise to a new way of doing business for other SEO firms. And the success of this venture could potentially level the playing field for many other small organizations.

About Best Forklift

Best Forklift Service provides forklift parts and supplies for all makes and models of foreign and domestic lift trucks. For more than 35 years, we have been providing the best customer support, the best quality parts, and the Best Forklift Service. For more information, visit http://www.bestforkliftservice.com.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 04:33 AM | Comments (0)

New HullVac HV635 Rotary Piston Vacuum Pump Offers Increased Uptime and Decreased Cost of Ownership

HullVac Pump's next generation high vacuum pumps are designed to lower operating costs.

Ivyland, PA (PRWEB) April 20, 2007 -- HullVac Pump Corporation, a manufacturer of high vacuum pumps and pumping systems designed for industrial applications, today announced the release of their next generation rotary piston high vacuum pumps. The vacuum pumps offer increased pumping speed and a unique bearing design that helps increase operating life while reducing maintenance needs associated with harsh applications.

The purchase price for a new HV635 635 CFM displacement model is less than the cost of two 300 CFM pumps, providing users with immediate cost savings. Ongoing savings are achieved through a reduction in required maintenance and significantly less oil usage when compared to the two pumps replaced by one HV635.

The new vacuum pump, which is designed with a space-saving small footprint, features an innovative design that keeps bearings outboard and away from process contamination. This configuration also makes the pumps field serviceable. Viton® shaft seals riding on hardened sleeves keep process grit from damaging the bearings. Other design benefits include all metal exhaust valves, a large oil sight port with visual oil flow indication, and caged hinge bars that extend operating life without the need for costly re-boring.

"The new HV635 vacuum pump is designed to fit into a multitude of industrial applications," said Patrick Morris, VP of Sales and Marketing for HullVac Pump Corporation. "Recently, HullVac supplied HV635 vacuum pumps to a large custom manufacturer of vacuum systems for the automobile industry. The high capacity HV635 pumps were able to evacuate to 8 X 10-3 Torr with reduced overall cycle time, resulting in higher production rates."

For more information on HullVac's new HV635 vacuum pump, call HullVac Pump at 1-215-355-3995 or visit www.hullvacpumps.com.

Since 1989, HullVac Pump Corporation has provided vacuum pumps and systems world-wide to companies in a range of industries including metallizing, heat-treating, metals processing, and vacuum drying. HullVac Pump is committed to providing long-term value, offering an extended Three Year Limited Warranty and Uptime Program standard with every pump.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 04:33 AM | Comments (0)

One of Nation's Top Chemists to Address Students at 11th Annual Rohm and Haas Electronic Materials Invitational Science Fair

U.S. National Medal of Science Winner Dr. Ronald Breslow will address the nearly 300 students from 10 Long Island, NY, schools who are competing for scholarships and prizes at the April 22 Rohm and Haas Electronic Materials Science Fair at Great Neck South High School.

Freeport, NY (PRWEB) April 20, 2007 -- Dr. Ronald Breslow, professor of chemistry at Columbia University and a 1991 winner of the U.S. National Medal of Science, will deliver the keynote address at the 11th Annual Rohm and Haas Electronic Materials Invitational Science Fair on April 22, 2007, at Great Neck South High School, 341 Lakeville Road, Great Neck, NY.

Dr. Breslow has an A.B. in chemistry, an M.A. in Medical Science, and a Ph.D. in chemistry from Harvard. He is a member of the National Academy of Science, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the American Philosophical Society, as well as an honorary member of the Royal Society (Britain), the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Chemical Societies of Japan and Korea, and the Indian Academy of Science. He was named one of the top 75 contributors to the chemical enterprise in the past 75 years by Chemical & Engineering News.

Dr. Breslow will address the nearly 300 high school students competing for scholarships and prizes at the Rohm and Haas science fair. The students are from the following high schools: Great Neck North, Great Neck South, Herricks, Jericho, Manhasset, Paul D. Schieber (Port Washington), Roslyn, Southside, Syosset and The Wheatley School.

The science fair begins at 8:30 a.m. with Dr. Breslow's keynote address at 1 p.m.

For additional information, visit www.researchassociation.org or contact:

Dick Williams
Rohm and Haas Manager of Public Affairs
451 Bellevue Road; Newark, DE 19713-9960;
302-283-2159; e-mail: richardwilliams @ rohmhaas.com

Pete Guastella
Research Association President
Manhasset High School
200 Memorial Place
Manhasset , NY 11030
516-267-7560; e-mail: peter_guastella @ manhasset.k12.ny.us

About Rohm and Haas Electronic Materials
Rohm and Haas Electronic Materials develops and delivers innovative material solutions and processes to the electronic and optoelectronic industries. Focused on the circuit board, semiconductor manufacturing and advanced packaging industries, its products and technologies are integral elements in electronic devices around the world.

Products from the Packaging and Finishing Technologies business include reliable interconnects for electronic packaging, high-performance surface finishes for electronics, EMI shielding of electronic devices, cost-effective optoelectronic components, corrosion resistant coatings for industrial articles, and decorative treatments for metal and plastic surfaces. The business is headquartered in Freeport, NY, and maintains manufacturing, research and sales facilities throughout the world.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 04:32 AM | Comments (0)

UPPO to Hold Unclaimed Property Educational Conference in Baltimore

Baltimore will host the upcoming Unclaimed Property Professionals Organization's (UPPO) next regional unclaimed property education conference in Baltimore, Maryland on May 24th.

New York, NY (PRWEB) April 20, 2007 -- Baltimore will host the upcoming Unclaimed Property Professionals Organization's (UPPO) next regional unclaimed property education conference in Baltimore, Maryland on May 24th.

The UPPO is the only national non-profit organization dedicated exclusively to educating and promoting the exchange of information among holders of unclaimed property. The UPPO helps organizations understand their liabilities and requirements regarding unclaimed property rules and regulations. Member companies represent a wide range of industries, including financial services, communications, technology, education, entertainment, insurance, manufacturing, oil and gas, publishing, retail and utilities.

"Non-members are encouraged to attend the event to gain insight into the many benefits UPPO has to offer", said President Barbara Briody of Portland, Oregon.

This regional conference will focus on the basics of unclaimed property, including state compliance, state audits and recovering funds for your company. Attendees enhance their unclaimed property knowledge by networking with peers, state representatives and service providers regarding industry standards and current issues surrounding unclaimed property. The conference provides the opportunity to learn best practices and to get the latest unclaimed property legislative updates. The conference will also provide valuable information for personnel in the operations, accounting, tax, compliance and audit fields.

Companies interested in attending can register for the conference by calling UPPO Administrator Jackie Cote at (508) 883-9065. Registration is $295 for members and $395 for non-members. Membership with the UPPO is $250 per year per corporation.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 04:31 AM | Comments (0)

IIE's Six Sigma Black Belt Courses Recommended by ACE Credit Service for College Credit

The Institute of Industrial Engineers' flagship course, Six Sigma Black Belt, has been evaluated by the American Council on Education (ACE) which has recommended that the course is equivalent to three (3) graduate semester hour credits in statistics for quality assurance and three (3) graduate semester hours in statistical process control or design of experiments.

Norcross, GA (PRWEB) April 20, 2007 -- The Institute of Industrial Engineers' flagship course, Six Sigma Black Belt, has been evaluated by the American Council on Education (ACE) which has recommended that the course is equivalent to three (3) graduate semester hour credits in statistics for quality assurance and three (3) graduate semester hours in statistical process control or design of experiments.

Larry Aft, Director of Continuing Education for The Institute of Industrial Engineers (IIE) stated, "The fact that IIE's Six Sigma course has been evaluated by ACE as being equivalent to six hours of graduate credit speaks highly to the quality of our continuing education programs. Participants can be assured that our training programs are of the highest standards."

Corporations often require equivalent college credit in order to support employees taking continuing education courses. Often they require continuing education credits as well. IIE's courses all offer Continuing Education Credits (CEUs), so this is an excellent step forward in helping companies get employees trained in a critical element of continuous processes improvement.

According to Don Greene, Executive Director of IIE, "Our Six Sigma Black Belt program receives high marks from participants. It truly provides a valuable service to the growing community of quality professionals. I am pleased that the American Council on Education has made this recommendation."

IIE offers an array of courses in Six Sigma, lean, supply chain management, and other quality programs. To see all of IIE's course offerings, go to www.iieseminars.org.

About ACE
Founded in 1918, the American Council on Education (ACE) is the nation's unifying voice for higher education. ACE serves as a consensus leader on key higher education issues and seeks to influence public policy through advocacy, research, and program initiatives. By fostering greater collaboration and new partnerships within and outside higher education, ACE helps colleges and universities anticipate and address the challenges of the 21st century and contribute to a stronger nation and a better world. Our members and associates are approximately 1,800 accredited, degree-granting colleges and universities and higher education-related associations, organizations, and corporations.

About IIE
IIE is the world's largest professional society dedicated solely to the support of the industrial engineering profession and individuals involved with improving quality and productivity. Founded in 1948, IIE is an international, non-profit association that provides leadership for the application, education, training, research, and development of industrial engineering.

With approximately 15,000 members and 280 chapters worldwide, IIE's primary mission is to meet the ever-changing needs of industrial engineers, which includes undergraduate and graduate students, engineering practitioners and consultants in all industries, engineering managers, and engineers in education, research, and government.
IIE is recognized internationally as:

- The leading provider of cutting-edge continuing education in industrial engineering
- The acknowledged source of productivity improvement information via the Internet, publications, and live events, including an annual conference, topical conferences, and technical seminars
- An invaluable source of member benefits that include a magazine, professional development programs, an online career center, networking communities, chapters, and affinity programs that save members time and money
- The only association that supports the profession of industrial engineering and promotes an increased awareness of the value of industrial engineers
- The only association that supports accredited industrial engineering programs through the ABET Inc.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 04:31 AM | Comments (0)

Six Sigma Golf?

What do the cost reduction strategies of Six Sigma and golf have in common? Everything it seems. On May 1st, Jay Arthur, the KnowWare® Man, will speak to the American Society for Quality World Conference in Orlando on how to improve their golf game using the power of Six Sigma.

Denver, CO (PRWEB) April 20, 2007 -- What do the cost reduction strategies of Six Sigma and golf have in common? Everything it seems. What separates Tiger Woods from the average golfer? Tiger makes far fewer mistakes and has much less variation in distance and accuracy. The average golfer makes putts from inside eight feet 50% of the time; pros make 66% of those putts.

On May 1st, Jay Arthur, the KnowWare® Man, will speak to the American Society for Quality World Conference in Orlando on how to apply Six Sigma to golf. And attendees will get to practice the methods of Six Sigma on putting greens.

Six Sigma focuses on:
· Reducing variation (i.e., consistency)
· Reducing mistakes and errors

In golf, players can hit a ball too fat or too thin, too long or too short, and too far left or right. Few golfers can hit the same shot to exactly the same spot time after time. But the ability to hit the same shot close to the same spot time after time is what separates the pros from the duffers.

The 80/20 rule: 80% of all shots lost to par occur within 100 yards of the hole. What do most weekend golfers practice? The drive. What should they practice? Pitching, chipping and putting.

Dave Pelz, author of the Putting and Short Game Bibles, recommends players use a straight stroke instead of a screendoor swing for putting. Why? Less variation. He also suggests that the correct speed for a putt will carry it 17 inches beyond the hole. Why? A donut mound develops around the hole during play. Putts need enough speed to stay on line at the hole.

How can you tell if your putts stay on line and travel the right distance? Jay will show attendees how to use a Six Sigma checksheet to track their hits and misses.

Similarly, simple analysis of a tee shot can determine if the player's swing is true and whether the club face is open (slice) or closed (hook) at impact. The same is true of iron shots.

Jay's 24-page Six Sigma Golf book and CD are available from http://www.qimacros.com or by calling (888) 468-1535. Readers can download a free Six Sigma Action Plan and software, plus signup for an email course in Six Sigma Simplified at www.qimacros.com.

On May 1st in Orlando, Jay Arthur will show attendees at ASQ's World Quality Conference how to improve their golf game using the power of Six Sigma.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 04:30 AM | Comments (0)

Give Your Business a Massive Leap Forward; Statistics Are Now Proving What the Great Business Builders of the Past Were Trying to Communicate

Statistics show that over 50% of small businesses fail in the first five years compared to only 10-20% of franchises. This news release reveals the two most critical areas to be addressed and the benefits of implementing clear and simple systems into any business or industry in order to take the business to the next level. The sooner a business gets some systems the better off it will be.

Bris, QLD (PRWEB) April 19, 2007 -- Statistics show that over 50% of small businesses fail in the first five years compared to only 10-20% of franchises. This news release reveals the two most critical areas to be addressed and the benefits of implementing clear and simple systems into any business or industry in order to take the business to the next level. The sooner a business gets some systems the better off it will be.

Business owners are only now starting to realise the challenges that all businesses face when it comes to employing staff and then managing them effectively, as well as keeping on top of the day to day running of the business. The trouble is, that most people in business don't own the business ... the business owns them. "Why is it that over 50% of most businesses fail, while less than 10% - 20% of franchises fail? The answer is SYSTEMS."

Just take a look at companies like McDonalds or Subway. Having simple, effective and proven systems gives each employee specific guidelines or "a track to run on" and enables an employer the free time to "work on the business rather than running around like mad in the business". The challenge is however, that most business owners are so time bankrupt, and have the challenge of keeping enough cashflow coming through the doors while at the same time trying to develop systems to help automate things in order to "free them up". One other challenge is that to have a "consultant" come in and develop systems in the business but this can be quite expensive, not to mention time consuming.

Research shows that business owners are also finding critical challenges in their staff management practices which costs US businesses approx. more than $100 million every year. Finding the right people is one of the most challenging facets of business today, and then having to make sure the correct person has been chosen, and if that's not enough the staff need to be managed effectively in order to keep them. "Failing in any one of these areas can be some of the most time and money consuming activities in business today". Gone are the days when one could just shake hands on an agreed employment wage, and they would happily work in the one place for 30 years. Many staff problems can easily be addressed by having written clear communication at the very beginning of their employment as well as performance reviews during various stages throughout their employment.

Another of the areas that is very time consuming to develop systems around is the area of Workplace Health & Safety. "Statistics taken from the U.S Department of Labor show that a total of 39,167 inspections on businesses were undertaken and a total of $85,192,940 in fines were dished out to employers, thats over $85 million dollars in fines for the USA in the last fiscal year".

Government Authorities are not holding back. The problem is, that most of the time an employer is hard at work trying to keep the business running without the time to take a break, research and create a Workplace Health & Safety System. Having an effective and comprehensive Workplace Health & Safety System gives "the employer" a firm grounding in clearly communicating the guidelines for working in a safe manner with staff. Secondly, if ever there is an investigation on the business that requires the owner to produce the Workplace Health & Safety Procedures, then there is a very clear record of what those procedures are and how that has been communicated to the employees of the company, which in turn could avoid having a massive fine placed on the shoulders of a business owner or a middle manager.

Current legislation in certain countries have placed the entire responsibility on the employer for ensuring the safety of workers in the workplace, however after all it should start with the individual employee taking responsibility for his or her actions, shouldn't it? Gone are the days where people had common sense and took responsibility for their own actions, in todays world business owners are constantly faced with the threat of professional litigation on a daily basis. Having an effective and comprehensive Workplace Health and Safety System balances that responsibility with the staff also, which helps the responsibility fall on the individual.

In our research Systems-Central.com was found to have provided ready made systems, consulted and provided systems to thousands of different businesses in over 100 different industries and in turn helping many businesses take giant leaps forward. "It doesn't matter what country or industry a business operates in, there are challenges and needs that are common to every business". What Systems-Central.com have done is taken all these common needs, categorised them and then put a range of systems together which enables any business to implement them, getting further down the track to systemizing the business so much faster, while also keeping costs to a minimum. Once every year, Systems-Central.com run a promotion in April and have cut the price of their systems in half for the month of April only.

For more information on a number of systems go to www.systems-central.com

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 04:30 AM | Comments (0)

Computer Industry Competition Causing Supply Chain Woes

Competition between computer manufacturers has been favorable for consumers but has had an adverse effect on companies down the supply chain according to industry analysis from global accounts receivable services provider Euler Hermes ACI.

(PRWEB) April 19, 2007 -- Competition between computer manufacturers has been favorable for consumers but has had an adverse effect on companies down the supply chain, according to industry analysis from global accounts receivable services provider Euler Hermes ACI.

"The battle between computer manufacturers to provide more efficient and less expensive systems has been a beneficial trend for consumers, but a hurtful development for the companies that are providing the materials to manufacture the machines," said Euler Hermes ACI Risk VP-Industry Manager Patrick Lane. "The result of the fight for market share has brought steep discounts by computer manufacturers, which in turn has resulted in much lower margins and profitability."

The U.S. computer industry is seen as "saturated," Lane said. "With the emergence of cell phones with increased computing and Internet capabilities, there has been a notable slowdown in the sales of personal computers to consumers." However, he said two industry trends will help computer manufacturers experience continued growth in 2007: the shift in preference to notebooks and laptops, and the arrival of new computers on the market designed to carry the new Microsoft Vista operating system.

"Vista, in particular, should cause a bump in sales because just about anyone who wants to use the operating system will need to upgrade to a faster machine," said Lane.

The price war to attract consumers will most likely continue -- and possibly worsen conditions for suppliers -- as the U.S. economy continues to experience a slowdown. Euler Hermes ACI Chief Economist Dan North said that businesses that rely on consumer spending may see tougher times ahead as housing market equity, which has fueled consumer spending in the past, continues to fall. "As of January, asset value equivalent to 15% of GDP has disappeared from the housing market," he said. "This fall in value will destroy some of the equity built in the past few years, drying up what has been a major source of spending for consumers."

North predicts that "a faltering consumer will surely lead to a faltering economy," causing business defaults to rise and credit conditions to deteriorate. While the computer industry has been experiencing very low business bankruptcy rates over the past several years, Lane said that "expectations are that default rates will increase in 2007."

As business and economic conditions continue to decline, companies involved in the business-to-business arena need to be increasingly vigilant about their accounts receivable. Euler Hermes ACI offers a complete range of accounts receivable management products and services, including trade credit insurance, business intelligence information, commercial third party collections, receivables management outsourcing, and international collections. For more information about Euler Hermes ACI products and services, visit www.eulerhermes.com/usa.

Euler Hermes ACI is North America's oldest and largest provider of trade credit insurance and accounts receivable management solutions and is the US subsidiary of the Euler Hermes Group. Headquartered in Owings Mills, MD, the company protects and insures more than $150 billion in US trade transactions annually. Additionally, Euler Hermes ACI provides a suite of receivables management services that includes commercial third party collections, receivables management outsourcing, and international collections. For more information, visit www.eulerhermes.com/usa.

Euler Hermes is the worldwide leader in credit insurance and one of the leaders in bonding and guarantees. With 5,500 employees in 49 countries, Euler Hermes offers a complete range of services for the management of customer receivables and posted a consolidated turnover of 2.01 billion euros in 2006.

Euler Hermes, a subsidiary of AGF and a member of Allianz, is listed on Euronext Paris. Standard & Poor's rates the group and its principal credit insurance subsidiaries AA-.

Press Contact:
Rick Ostopowicz
Euler Hermes ACI Public Relations and Communications Specialist
Phone: (410) 753-0652

These assessments are, as always, subject to the disclaimer provided below.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: Certain of the statements contained herein may be statements of future expectations and other forward-looking statements that are based on management's current views and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. In addition to statements which are forward-looking by reason of context, the words 'may, will, should, expects, plans, intends, anticipates, believes, estimates, predicts, potential, or continue' and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. Actual results, performance or events may differ materially from those in such statements due to, without limitation, (i) general economic conditions, including in particular economic conditions in the Allianz SE's core business and core markets, (ii) performance of financial markets, including emerging markets, (iii) the frequency and severity of insured loss events, (iv) mortality and morbidity levels and trends, (v) persistency levels, (vi) the extent of credit defaults (vii) interest rate levels, (viii) currency exchange rates including the Euro-U.S. Dollar exchange rate, (ix) changing levels of competition, (x) changes in laws and regulations, including monetary convergence and the European Monetary Union, (xi) changes in the policies of central banks and/or foreign governments, (xii) the impact of acquisitions, including related integration issues, (xiii) reorganization measures and (xiv) general competitive factors, in each case on a local, regional, national and/or global basis. Many of these factors may be more likely to occur, or more pronounced, as a result of terrorist activities and their consequences. The matters discussed herein may also involve risks and uncertainties described from time to time in Allianz SE's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The Group assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking information contained herein.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 04:29 AM | Comments (0)

Nanotechnology Portal Debunks the Trillion Dollar Nanotechnology Market Size Hype

Honolulu-based Nanowerk LLC, one of the leading nanotechnology information portals, has expanded its popular "Spotlight" section to become a daily feature. Today's story takes a critical look at the sensationalist market research reports that predict trillion dollar markets for nanotechnologies.

(PRWEB) April 19, 2007 -- Honolulu-based Nanowerk LLC, one of the leading nanotechnology information portals, has expanded its popular "Spotlight" section to become a daily feature. Today's story takes a critical look at the sensationalist market research reports that predict trillion dollar markets for nanotechnologies.

Behind the buzz and beyond the hype: Every day, the Nanowerk-exclusive Spotlight feature article takes a look at a particularly interesting topic, be it nanotechnology research progress, social developments or risk-related concerns.

Today's feature for instance takes a critical look at the apparent arms race going on among nanotechnology investing and consulting firms as to who can come up with the highest figure for the size of the "nanotechnology market". The current record stands at $2.95 trillion by 2015. The problem with these forecasts is that they are based on a highly inflationary data collection and compilation methodology. The result is that the headline figures - $1 trillion!, $2 trillion!, $3 trillion! - are more reminiscent of supermarket tabloids than serious market research. Some would call it pure hype. This type of market size forecast leads to misguided expectations because few people read the entire report and in the end only the misleading trillion-dollar headline figure gets quoted out of context, even by people who should now better, and finally achieves a life by itself.

About Nanowerk Spotlight
Some stories are more like an introduction to nanotechnology, some are about understanding current developments, and some are advanced reviews of leading edge research.

Spotlight research articles highlight a particularly interesting research topic, complete with links to the researchers, the scientific papers, and other relevant information. Every article is crafted in co-operation with the papers' authors and may contain images and quotes not contained in the original scientific paper.

The Nanowerk Spotlight stands out from the daily news cycle because it is not driven by press releases but it takes a refreshingly pro-active look at the latest developments in nanotechnology.

The Spotlight feature appears daily on Nanowerk's homepage nanowerk.com. A full and searchable archive is available. The feature is free of charge and can be subscribed to via RSS or an email list.

Exclusive and original content
Michael Berger, editor of the Nanowerk website, says: "We come across many interesting scientists, research papers and presentations. Unfortunately we don't have time to cover them all. For the ones we do, we have created this special feature."

Nanowerk's Spotlight feature is a welcome addition to the daily nanotechnology news cycle. "Every day there is a handful of interesting nanotechnology-related press releases" says Berger. "Of course that same news gets covered over and over again on all nanotechnology information sites and in the scientific press" he adds. "In contrast, our Spotlight is not based on others' press releases but is original and exclusive to Nanowerk."

About Nanowerk.com
Since its launch in December 2005, nanowerk.com has developed into a leading nanotechnology information portal. The site is a comprehensive nanotechnology information source complete with link directories, daily news coverage, reports, events calendar, and a nanomaterial database.

For more information, visit nanowerk.com or contact:
Michael Berger
+1 808-741-1739

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 04:28 AM | Comments (0)

MomentumSI Forms Master Data Management Center of Excellence

The Master Data Management Center of Excellence provides full life cycle Master Data Management support in terms of people, process, and technology necessary to manage information as an asset.

Austin, TX (PRWEB) April 19, 2007 -- MomentumSI, a professional services organization focused on the Master Data Management (MDM) and Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) announced the formation of the MDM Center of Excellence (CoE) providing guidance around MDM strategy, governance, and implementation based on best practices through a single stop shop approach.

"There has been a common thread across our Enterprise Architecture, Business and Information Solutions and Software Development practices of helping clients with their information needs. In addition, the recent MDM press coverage, SOA maturity, and MDM success stories are causing many of our clients to evaluate MDM initiatives. The MDM CoE was formed in response to the need of addressing MDM's full adoption lifecycle of roadmaps and pilots through implementations, both from a governance as well as from a technical perspective. The MDM CoE centralizes and brings information management focus across all three of our practices." - John Kalogirou, Director of Information Management.

The MDM CoE provides full life cycle MDM support in terms of people, process, and technology necessary to manage information as an asset. The scope of MDM covers CDI and PIM, under Operational, Collaborative, and Analytical methods of use. SOA promotes MDM agility through loosely coupled internal and external integration on MDM implementations. MDM CoE capabilities are provided through MomentumSI Enterprise Architecture (EA) and Business Information Solutions (BIS) team experts, as well as MomentumSI's SOA and MDM partner network.

About MomentumSI
MomentumSI is a nationwide boutique consultancy founded in 1997, focused on SOA, Information Management - Master Data Management (MDM), packaged solutions and software development. MomentumSI's project managers, architects and developers come from both industry and corporate backgrounds. Our accumulated business and IT acumen dramatically improves our clients' ability to rapidly provide business solutions.

To learn how MomentumSI can help you with Information Management and Master Data Management please visit our Web site at www.momentumsi.com, or call us toll-free at 888.886.8560 to schedule a meeting at of one of our regional offices: Austin (corporate), Dallas, NY, Washington DC, and San Francisco.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 04:27 AM | Comments (0)

Symmetricom Announces Hybrid Space Crystal Oscillators

High performance 9900 Series provide exceptional stability and wide range of frequency output for space applications.

San Jose, CA (PRWEB) April 19, 2007 -- Symmetricom, Inc. (NASDAQ: SYMM), a worldwide leader in precise time and frequency technologies that accelerate the deployment and enable the management of next generation networks, today announced the 9900 series of hybrid space crystal oscillators comprised of simple clock oscillators (XO), voltage controlled crystal oscillators (VXCO) and higher performance temperature compensated crystal oscillators (TCXO). Based on proven designs and manufacturing techniques for high reliability in numerous space applications, the hybrid oscillators provide high performance and a wide range of output frequency with exceptional stability in a ruggedized, low power, light weight package.

"Symmetricom's thirty-five years of legacy in high reliability and performance quartz oscillators are now available in hybrid construction for applications that require minimal size, weight and power," commented Doug Lowrie, product marketing manager at Symmetricom. "Our combination of space qualified OCXO products and these new hybrid oscillators position Symmetricom as the most diverse supplier of high performance oscillators for space applications. These products perform in environments of exposure to high levels of shock, vibration and radiation, vigorous requirements for space applications."

The 9900 series comprises the models 9920, 9940 and 9960, providing the following features:

10 MHz to 1.2 GHz Output Frequency
Mil-prf-38534 Class H or K Certified
Fixed Frequency and Voltage Controlled
Sine Wave, PECL outputs
Low Aging and Phase Noise
Optimized Phase Noise
Radiation Hardened
Environmentally Robust

The 9900 Series utilizes 3rd or 5th overtone AT cut crystals in a Colpitts configuration with optional multiplication circuitry and output amplifier or driver stages. The precision crystals are contained within hermetic or vacuum-sealed packages housed within the hybrid circuit package resulting in the lowest end of life frequency drift possible. Output type and package are available in industry standard configurations to meet standard and custom applications. The hybrids are manufactured in a mil-prf-38534 class K facility that provides for the maximum reliability.

Availability
The 9900 series will be shipping in April 2007.

For more information, visit: http://www.symmsda.com/PR/Crystal_Oscillators.asp.

About Symmetricom, Inc.
As a worldwide leader in precise time and frequency products and services, Symmetricom provides "Perfect Timing" to customers around the world. Since 1985, the company's solutions have helped define the world's time and frequency standards, delivering precision, reliability and efficiency to wireline and wireless networks, instrumentation and testing applications and network time management. Deployed in more than 90 countries, the company's synchronization solutions include primary reference sources, building integrated timing supplies (BITS), GPS timing receivers, time and frequency distribution systems, network time servers and ruggedized oscillators. Symmetricom also incorporates technologies including Universal Timing Interface (UTI), Network Time Protocol (NTP), Precision Time Protocol (IEEE 1588), and others supporting the world's migration to Next Generation Networks (NGN). Symmetricom is based in San Jose, Calif., with offices worldwide. For more information, visit www.symmetricom.com.

Contacts:
Raychel Marcotte
BroadPR
617-645-6022
raychel(at)broadpr.com

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 04:26 AM | Comments (0)

Advanced Compliance Solutions Celebrates Earth Day with ENERGY STAR Win

New EPA rules start July 20 for energy efficient electronics and computers; test lab slashes testing for "green" products 25 percent.

Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) April 19, 2007 -- Advanced Compliance Solutions Inc.'s state-of-the-art product testing laboratory has won Environmental Protection Agency certification and is now helping computer makers and other electronics manufacturers comply with the new ENERGY STAR requirements.

The Atlanta company also landed accreditation as a Third Party Testing Laboratory for the California Appliance Efficiency Regulations, which allows ACS to help electronics manufacturers comply with the nation's new regulations.

Advanced Compliance Solutions offers EMC testing, Wireless Certifications, Product Safety, Environmental and product performance testing, as well as other regulatory compliance services worldwide.

As part of its annual Earth Day celebration, ACS is launching its ECOmpliance Program, which gives qualified customers a 25 percent discount on testing on products that have been developed with the specific purpose to "improve the environment." See ACS ECOmpliance Program for more information and how to participate. Earth Day is April 22.

"The EPA estimates that new energy efficient computers and electronics will save individuals and businesses more than $1.8 billion in energy costs over the next five years," said ACS president Scott Proffitt. "I truly believe that the key to solving our pollution problems is through technology innovation. We just want to do our part to encourage their efforts and help people conserve energy."

In addition to saving energy, the EPA's new standards are designed to prevent greenhouse gas emissions equal to the annual emissions of 2.7 million cars. A single home office user who purchases an ENERGY STAR qualified computer, monitor, printer and fax can save enough electricity to light an entire home for more than four years.

The ENERGY STAR specification for computers, game consoles, and other hardware was revised late last year and is effective starting July 20, 2007. The program is voluntary, and was created in 1992 to encourage manufacturers to make energy efficient products.

Advanced Compliance Solutions can test power supplies and consumer audio-video equipment for the California Appliance Efficiency Regulations. ACS can also file the results with the California Energy Commission to comply with the laws that are mandatory in California.

About Advanced Compliance Solutions Inc.

Advanced Compliance Solutions Inc., located just north of Atlanta, Georgia, offers EMC, Product Safety, Wireless Certifications, Environmental and Product Performance testing, and regulatory approval services. More information can be found at www.acstestlab.com.

For more information, contact Scott Proffitt, Advanced Compliance Solutions Inc. president, at 770-831-8048.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 04:26 AM | Comments (0)

Intertek Receives California State Fire Marshal (CSFM) Laboratory Approval Under The States portable Fire Extinguisher Program

Intertek Accreditation Provides Market Entry into California for Fire Extinguisher Manufacturers

Boxborough, MA (PRWEB) April 19, 2007 -- Intertek, a global leader in product testing, inspection and certification, has announced that it has received accreditation from the California State Fire Marshal (CSFM) as an approved fire extinguisher testing agency. The testing apparatus and personnel at Intertek's Vancouver and San Antonio laboratories have been identified as compliant with Chapter 3, Article 1, Section 550.6, Title 19 of the California Code of Regulations.

This designation allows manufacturers of portable fire extinguishers to now test their products with Intertek for product safety certification with the ETL Listed Mark. With the ETL Listed Mark, manufacturers gain market access to California and the rest of North America. This latest accreditation is another building block in Intertek's strategy to build comprehensive testing and certification solutions for Life Safety & Security product manufacturers' seeking North American market access.

Products affected by this new accreditation include:

Water based agent fire extinguisher, tested in accordance with UL 8
Carbon Dioxide fire extinguisher, tested in accordance with UL 154
Dry chemical fire extinguisher, tested in accordance with UL 299
Water fire extinguisher, tested in accordance with UL 626

"Intertek continues to be a preferred choice for product testing and certification. This accreditation from the CSFM for portable fire extinguishers is indicative of the level of expertise we provide to manufacturers, as well as an acknowledgment of the trust placed in us by the Office of the California State Fire Marshal," said Jeff Turcotte, Vice President, Intertek. "This broadens and complements our existing CSFM accreditations for smoke detectors, signaling devices, and other life-saving products on the market."

Intertek Group plc (LSE: ITRK), is a global leader in testing, inspection and certification services, operating in over 930 offices and laboratories in 109 countries throughout the world. Intertek provides access to global markets through its local services, which include product safety testing and certification, EMC testing and performance testing for customers in such industries as life safety and security, wireless technology, building products, home appliances, HVAC, cables and wiring accessories, industrial machinery, medical devices, telecommunications, lighting, automotive, and semiconductor.

Contact Information:
Intertek ETL SEMKO
70 Codman Hill Rd.
Boxborough, MA. 01719
USA

Derek Silva
Field Marketing Manager
derek.silva @ intertek.com
Tel: 978-263-2662
Fax: 978-264-9403
www.intertek-etlsemko.com

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 04:25 AM | Comments (0)

CDF Announces Expansion of Cheertainer Sales Operation

New team to lead expanded direct and channel sales organization focused on aggressively increasing revenues and market share.

Plymouth, MA (PRWEB) April 19, 2007 -- CDF Corporation today announced the expansion of its North American Cheertainer Liquid Packaging System sales operation under the leadership team of Iris Kennedy and Steve Gosling. Ms. Kennedy, who most recently held the position of business development manager, has been promoted to Cheertainer Product Manager. Mr. Gosling, who joined the company on January 8, 2006, has been named Technical Director-New Product Development. Ms. Kennedy will also take on the responsibilities of Cheertainer Sales Manager directing regional sales representatives based in Chicago, IL, Marshfield, MA, San Francisco, CA, and Pittsburgh, PA.

The appointment of these two executives, along with the formation of a supporting inside sales organization led by Cheryl Paul, Assistant Product Manager, represents significant reinforcements that the company believes will lead to increased sales opportunities.

CDF's Cheertainer Packaging System presents, for the first time in North America, a patented bag in box design (in 10, 15 and 20 liter sizes) that can be used in manual fill operations or integrated with optimal semi-automatic and automatic filling equipment, also available through CDF. The liquid packaging system offers product manufacturers choices that will significantly reduce operational, storage, freight and handling costs.

"The Cheertainer product line has been created from day one with sustainability as our goal. Throughout the design and manufacturing process attention has been focused on energy efficient manufacturing and source reduction," said Laura Beechwood, Chief Operating Officer, CDF Corporation. "We have successfully introduced the concept on a pilot basis and are now ready to have first mover advantage with the revolutionary solutions-focused product line. The appointment of Iris Kennedy and Steve Gosling and the strategic expansion into system approach that benefit our customers along the full life cycle of the product will enable us to capitalize on this opportunity across North America."

A 12 year veteran at CDF, Iris Kennedy has held several key operational roles with increasing responsibility including Interim Quality Director and most recently Business Development Manager.

Steve Gosling, who has a degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology, comes to CDF after a successful career with GN Packaging Equipment in Toronto, Canada. Mr. Gosling will be responsible for all technical aspects of the Cheertainer Packaging System.

"With these improvements, we are materially strengthening CDF's overall market coverage and positioning the company to accelerate sales of current and future 10, 15 and 30 liter custom packaging solutions," said Iris Kennedy. "Identifying new applications as well as taking market share of existing bag in box applications by offering system-wide cost savings will be priority number one. I am very excited to lead the sales team with Steve Gosling."

About CDF Corporation
CDF Corporation is a privately held plastic manufacturing company who leads the U.S. market in thermoformed liners for industrial containers. Since its inception in 1971, the company has maintained an energetic entrepreneurial approach to industrial package design, manufacturing and promotion. CDF manufacturers products ranging in sizes from 2.5 gallons to 300 gallons in its Plymouth, Massachusetts, ISO certified facility.

For more information visit: www.cdf1.com.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 04:25 AM | Comments (0)

Rohm and Haas Company Agrees to Acquire Kodak’s Light Management Films Business

PHILADELPHIA & ROCHESTER, N.Y. (BusinessWire EON/PRWEB ) April 19, 2007 -- Rohm and Haas Company (NYSE:ROH) and Eastman Kodak Company (NYSE:EK) have entered into an agreement for Rohm and Haas to acquire Kodak’s Light Management Films business. The business produces advanced films that improve the brightness and efficiency of liquid crystal displays (LCD).

As part of the agreement, Rohm and Haas will acquire the intellectual property (IP) associated with Kodak’s light management films, including patent and trademarks, know-how, trade secrets, the business’s portfolio of current and future products, and a license to additional IP. The acquisition also includes a semiworks facility in Rochester, New York, and the supply of key raw materials. Following the close of the transaction, Rohm and Haas will build a dedicated, high-volume manufacturing facility in Asia. Start-up is planned for early 2008.

“Today’s announcement is an exciting first step in building our Flat Panel Display Technologies business,” said Dr. Yi Hyon Paik, vice president and business group director, Rohm and Haas Electronic Materials. “The addition of advanced light management films complements our growing portfolio of flat panel materials. Kodak has done a great job creating unique display films and establishing an initial market position in Asia. The technology pipeline is deep and well positioned to meet emerging display requirements, especially in the fast-growing LCD TV market,” Paik added.

Robert Cournoyer, general manager of Kodak’s Light Management Films business, noted that the business is an excellent fit with Rohm and Haas. “This is great news for our customers and our people because it puts the business and its capabilities in the hands of a company with a strong track record in the electronic materials industry.”

Kodak, a world leader in imaging technology, has developed a family of light management films used in a variety of applications. The first adaptation of this technology for the flat panel industry uses millions of individual lenses randomly arranged on a polycarbonate film. One of several light management layers in a typical LCD application, this unique film improves brightness, color consistency, and viewing angle while reducing moire, an optical abnormality common in commercial films.

Dr. Pierre Brondeau, Rohm and Haas executive vice president and business group executive, Electronic Materials and Specialty Materials, said that the acquisition supports the company’s strategy to grow its Electronic Materials franchise.

“In late 2006, Rohm and Haas launched its Vision 2010 initiative, a targeted plan to accelerate growth, improve profitability, and aggressively invest in our growth platforms. Our Electronic Materials group has delivered outstanding performance over the last few years, and we believe there’s significant opportunity to expand our position in markets where innovation is paramount,” Brondeau said. “We have pledged to aggressively grow our Electronic Materials business over the next several years, and this acquisition is the first of many steps we’re pursuing to meet that objective.”

Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2007, and Kodak employees associated with the business in Rochester, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, and China are expected to join Rohm and Haas Company’s Electronic Materials business.

Forward Looking Statement

This release includes forward-looking statements. Actual results could vary materially, due to changes in current expectations. The forward-looking statements contained in this announcement concerning demand for products and services and sales forecasts, involve risks and uncertainties and are subject to change based on various factors, including the continued timely development and acceptance of new products and services, the impact of competitive products and pricing, cost of raw materials, natural gas, and other energy sources, and the ability to achieve price increases to offset such cost increases, and the impact of tax and other legislation and regulation in the jurisdictions in which the company operates. Further information about these risks and others can be found in the company's SEC 10-K filing of February 28, 2007.

About Rohm and Haas Company

Leading the way since 1909, Rohm and Haas is a global pioneer in the creation and development of innovative technologies and solutions for the specialty materials industry. The company’s technologies are found in a wide range of markets including: Building and Construction, Electronics, Food and Retail, Household and Personal Care, Industrial Process, Packaging, Paper, Transportation and Water. Our innovative technologies and solutions help to improve life everyday, around the world. Based in Philadelphia, PA, the company generated annual sales of approximately $8.2 billion in 2006. Visit www.rohmhaas.com for more information.

About Rohm and Haas Electronic Materials

Rohm and Haas Electronic Materials develops and delivers innovative material solutions and processes to the electronic and optoelectronic industries. Focused on the circuit board, semiconductor manufacturing, advanced packaging, and flat panel display industries, its products and technologies are integral elements in electronic devices around the world. Additional information about Rohm and Haas Electronic Materials can be found at www.rohmhaas.com.

Post Comment:
Trackback URL: http://www.prweb.com/pingpr.php/Q291cC1Ib3JyLVByb2YtQ3Jhcy1NYWduLVplcm8=

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 04:24 AM | Comments (0)

Accellos Enterprise 3PL v2.8 Adds Features for Resource Management, Labor Tracking, RF Picking; Redesigns Form Set and Navigation Menu

Accellos, Inc., a global provider of warehouse, 3PL, logistics, transportation and mobile fleet management solutions, has introduced Accellos Enterprise 3PL Version 2.8, with new features for warehouse resource management, labor standards, labor requirements forecasting, employee productivity tracking, customer profitability analysis, and menu-optimized system navigation.

Toronto, Ontario (PRWEB) April 19, 2007 -- Accellos, Inc., a global provider of warehouse, 3PL, logistics, transportation and mobile fleet management solutions, today announces the release of Accellos Enterprise 3PL Version 2.8, formerly Delfour SmartEnterprise. This new release encompasses a series of new features for warehouse resource management, labor standards, forecasting labor requirements, employee productivity tracking and customer profitability analysis, along with a redesigned look and feel of the programs and menu optimizing system navigation.

"As a group and singly, these new features can enhance productivity significantly for third party logistics operators, whether at the supervisory-administrative level or on the floor," said Joe Couto, Senior Vice President. "They streamline operations and support increased accuracy while enabling 3PL operators to make more effective use of personnel, space and equipment resources while having an improved view of which clients are profitable or not."

The new features and their functions include:

-Operations board: a new operational board specifically designed for warehouse managers and shift and team managers to view labor requirements for a given facility or across multiple facilities. The system will display the labor requirements and current status of activity. This function also introduces an integrated graphics display of key data for easier viewing. A unique set of alerts have also been introduced, in order to provide management with notification of any activities that are not moving along at the expected speed.

-Indirect time tracking: Accellos Enterprise 3PL now tracks both the time between the start and finish of a given activity (direct time) and the time between the end of one activity and the beginning of the next (indirect time).

-Voice-directed picking: Accellos Enterprise 3PL now supports voice-directed picking using Vocollect Voice for hands-free picking. Users can now set up voice profiles that define Vocollect options and use these options to refine the picking process in terms of customers, carriers, consignees, items, orders and warehouse locations. It can also be combined with scanning.

-Improved User Interface: Accellos Enterprise 3PL has been redesigned in order to improve the ease of use and user experience with programs. New colors, fonts and tabs have been added as part of this change.

-New menu format: A new menu tree has been added. Expert users can still user the command mode menu while new users can use the menu tree. Menu tree submenus can be expanded and/or collapsed by clicking on the "plus" or "minus" icons. As programs are opened, the menu tree expands to indicate the program's position in the tree.

In addition to the new features, Accellos Enterprise 3PL v2.8 includes numerous enhancements to existing features as well as refinements to several documents.

About Accellos Inc.
Accellos is a global provider of, logistics, warehouse, 3PL, transportation and mobile fleet management solutions. Accellos addresses the supply chain management and execution market with warehouse management systems for multiple environments; Microsoft Windows-based transportation management solutions; and in-field mobile resource management solutions. Accellos' powerful supply-chain execution solutions are easy to customize and implement, providing our customers with more innovation for less investment while producing significant savings and greater profitability. Through a culture of innovation, Accellos strikes the perfect balance of customer satisfaction, employee fulfillment and shareholder value, delivering greater profitability and rapid return on investment for our customers and accelerated logistics and warehousing services for the clients they serve. For more information, visit www.accellos.com, www.headwaterinc.com, www.radiobeacon.com.

For more information, contact:
Jody Rubenovitch
Accellos, Inc.
905-695-9999 ext 2041

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 04:23 AM | Comments (0)

Market Demand for Standards-based Electronic Signatures in Document Management Systems Skyrockets

Boston, Massachusetts (PRWEB) April 19, 2007 -- On the ten-year anniversary of the FDA issuance of the final rule for 21 CFR Part 11 for Electronic Records, EDM vendors worldwide are lining up to support the adoption of standards-based electronic signatures (digital signatures) within their solutions. This meets the growing demand for Enterprise Content Management (ECM) vendors to support standards-based electronic signatures for life science, Healthcare, Government, Finance and other industries.

Life Science organizations have driven standards-based Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) electronic signatures from a concept, to a trend, and now to an industry best practice for 21 CFR Part 11 compliance, and other regulations. Standards-based signatures on documents or database transactions eliminate the need for closed and costly proprietary electronic record systems that have burdened business processes between departments, applications and companies for years.

Leading ECM vendors and partners now supporting CoSign® include Oracle®, IBM/FileNet®, OpenText’s Hummingbird®, Laserfiche®, Xerox®, DocuWare®, Microsoft®, and others who have already integrated their systems with the ARX CoSign solution on live implementations and as a standard solution offering.

"Oracle’s customers are now looking to utilize electronic and digital signatures for user authenticity, business process control for financial transactions, and for ensuring electronic pedigree authenticity. Companies are moving beyond electronic recordkeeping just for compliance, and understand the business benefits of improved collaboration, reduced risk and the enforcement of best practices that digital signature technology enables," said John Danese, Life Sciences ERP Product Director at Oracle.

"The bulk of 21 CFR Part 11 compliant document management and workflow systems deployed over the past decade have used a signature component that has been proprietary in nature, and the result is electronic record legacy systems that are painful to maintain," said John Marchioni, Vice President of Business Development, Americas, for ARX, Inc. "It’s very clear the tide is turning, with life science companies requiring standards-based electronic signatures to create signed documents that become self-contained, portable electronic records, providing a tremendous return on investment for these organizations."

CoSign, ARX’s electronic signature solution, is leading the wave of electronic signature adoption with an appliance offering that greatly reduces the cost and complexity of traditional signature deployments. "The growth of CoSign’s use is quite remarkable. Our healthcare and life sciences client base has increased over 1000% in the past two years alone," said Marchioni. "CoSign has driven the Total Cost of Ownership of electronic signature deployments down to 10-15% of traditional PKI deployments in years past. And the server-based architecture, combined with ARX’s extensive application support, drives rapid deployment and user adoption."

"We determined standard PKI-based electronic signatures were the most secure and widely accepted solution for regulatory compliance," said Zikria Syed, CEO of NextDocs – a Microsoft MOSS 2007 Launch Partner.

"CoSign combined with Xerox DocuShare™ and the Sitrof® Compliance Module enables life science organizations to optimize document approval workflows and create electronic records that are self-sustained inside the clients’ organization," said Dan Wheeler, President, Sitrof Technologies, Inc.

"We have seen a growing customer demand for electronic signature solutions initiated both by legislation requirements as well as the need to save on time and costs related to printing, signing and mailing documents," said Tony Heywood, Senior VP EMEA, OpenText ECM (formerly Hummingbird). Hummingbird customer, EFTA (European Free Trade Association) Surveillance Authority, uses CoSign to work with their Hummingbird document management system, doing away with the need for printing, signing and mailing documents, simply for signing purposes.

"CoSign’s capabilities for protecting the integrity of electronic signatures and documents complements Laserfiche’s extensive built-in security features, making ARX a valuable addition to the Laserfiche PDP program," said Hedy Aref, Vice President of Vertical Marketing at Laserfiche.

Ron Janssen, Marketing Director of Square DMS (IBM/FileNet VAR) stated CoSign is "a solution that will enable our customers a smooth migration to electronic signatures and a total paperless environment. CoSign offers our customers a unique integration with their own existing corporate environment that is very simple to use and deploy."

The benefits of CoSign go well beyond 21 CFR Part 11 compliance, enabling life science organizations to eliminate the tremendous costs and time of securing approvals. Industry averages place this human and hard cost at a minimum of $10-20 per document. Furthermore, electronically signed documents do not require any proprietary technology or licenses for recipients to validate authenticity or data integrity. Hence, workflows and electronic submissions are extended beyond the traditional corporate, geographic, and technologic barriers of any single entity to include the extended network of partners collaborating on research, clinical development, regulatory approval and commercial activities.

About CoSign®
CoSign by ARX is a standards-based electronic signature (digital signature) solution. Signing and sealing electronic documents with CoSign will immediately expedite business processes, reduce costs, increase security and help organizations comply with regulations. CoSign electronic signatures are based on standard PKI technology, guaranteeing signer authenticity, data integrity and the non-repudiation of electronic documents.

CoSign supports all major applications and file formats (Word, Excel®, Outlook®, PDF, TIFF, AutoCAD, InfoPath and many more). With a rapid deployment, unique centralized approach, built-in integration with an organization's existing user-management directory systems, and extensive 3rd party application support, CoSign guarantees a quick ROI. For more information please visit www.arx.com/products/cosign.php

About ARX (Algorithmic Research)
ARX has 20 years of experience assisting life sciences, healthcare, financial institutions, governmental organizations and other sectors to secure and streamline their processes and transactions. The company is a global provider of standards-based electronic-signature and information-assurance solutions. ARX offers a wide range of high-end state-of-the-art products and services designed to simplify, secure, and accelerate electronic transactions. ARX products are easy to use and simple to deploy, combining software and hardware solutions for small, medium and large business environments. ARX Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Algorithmic Research Ltd., which went through an MBO process from Cylink Corp, today SafeNet, Inc. (NASDAQ:SFNT).

CoSign is a registered trademark of Algorithmic Research, Ltd. Oracle is a registered trademark of Oracle Corporation and/or its affiliates. All other trade names and trademarks are the property of their respective holders.

Contact:
John Marchioni
ARX
VP Business Development, Americas
+(415) 341-1308
johnmarc arx.com

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 04:19 AM | Comments (0)

Penetron Receives BASTA Registration

ICS Penetron International receives BASTA registration, a system that helps identify and eliminate the use of these highly toxic and dangerous chemical substances from construction products. Penetron continues to provide superior products that are also safe and friendly for the environment. The BASTA system is expected to become an integral part of the European Union Chemicals registration system.

East Setauket, NY (PRWEB) April 19, 2007 -- ICS Penetron International Ltd., a leading manufacturer of integral crystalline waterproofing products, announces the receipt of the BASTA registration.

According to a survey made by the Swedish Chemicals Inspectorate there are over 3,000 chemical substances in construction products. Approximately 35% of the chemical products used by the construction industry contain hazardous substances that cause cancer, are mutagenic or toxic to reproduction or accumulate in our bodies. The large volumes of materials plus the long life span of buildings, increases the impact of these products on our health and environment. By avoiding the use of such substances during the construction process, there is less likely to be dangers to the construction workers, the environment and ultimately to the people who will live and work in these buildings.

In 2003, the Swedish Environmental Research Institute joined forces with notable construction industry leaders, NCC, Skanska, JM and Peab to form the BASTA system as a way to identify and eliminate the use of these highly toxic and dangerous chemical substances from construction products.

In the near future, the BASTA system will become an integral part of the European Union Chemicals registration system, REACH. This coming system of registration will require that the building sectors of all EU countries will have to register its building products chemicals to meet the same demands that Penetron has already met under the BASTA system.

"Penetron is pleased to be registered under the BASTA initiative as it is in keeping with our one of our core goals of providing products that are not only the best performing in their class but that are also safe to both humans and the environment alike," said Robert Revera, CEO of ICS Penetron International Ltd. "This registration underlines our health and environmental responsibilities and our preparedness to meet the coming EU Chemicals legislation, REACH."

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 04:18 AM | Comments (0)

Eggers Industries Selects BuyDesign Guided Selling and Configuration Software from TDCI

Solution will streamline quoting and ordering of premium quality commercial wood doors and related products.

Columbus, OH (PRWEB) April 19, 2007 -- TDCI, Inc. (TDCI), a leading enterprise software solution provider, announced today that Eggers Industries, a leading manufacturer of premium quality architectural wood doors, door frames, architectural plywood and components, has selected TDCI's BuyDesign® software to provide their dealers, distributors and internal sales representatives with advanced product configuration, visualization, quoting and ordering capabilities. BuyDesign is a comprehensive guided selling and configuration solution developed to streamline the sales process for customized products. BuyDesign helps companies that manufacture products with a wide range of features, options, and dimensions increase sales by becoming 'easy to do business with' while at the same time helping them improve profitability by reducing order processing time, cost and errors.

Eggers will implement BuyDesign Channel Sales as an online application accessed by dealers and distributors via the web. The BuyDesign Configurator will also be integrated with Eggers' existing ERP system (Frontier from Friedman Corporation) to provide consistent configuration capabilities across all sales and customer service processes using a single repository of product data. BuyDesign Flex2D will provide dynamic generation of configuration-specific drawings for visualization purposes, and for inclusion in bid packages. In later phases of deployment, additional BuyDesign applications will be considered for the 'interest generation' and 'requirements capture' steps of the sales process.

"We selected BuyDesign because its configuration engine has the flexibility to handle the feature, option, and dimensional configuration requirements of all of our products, and because BuyDesign offers a broad range of supporting applications and deployment models," said Ann Duebner, Eggers VP of Sales and Marketing. "TDCI has extensive experience in the door and window industry, so we also feel confident in their ability to support our aggressive implementation plans."

"BuyDesign's software architecture and integration tools were also an important element," added Bob Rautmann, Eggers Corporate IS Manager. "TDCI showed us that it would be easy to integrate the configuration engine and selling applications with our existing systems and we know the Microsoft technology platform will be easy to manage."

With headquarters in Two Rivers, Wisconsin, and manufacturing facilities in Two Rivers and Neenah, Wisconsin, Eggers Industries is known among Architects, Interior Designers, and Specifiers for premium-quality 5-ply architectural flush doors, true stile & rail doors and architectural plywood and components. Eggers doors have a wide range of options in terms of veneer species, grade, cut, and match; finishes; hardware; light openings; louvers; glass; and packaging. Matching custom paneling, table tops, and components are also manufactured by Eggers. Eggers products are found in commercial, healthcare, educational, hospitality, government and public buildings throughout the United States.

About TDCI and BuyDesign
TDCI is an enterprise solution provider that specializes in helping manufacturers and their distributors streamline the buying process for customized products. TDCI's BuyDesign software is a comprehensive guided selling and configuration solution developed to help companies increase sales by becoming 'easy to do business with' while improving profitability by reducing order processing time, cost, and errors. BuyDesign provides modular components for guided product selection and configuration, product visualization, quoting and ordering, drawing generation and status inquiry. It also includes applications for front-end specification capture from within popular design products such as AutoCAD and others. For more information about TDCI and BuyDesign, visit www.tdci.com.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 04:17 AM | Comments (0)

Massive Silver Jewelry Wholesaler Gobbles up International Competition

International jewelry wholesalers have been shaken up by 925silver4u, who has become the largest wholesaler of jewelry in Thailand. 925silver4u has updated its web-site, added hundreds of products and slashed prices.

Bangkok, Thailand (PRWEB) April 19, 2007 -- Wholesale silver jewelry distributor, 925silver4u.com, one of the largest distributors of wholesale silver jewelry online, announces the addition of more than 1000 new wholesale jewelry product in their site www.925silver4u. Furthermore, 925silver4u has added a whole lot of innovation in their website, including rich blog section, improved category and product descriptions and informative articles.

925silver4u provides full range of wholesale silver jewelry all over the world. Combining creativity, quality and right research they came up with over 1000 new jewelry products to meet the existing demand of the buying public. Rings, pendants, earrings, bracelets and other jewelry are available in different materials combined with silver. The beauty of their products reflects their commitment to help their customers gain success in the jewelry business.

In its effort to help customers, new line of products has also been added including pendant, ring and earring display which are ideal in selling jewelry. 925silver4u is a one-stop-shop for all wholesale jewelry needs. This has attracted the eyes of jewelry owners all over the world. They are capable of helping jewelry owners to increase their profits and grow their business. "It's not just for profit but it's our commitment to help retailers to grow with us. We cannot survive by simply focusing on money; we also need people who trust us."

In the midst of enhancing their products and services, 925silver4u created new rich blog and articles on their home page to communicate with clients; to lead, inspire, provide a vision, give information and engage them to take opportunities in the jewelry business. This is one way of extending their hands to help and guide them. Aside from blogs and articles, better category and product descriptions are also provided to new and existing customers to give them greater ease in buying jewelry online.

http://www.925silver4u.com is committed in providing the best quality products and services to their clients. They can proudly claim their worldwide reputation for authenticity, creativity and innovation.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 04:15 AM | Comments (0)

RoadLoK Motorcycle Locking System Featured on Eddie Trotta's Thunder Cycles

Eddie Trotta's Thunder Cycle design to feature the RoadLoK Motorcycle Locking System on all choppers.

Orange County, NY (PRWEB) April 18, 2007 -- Eddie Trotta, one of the most recognized chopper designers in the world, has chosen the RoadLoK motorcycle locking system to protect his cutting-edge creations.

"You know, I build hundreds of bikes a year, and I know that my customers are actually riding them, so many of them need a way to secure them when they're out on the road. The RoadLoK is the only way they can lock the bike without running the risk of destroying it", commented Trotta.

Eddie Trotta has been using the standard 4-piston billet caliper by HHI for the past several years, so he was familiar with the product and quality when HHI released the RoadLoK® Sniper™. Eric Xavier, Co-Founder and Chief Executive of RoadLoK Security offered, "HHI's superior quality and reputation are the main reasons we contracted them to manufacture our new motorcycle locking system. Simply put, HHI has built our locking system into their 4-piston billet aluminum caliper creating the world's first motorcycle lock that cannot cause damage to the protected bike. We are thrilled that Eddie Trotta has decided to incorporate our locking system on all of his bikes."

Eddie Trotta's Thunder Cycle Design, located at 550 W Sunrise Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale Florida, serves as Trotta's walk-in "art gallery" of custom motorcycle creations. Trotta is known across the industry for his ultra-modern lines and award-winning build-off bikes.

The RoadLoK Motorcycle Locking System is the only motorcycle lock in the world that cannot damage the motorcycle it's protecting. Because the locking system is built into the brake caliper all movement is eliminated when the lock is engaged. No movement means no damage if the rider forgets to unlock the RoadLoK before attempting to ride off. The rider is also relieved of carrying a 'disc lock' or chain while riding because the RoadLoK is permanently mounted to the bike - all the rider has to carry is a very small removable locking pin.

Media Contacts

New Hampton Technologies, LLC
d/b/a RoadLoK Security
Middletown, NY 10940
(845) 343-5191
media(at)roadlok.com

Thunder Cycle Design, Inc.
550 W Sunrise Blvd.
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33311
(954) 763-2100
www.thundercycle.com/info_request.htm

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 04:14 AM | Comments (0)

April 16, 2007

Tstix Tackles Tea, Coffee and Beverage Markets

The Tstix™ package is in the shape of a tube and features thousands of micro-perforations (holes) that deliver products like tea and granulated coffee in a form that is clean, fresh, better tasting and more convenient. To drink, Tstix™ is placed in a cup of boiling water and stirred until the drink is the color and strength of a person's liking. The Tstix™ package acts as a stirring device - eliminating the need for a teaspoon or stirrer - and the associated mess.

Tuckahoe, New York (PRWEB) April 16, 2007 -- Tstix™ is the new-fashioned way to enjoy tea. It's a new twist on an old favorite. Everyday more and more about the health benefits of drinking tea is made public. Tstix™ is the new, stylish way to make that perfect cup of tea. This exciting little package is attracting attention worldwide from people of all ages.

The Tstix™ package is in the shape of a tube and features thousands of micro-perforations (holes) that deliver products like tea and granulated coffee in a form that is clean, fresh, better tasting and more convenient. To drink, Tstix™ is placed in a cup of boiling water and stirred until the drink is the color and strength of a person's liking. The Tstix™ package acts as a stirring device - eliminating the need for a teaspoon or stirrer - and the associated mess.

Geoff Stuart, president and inventor of Tstix™, states "Tea is really just the beginning. Tstix™ perforated stick pack opens up a new market and product delivery opportunities for other products that dissolve, infuse or disperse in liquid. Product possibilities include coffee, soup, chocolate, fruit flavored drinks, vitamins, cough & cold, frozen confections for dissolving in water, milk, liquids, etc. Stick packs have been hugely successful worldwide across several markets. The Tstix™ micro-perforated stick pack is the 21st century replacement to traditional teabags and many instant beverage mixes. It's perfect for cafes, hotels, fast food chains, airlines, workplaces, offices, industrial, institutional, catering and supermarket sale for home use." Geoff adds, "Because it's convenient and so easy to use, Tstix™ is also great for outdoor fitness activities such as backpacking, hiking, camping, etc."

Sanjeet Saxena, marketing manager of PTI, the distributor for Tstix™ in the Americas, states, "The greatest advantage of using Tstix™ instead of a teabag is its convenience and quality. Tea stays fresher longer and has a clean, rich flavor without any bitterness. Tstix™ will help grow the market for tea, instant coffee and will prove to be an innovative packaging solution for other products in the food and pharmaceutical industries."

For information about Tstix™ packaging and equipment, contact PTI, the distributor for Tstix™ in the Americas.

About PTI
PTI Packaging Systems provides end-to-end packaging solutions for pouch, sachet, stick pack, cup and tray filling & sealing applications. Through its diverse distribution, representation and OEM activities, you can rely on focused consultancy services, "gold standard" technology solutions, and unparalleled engineering support. From product development, through market launch, and next generation lightweighting, count on PTI Packaging Systems to offer packaging solutions with a focus on your bottom line.

Please contact Sanjeet Saxena for further information.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 11:42 PM | Comments (0)

Zilliant Experiencing Rapid Adoption By Companies Who Run SAP

Zilliant announced today that since achieving "Powered by NetWeaver" certification, it has seen a significant increase in customers that are running or planning to deploy SAP applications.

Austin, TX (PRWEB) April 16, 2007 -- Zilliant, the leading provider of price optimization and management software, announced today that since achieving "Powered by NetWeaver" certification, it has seen a significant increase in customers that are running or planning to deploy SAP applications. Numerous global corporations including Insight Enterprises, Smith and Nephew, and the Schneider Electric North American Operating Division have selected Zilliant as their data-driven price management solution in part because of Zilliant's compatibility with SAP platforms and applications.

Zilliant attributes this momentum to a combination of factors. Its unique scientific approach to price optimization and management is proven to deliver significant margin lift for manufacturers, high-tech companies and distributors, three of SAP's key verticals. Additionally, Zilliant's Powered by Netweaver certification and its numerous SAP-integrated deployments have validated technical compatibility and ease of integration.

"Our primary reason for selecting Zilliant was their demonstrated ability to help global companies like Insight grow the bottom line," said David Rice, Chief Information Officer for Insight Enterprises. "Their SAP qualifications and expertise have also proven mission-critical, streamlining integration with our mySAP infrastructure and processes."

Zilliant Precision Pricing Suite(TM) (ZPPS) applies proprietary pricing science to transactional and master data from SAP to segment and optimize pricing. In many deployments, ZPPS then feeds these profit-maximizing price recommendations back into SAP in the form of pricing guidelines that help sales people get the best pricing possible on every deal.

"Zilliant is helping us make better pricing decisions on hundreds of quotes everyday," said Neal Lyons, Director of Pricing Strategy for the Schneider Electric North American Operating Division. "Their applications were easy to integrate and adapt to our existing processes and systems."

"Companies are looking for ways to use data from their ERP, order management, and CRM systems to make more informed and profitable decisions," said Greg Peters, Zilliant CEO. "Deploying Zilliant pricing software is a powerful application of this strategy, improving profitability in a matter of months by leveraging data and augmenting existing applications, processes and platforms. Our investments in SAP compatibility and integration have enabled our joint customers to achieve the combined benefits of our solutions in a seamless and scalable fashion."

For more information on how Zilliant can help you maximize your SAP investment, please visit us at upcoming SAP Sapphire '07 events in Atlanta (Booth #1831), April 22-25, 2007, or Vienna (Pod #3.27), May 14-16, 2007.

About Zilliant
Zilliant is the leading provider of price optimization and price management applications for manufacturing, high-tech, distribution and industrial service companies. Zilliant Precision Pricing Suite (ZPPS) uses existing transactional data to improve decisions across all facets of price analysis, setting and execution. ZPPS applications combine powerful price segmentation and optimization science with easy-to-use business applications to help companies achieve the best pricing possible on every deal, increasing profits by tens of millions of dollars. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Zilliant is a privately held company. For more information contact Zilliant at 877.893.1085 or visit www.zilliant.com.

Contact:
Karen Siuda, 512-241-2243
Lori Piening, 512-531-8530
Bill Robbins, 512-241-2237

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 11:41 PM | Comments (0)

A Plus Inplant Office Buildings Qualify for Accelerated Depreciation According to Recent Tax Laws

A Plus inplant offices and buildings can be completely dismantled, relocated and reassembled. Therefore they can be depreciated over 7 years as opposed to 39 years as required for conventional construction.

Lynn, MA (PRWEB) April 16, 2007 -- A Plus Warehouse designs, delivers and installs inplant offices and inplant buildings nationwide. The prefabricated inplant offices are made by National Partitions, PortaKing, Portafab, and other fine names. A Plus Warehouse National Partitions buildings are available nationwide with factory installation. Both the offices and buildings are available with or without load bearing roofs.

A Plus inplant offices can be used as administrative offices, shipping and receiving offices, cafeterias and break rooms, conference rooms, sound, paint and dust enclosures, janitorial supply rooms, clean rooms, plant foreman's office or computer and engineering labs. They also provide prefabricated mezzanines to accompany modular offices.

All systems feature a non-progressive design and easily accessible electrical wire ways for simple reconfigurations or expansions. Inplant modular components are reusable and interchangeable, making moves & changes to a new location possible.

Plus, inplant offices are completed in about 25 percent of the time of permanent construction and can save up to 50 percent of total project costs compared to traditional construction; they also allow drastically reduced down time with no mess, dust or debris.

Often, an inplant office can be installed over the weekend, ready for occupancy (and work) Monday morning in a clean, quiet, comfortable environment.

All material is pre-cut, mitered and comes completely finished requiring no sanding or painting. Customers can choose from a wide variety of materials, finishes and colors allowing owners, architects and contractors the freedom to design offices from high profile administrative offices to industrial applications.

A Plus Warehouse offers the finest structural performance in the industry. The wire studs act as true structural posts, which are capable of carrying increased load and spanning up to 50 feet without the use of additional structural steel or post inserts.

The A Plus design and manufacturing process includes several quality checks to ensure that each job is built to each customer's expectations. For example, customers can add a second story, tear down one big office and construct two smaller ones.

Manufacturing is quality controlled at each step: from raw materials through paint line, resulting in a product that will provide customers with years of maintenance-free use. A Plus Warehouse inplant offices and buildings are rugged and durable, and will continue to meet business facility space needs for years to come.

To learn more about inplant offices and buildings, call A Plus Warehouse today at 800-209-8798 or visit www.apluwhs.com.

About A Plus Warehouse
A Plus Warehouse is an online business-to-business distributor of quality industrial equipment including storage lockers, heavy duty pallet racks, warehouse racks, conveyors, work benches, steel shelving, and dock equipment. With an extensive selection of brand name manufacturers, hard-to-find products and exclusive offerings, A Plus Warehouse has everything a business needs to maintain a high level of efficiency and productivity at one convenient online destination.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 11:40 PM | Comments (0)

Top 50 EMS Providers Enjoyed Above Average Growth in 2006

Manufacturing Market Insider, a newsletter specializing in the EMS (electronics manufacturing services) industry, has released its annual MMI Top 50™ list of the world's largest EMS providers. For the third year in a row, Top 50 growth exceeded 15% with a 2006 increase of 18.4%.

Burlington, VT (PRWEB) April 16, 2007 -- Manufacturing Market Insider, a newsletter specializing in the EMS (electronics manufacturing services) industry, has released its annual MMI Top 50™ list of the world's largest EMS providers. For the third year in a row, Top 50 growth exceeded 15% with a 2006 increase of 18.4%. Top 50 sales in 2006 totaled $129.2 billion, a new high.

"Top 50 growth last year was above what would normally be considered an average year for the EMS industry. That's a tribute to the power of outsourcing. But without the estimated contribution of the largest provider, Hon Hai, growth would have dropped to a more ordinary 11.6%," said John Tuck, editor and publisher of Manufacturing Market Insider.

The minimum sales required to make the Top 50 also increased as the cutoff point went above $200 million for the first time. To join the 2006 Top 50, an EMS provider needed sales of at least $213 million.

MMI Top 50 providers were ranked based on 2006 sales in US dollars. In order, the top five were Hon Hai, Flextronics, Solectron, Jabil Circuit and Sanmina-SCI. A top-ten ranking required $1.97 billion in revenue.

In addition to ranking providers by 2006 sales, MMI Top 50 listings include sales growth, number of employees, number of plants, facility space, space in low-cost regions, number of SMT lines and customer data. This special section was published in the March 2007 edition of MMI.

Founded in 1991, Manufacturing Market Insider is a newsletter providing dedicated monthly coverage of the EMS industry. Available in both printed and electronic form, the newsletter is published by JBT Communications, based in Burlington, VT; phone 802-651-9334; fax 802-651-9336. Annual subscriptions cost $465 in North America. Visit MMI's web site at http://www.mfgmkt.com.

Contact:
John Tuck, publisher
Manufacturing Market Insider
802-651-9334
www.mfgmkt.com

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 11:40 PM | Comments (0)

Announcing the Excel 2007 Edition of the QI Macros SPC Software for Lean Six Sigma

The QI Macros SPC Software is available for immediate download, complete with a new "ribbon" user interface for Excel 2007. The QI Macros have been simplifying process improvement and Lean Six Sigma for tens of thousands of customers since 1996. The QI Macros are an add-in for Microsoft Excel that does the math and draws the graphs required for SPC---Statistical Process Control. It also includes fill-in-the-blank templates for more exotic Six Sigma tools like Design of Experiments (DOE) and Quality Function Deployment (QFD) -- two key elements of Design for Six Sigma.

Denver, CO (PRWEB) April 16, 2007 -- The QI Macros SPC Software is available for immediate download, complete with a new "ribbon" user interface for Excel 2007. The QI Macros have been simplifying process improvement and Lean Six Sigma for tens of thousands of customers since 1996. Thousands of hospitals use the QI Macros to improve clinical outcomes (i.e., fewer deaths, disabilities, and medication errors) and patient flow. Thousands of businesses ranging from automotive suppliers to state and Federal government use the QI Macros to help reduce costs and boost productivity and profitability. The new edition leverages the power of Excel 2007's new "ribbon" to make the QI Macros even easier to use.

Jay Arthur, the creator of the QI Macros, used to spend four-to-eight hours training workers how to choose the right control chart from the seven most common ones. Jay realized that since the QI Macros were already examining the available data, it would be possible to go ahead and choose the most likely chart. Like the "I Feel Lucky" button on Google, the 2007 edition of the QI Macros includes a Control Chart Wizard which can analyze your data and choose the right chart in seconds.

The QI Macros are the "Swiss Army Knife" of tools for companies embracing Lean Six Sigma which combines the speed and quality of the Toyota Production System (TPS). The QI Macros are an add-in for Microsoft Excel that does the math and draws the graphs required for SPC -- Statistical Process Control. It also includes fill-in-the-blank templates for more exotic Six Sigma tools like Design of Experiments (DOE) and Quality Function Deployment (QFD) -- two key elements of Design for Six Sigma. The QI Macros SPC Software contains 20 charts and over 60 fill-in-the-blank templates for simplifying the complexities of Lean Six Sigma.

Readers can download a free, 30-day evaluation copy and user guide at http://www.qimacros.com. They can also sign up for our free Lean Six Sigma Lessons on line email course.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 11:39 PM | Comments (0)

New Lathe & Spindle Alignment Tool for Industry

Pinpoint Laser Systems is now introducing a new measuring and alignment system for lathes, turning equipment, spindles and related machinery. This Spindle Alignment Tool is easy to use, versatile, and affordable for use right on the factory floor. Ideal applications include aligning lathes and turning centers, adjusting boring mills, aligning drive shafts, adjusting barfeeders, and many other industrial applications.

Newburyport, Massachusetts (PRWEB) April 15, 2007 -- Pinpoint Laser Systems is now introducing a new measuring and alignment system for lathes, turning equipment, spindles and related machinery. This Spindle Alignment Tool is easy to use, versatile, and affordable for use right on the factory floor. Ideal applications include aligning lathes and turning centers, adjusting boring mills, aligning drive shafts, adjusting barfeeders, and many other industrial applications. This newest Microgage system provides information on runout, centerline offset, parallelism, concentricity and other useful parameters that can guide machinery back to optimal alignment and improved profits.

This lathe & spindle alignment system is simple and quick to use with a round laser that is secured into a chuck or attached to the end of a shaft or spindle. A dual-axis receiver is placed on the tailstock, tool holder or another piece of equipment that can receive the laser beam. As the laser and the receiver move relative to each other the digital display provides a precise reading of the alignment and machine's characteristics. This new Microgage Spindle Alignment tool can measure to a precision of 0.0001 inch or better and the laser allows for alignments over distances as great as 150 feet. The recent introduction of Pinpoint's newest Microgage 2D brings added precision, easy to follow screen instructions and new optical and digital technology to the alignment of spindles and lathes.

The Spindle Alignment Kit operates on batteries for added convenience and all components are machined of solid anodized aluminum or stainless steel for wear resistance. A serial and USB interface connect to a laptop or PC and link to popular spreadsheets for plotting and analyzing data for maintenance records, customer compliance and other uses. This Microgage system includes a compact carrying case to store the components and is easily carried right out onto the manufacturing floor.

For additional information on this new Spindle Alignment Kit or editorial materials, please contact Pinpoint Laser Systems; 800-757-5383

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 11:38 PM | Comments (0)

April 14, 2007

Solar Innovations Gives Tips on Reducing Energy Costs in Greenhouses

Solar Innovations, a manufacturer of custom and standard design greenhouses, offers money saving ideas on becoming a prosperous greenhouse grower without over paying for energy. The endless alternatives in accessories offered by Solar Innovations, combined with their money saving suggestions, help growers to put together an energy efficient, highly functional greenhouse. Navigate through Solar Innovations Greenhouses pages to review all the greenhouse design options and available accessories.

Myerstown, PA (PRWEB) April 14, 2007 -- Solar Innovations, a manufacturer of custom and standard design greenhouses, offers money saving ideas on becoming a prosperous greenhouse grower without over paying for energy. The endless alternatives in accessories offered by Solar Innovations, combined with their money saving suggestions, help growers to put together an energy efficient, highly functional greenhouse. Navigate through Solar Innovations Greenhouses pages to review all the greenhouse design options and available accessories.

If an existing greenhouse is not energy efficient, many improvements can be made. A few examples include:
- Sealing all air leaks. Caulk and weather-strip window frames, door frames, or any other openings. Lubricate louvers and keep vents in good operating condition to ensure a tight seal. Seal cracks in the walls and repair any holes in the plastic or glass.
- Insulating the existing foundation and sidewalls. Insulate the sides of an existing knee wall with insulation boards; remember to leave a small airspace between the insulation and the sidewall to prevent freezing.
- Using shades or thermal blankets. Up to 85% of greenhouse heat loss happens at night. Shades or thermal blankets can reduce this energy loss by 20-50%. Open shades or thermal blankets six to twelve inches at a time to allow air temperatures to mix naturally, ensuring a less dramatic change in temperature.
- Leaving shades open during snowstorms. This allows heat to reach the roof and prevent snow accumulation.

Solar Innovations' greenhouse designs incorporate numerous energy saving strategies and components. "Solar Innovations will assist the customer in creating the most economical, ideal growing environment by recommending the best control systems and accessories to benefit the customer." Their superior system and accessories are tested and certified to meet the most stringent requirements. Many schools and institutions, including Yale University and Franklin and Marshall College, have chosen Solar Innovations to meet their greenhouse needs. In addition, Solar Innovations is a popular choice for restoration greenhouse projects such as Blithewold Gardens in Rhode Island.

Review Solar Innovations greenhouse shades or any of the available accessories, including heaters, coolers, benches, fans, foggers, misting systems, shelving, hangers, and more when you view the standard greenhouse page or the custom greenhouse page. These pages provide links to greenhouse accessories which describe recommended usage, purpose, and performance to give customers pertinent information for making important purchase decisions.
To obtain more information or review all the greenhouse options Solar Innovations can provide, please contact Solar via their Webpage or call (800) 618-0669. Solar Innovations will provide customers with the most applicable solution for any greenhouse need.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 12:38 AM | Comments (0)

GE, J&J, Joint Genome Institute, and SUNY Buffalo Win Prestigious Ergonomics Awards

Ergonomic teams from GE, Johnson & Johnson and Joint Genome Institute surpassed a field of 28 international companies to each be awarded a coveted Ergo Cup for innovative ergonomics solutions implemented in their facilities. Over 400 companies compete worldwide through elaborate selection processes.

Norcross, GA (PRWEB) April 14, 2007 -- Ergonomic teams from GE, Johnson & Johnson - Belgium, and Joint Genome Institute surpassed a field of 28 international companies to each be awarded a coveted Ergo Cup for innovative ergonomics solutions implemented in their facilities. In its ninth year, the competition is the most stimulating part of the Applied Ergonomics Conference. To add to the excitement, the ergonomic graduate team from SUNY of Buffalo won the first ever Applied Ergonomics Student Design Competition ePrize

Approximately 400 ergonomic teams worldwide competed within their own companies before entering the prominent competition. Twenty-eight were selected from 40 entries. Those selected included companies as diverse in operations and products as Boeing, Bridgestone, Dell, Delta Airlines, GE, Honda, J&J, Mary Kay, Harley Davidson, Toyota, Universal Orlando, and Sunrise Medical. All team exhibits shared their problem/solution stories by video, poster boards and even with costumes. A panel of Master Ergonomists judges the entries. The enthusiasm level was off the charts.

The Ergonomic Center of North Carolina and the Institute of Industrial Engineers sponsor the Ergo Cup, awarding a cup in three categories. Tim McGlothlin, MS, CPE, Executive Director of the Ergonomics Center of North Carolina, commented, "Each year we see more and more entries with increasingly more creative approaches to solving substantial human factor issues faced by the average worker. We're proud to continue to support this outstanding competition."

GE's Energy Learning Center based in Schenectady, New York, was faced with trying to train employees in the "Principles of Ergonomics," a course required for all Ergonomic Site Leaders. With a limited number of instructors and leaders scattered across the globe, the center developed a blended learning course that involves individual self-paced lessons coupled with conference calls with a subject matter expert and a site-specific ergonomics project. This was an innovative approach to offering consistent, engaging, and expertly-developed programming.

Johnson & Johnson -- Belgium's solution to cleaning filters in a chemical production facility won the Ergo Cup in the "Engineering/Ergonomist-based Workplace Solution" category. The team tackled the problem of manually removing filters for cleaning which involved unscrewing and screwing 84 screws, all above shoulder height and reachable only by lying on the ground. Using the "Johnson & Johnson Ergonomic Job Analyzer," this task ranked as the highest ergonomic risk on site. By eliminating the need to replace a cloth filter, the ergonomics risk factors, hand-safety issues and possible industrial hygiene exposures by the employees were all eliminated. There was a measurable increase in productivity with a long term investment cost avoidance of over $1 million dollars.

A team of scientists and engineers from the U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute (DOE JGI) and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) won the "Team-driven Workplace Solutions" category with their "Shake 'N Plate" a simple device designed to alleviate upper body fatigue associated with bacterial culture plating. The device removes almost all of the weight from the operator's arms and, since implementation, has eliminated injuries and improved the process throughput.

First-ever ePrize
SUNY of Buffalo has the distinct honor of being the first to win the Applied Ergonomics Student Design Competition and take home the ePrize. New for the 2007 conference, this competition is sponsored by Auburn Engineers, Inc. and supported by the Institute of Industrial Engineers. Graduate teams from a number of universities entered the competition and four were invited to attend the conference to compete on site with an additional case study to solve using Auburn Engineers, Inc. eTools software. The design challenge provides an ideal opportunity for graduate level students to assess, design and present a solution to a challenging problem in ergonomics. The ePrize judges were amazed at the creativity and said, "The future is in good hands!" Other finalists for this competition were Auburn University, the University of South Dakota, and NYU-Pratt Institute. Dave Alexander, PE, CPE, President of Auburn Engineers, Inc. proudly carried the ePrize throughout the entire Applied Ergonomics Conference until awarding it to SUNY and stated, "I knew that we'd see some creative solutions from our newest budding Ergonomists. I know the teams made great networking contacts while at the conference and we know this event will continue to grow in popularity."

Keynoters
The full conference featured keynote speakers Andrew S. Imada, Ph.D., CPE; Amy May, MS, CPE, Enterprise Ergonomics and Gerald Lancour, Director, both from The Boeing Company; educational sessions including a Master Ergonomist series; benchmarking sessions; vendor and Ergo Cup exhibits; facility tours, and pre- and post-conference in-depth workshops. The 11th Annual Applied Ergonomics conference will be held March 10-13 in Orlando, Florida. Registration is open to the public. For information, call (800) 494-0460.

Ergo Excellence Awards to GE Universal, The Boeing Company, Northrop Grumman, General Electric Rail, and Bridgestone

In addition to the Ergo Cups and the ePrize, five Ergo Excellence Awards were presented based on attendees' voting while at the conference. The Exhibit Hall was abuzz with Ergo Cup demonstrations coupled with exhibitors of ergonomic-related products. There was never a lull on the floor. GE Universal, who won an Ergo Excellence Award for "Presentation" brought Shrek™ in complete costume, to demonstrate the ergonomic improvements the team made to the costume which reduced down time, light duty days, and head injuries of over $80,000 with a $1700 solution.

The Boeing Company's Everett, Washington location, won the Ergo Excellence award in Innovation for their 767 Final Assembly Flap Transmission Installation tool. The flap transmission installation process originally required three mechanics to carry two 138 pound flap transmissions upstairs than manually lift parts into place and bolt them, causing numerous musculoskeletal problems that translated into health and safety costs for the company as well as damage to aircraft parts. The team designed and developed a set of tools to resolve lifting, carrying and holding of the transmission for installation. As a result, lifting and carrying hazards were eliminated and no injuries have occurred, all at a substantial cost saving in time, manpower, health and product costs.

Employees at Northrop Grumman Newport News' site were experiencing wrist injuries due to the difficulty in drilling new holes in a catapult trough on board one of their aircraft carriers. Their solution of designing a "Catapult Multi-function Tool" won them an Ergo Excellence award in the Cost Savings category. The new machine's design condenses several stages into one process, reduces man hours and related accidents and injuries at a total cost savings of over $640K per ship.

General Electric Rail Services, was awarded the Ergonomic Excellence Award for Risk Reduction for their Tank Car Valve Removal System, which was developed at a GE railcar repair facility in Regina, SK. The team eliminated manual lifting and positioning of heavy tank car bottom outlet valves by designing and building a simple and cost effective tool cart, valve jack, and mobile support platform. The highly manual and non-standard task is now significantly more worker-friendly and poses much less risk of personnel injury and fatigue. This also resulted in an estimated $11,700$CDN per year increased capacity for growth.

Bridgestone/USW 1155's entry "Aim High…Simplify" focused on solving the final rework area to positioning tires. The tire would slip, slide and fall off the platform, causing increased risk of shoulder injuries. The team designed a four-peg system that is virtually hands-free and eliminated the entire ergonomic risk factor for less than $75. This ingenuity won them the Ergo Excellence Award for Simplicity.

For a complete description of all entrants as well as a video of prior year's competition, go to www.appliedergo.org.

About IIE
Founded in 1948, the Institute of Industrial Engineers is the premier society dedicated to serving the professional needs of all people involved in improving quality and productivity. IIE produces the Applied Ergonomics conference and supports the Applied Ergonomics community. See www.iienet.org for more information about IIE.

Photos available upon request. Media may attend future conference at no charge.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 12:35 AM | Comments (0)

Fastener Industry Leader Crescent Manufacturing Launches New Website

The new Crescent Manufacturing website reflects why they are a leader in the fastener industry, their ability to change to meet customer needs. Crescent Manufacturing is constantly expanding product lines and specializes in creating custom designed fasteners to client specifications. The new website provides customer services and supports their recent entry into international markets.

Burlington, CT (PRWEB) April 14, 2007 -- Crescent Manufacturing's is proud to announce the launch of their new website and to celebrate their expansion into international markets. Crescent Manufacturing is also becoming a major supplier to the military and aerospace industries.

The collaboration of Crescent Manufacturing and the WSI team has placed Crescent Manufacturers ahead of its competition with a professionally designed website that focuses on quality, responsive customer service, and timely deliveries.

WSI designed the new CrescentManufacturing.com website with fast and friendly customer service features using today's most advanced internet technologies. For example, all pages are printer friendly. In addition, there are easy to use reference charts that compare, contrast and display information for their prospective or current clients. WSI has also assisted in creating a user friendly Inventory list, by clicking on a fastener part it will be automatically loaded into an Inquiry request form. Their sales department, customer service or engineers will respond to all website requests for information.

The new Crescent Manufacturing website features an array of fastener products including a more expansive product description of screws, metric fasteners, mil spec fasteners, Kwik thred, Beta and Beta pro fasteners. The expanded product descriptions compliments the reference charts and parts in inventory pages and will help customers find Crescent's products more efficiently, as well as helping them determine when custom fasteners should be ordered.

Crescent Manufacturing has an e-Club, a monthly newsletter which includes special coupons and discount news. Join now and a coupon will be sent instantly for 10% off your next fastener order. Stop by www.CrescentManufacturing.com.

About Crescent Manufacturing:
Crescent Manufacturing is a leader in supplying fasteners and miniature screws to distributors and OEM's across the country. Competitive pricing and the expansion into the world wide fastener industry has brought clients from Canada, Puerto Rico, Europe and South America. Crescent manufactures and supplies fasteners and miniature screws to many varied industries including telecommunications, aerospace, military and many more. Competitive pricing, timely deliveries under budget is the Crescent Manufacturing commitment.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 12:34 AM | Comments (0)

Executive Vice President of Kinaxis Featured on Better Process Podcast

John Sicard discusses response management strategies and best practices.

Ottawa, Canada (PRWEB) April 13, 2007 -- Kinaxis™ Inc., the leading provider of an on-demand Response Management service, announced that John Sicard, executive vice president of development and service operations, recently interviewed with Better Process Podcast to discuss the emerging challenge manufacturers are facing in responding to constant change across global supply networks.

Better Process Podcast, a daily manufacturing news show, interviewed Sicard to discuss the urgent need for visibility and coordination to drive rapid response to ever-present changes in demand, supply and product. In the approximate 10-minute podcast, host, Ken Rayment speaks with Sicard about why traditional supply chain planning solutions and informal tools like Excel spreadsheets fail to adequately address the issue and how manufacturers, particularly those in the high-tech electronics market, can establish a company-wide competency in Response Management to drive an edge over the competition.

According to Sicard, "Response Management is all about increasing customer satisfaction while improving operating performance in a world of constant change." He explains that, "by engaging the right people empowered with comprehensive information and robust data analysis tools, companies can compress their time to action and reduce supply chain risk across a distributed organization."

Given the volatility in the market and the complexity of today's global supply networks, those manufacturers that can adopt a strategic approach to Response Management can achieve desired customer service levels at the lowest possible cost and with the least amount of inventory risk - turning their ability to respond effectively and efficiently into a compelling competitive advantage.

Listen to this interview at http://www.podcasternews.com/programs/87/better-process-podcast/3922/

About Kinaxis
Kinaxis delivers an on-demand Response Management service for visibility and coordination to drive rapid response to constant change across global supply networks, resulting in breakthroughs in customer service and operating performance. Kinaxis RapidResponse combines multi-enterprise visibility, collaborative "what-if" analysis and rapid decision support to empower front-line staff at brand owners and manufacturers to take quick and effective action when faced with constant changes in demand, supply and product. Global leaders such as Casio, Honeywell, Jabil, Raytheon, Solectron and Benchmark Electronics use Kinaxis RapidResponse to empower their supply networks with superior responsiveness and gain competitive advantage. For more information, visit the Kinaxis web site at kinaxis.com or the company's blog at blog.kinaxis.com.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 12:32 AM | Comments (0)

April 13, 2007

Ken Lochner Joins Jyco Sealing Technologies

Veteran DaimlerChrysler weatherseal specialist Ken Lochner has joined Jyco as an Advanced Sealing Specialist.

Dexter, Michigan (PRWEB) April 13, 2007 -- Veteran DaimlerChrysler weatherseal specialist Ken Lochner has joined Jyco as an Advanced Sealing Specialist. Lochner will be based in Jyco's Michigan engineering center, where his primarily responsibility will be to analyze and consolidate global automotive industry Best Practices in thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV) system design. He will then integrate appropriate Best Practices into Jyco systems and product development opportunities in North America, Europe, Asia and Latin America.

Lochner began his career in 1972 at Chrysler Defense, where he helped develop seat and auxiliary system designs for the US M1 Battle Tank. He moved to Chrysler Automotive in 1976, where he began working with weatherstrip design, and in the 1980s helped develop Chrysler's first flush glass systems. He joined the Chrysler Liberty team in 1991 and was appointed Manager of the Chrysler sealing group in 1993. He moved to Chrysler Sealing Training in 1998, where he became the Weatherstrip Leader for the DC Body Core Team.

Ken Lochner graduated from Wayne State University in 1972 with Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering. He resides in Allen Park, Michigan.

Since its founding in 2000, Jyco has established itself as a world leader in TPV design, engineering and process technology for automotive, heavy truck and RV weathersealing applications. The company has operations in the Belgium, Canada China, Japan, and Mexico and the United States. Jyco's global headquarters is in Dexter, Michigan.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 02:16 AM | Comments (0)

Maytag Appliance Not Working? RepairClinic.com Now Offers Free Online Advice and Parts for Maytag Appliances

Leading appliance repair website helps thousands of people every day with Maytag appliance parts, diagnostics tips and DIY instructions

Canton, Mich. (Vocus/PRWeb ) April 13, 2007 -- Maytag appliance TV commercials are famous for their lonely repairman waiting to get the chance service one of Maytag's dependable products, which include refrigerators, cook-tops, stoves, microwave ovens, dishwashers, washers and dryers. Consumers who do find their appliance has stopped working will often pick up the phone and call the appliance repairman. Surprisingly, many broken appliances can be fixed by people with no experience in appliance repair.

Ken R. of Delray Beach, Florida, recently managed to repair his Maytag oven. "Last November, two days before Thanksgiving, with 30 guests scheduled to arrive, I decided to use the self-cleaning feature on our Maytag oven. Two hours into the four-hour cleaning cycle, the cleaning function stopped with an incomprehensible error message on the control panel. The oven wouldn't work at all."

Ken went online to the Maytag website and learned the oven sensor was faulty. He called a repairman, who couldn't come out for ten days. Then, he ran across RepairClinic.com. Even with RepairClinic.com's overnight part shipping service, the part would not arrive in time for him to repair the oven. So he and his wife changed their Thanksgiving plans to a potluck, ordered the oven sensor from RepairClinic.com, and Ken later made the repair by removing two screws and replacing the temperature sensor.

"RepairClinic.com is the best appliance repair and parts site I've seen," says Ken. "I had never fixed an appliance before, and without RepairClinic.com, I wouldn't have known what to do. It's a great way to save money and time. I highly recommend it."

Consumers can save time and money with appliance repair DIY

Even if it's not obvious what's wrong with the appliance, or which Maytag part is needed, RepairClinic.com, the company's online automated expert, can diagnose the problem. Consumers simply enter the symptoms online and the RepairGuru determines what needs fixing and which parts are required. With RepairClinic.com, homeowners can get their appliances repaired faster, cheaper and with less inconvenience than by calling a technician.

"Nowadays, there are many Maytag appliance problems that can be fixed by consumers, and we can provide the online advice and appliance parts they need to do the job," says Chris Hall, a former appliance technician himself and a founder of RepairClinic.com.

RepairClinic.com makes it easy to find the right appliance part

The RepairClinic.com PartDetective identifies the right appliance part for any repair, and provides a photo, pricing and availability, avoiding complicated "exploded diagrams." Consumers who visit RepairClinic.com can also sign up for a monthly newsletter that provides valuable maintenance tips, straight from the experts. A monthly appliance repair calendar is available, here: http://www.repairclinic.com/0097.asp.

About RepairClinic.com®
RepairClinic.com was founded in 1999 with the idea that armed with the right advice, tools and parts, savvy consumers can extend the life of their appliances, save money, and conserve the environment. Consumers can visit www.RepairClinic.com for free appliance-repair help, or call a customer service representative at (800) 269-2609 for help locating specific appliance parts.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 02:15 AM | Comments (0)

Seattle-based Darwin's Natural Pet Products Eases Consumer Worries During a Troubling Time by Offering Safe, Tasty, and Convenient Alternatives to Commercially Prepared Pet Foods

Pet owners who can't bear the worry of feeding their beloved animals mass-produced pet food after the recent poisoning scare and recall are turning to Darwin's Natural Pet Products (www.darwinspet.com). Darwin's Natural Pet Products made from meat and organic vegetables, and consumers can have their dog and cat's meals delivered directly to their doors. Company Founder Gary Tashjian says that customers have been calling daily and sending emails to express gratitude that they are free from the worries that many pet owners are suffering in light of the national pet food recall.

Seattle, WA (PRWEB) April 13, 2007 -- Pet owners who can't bear the worry of feeding their beloved animals mass-produced pet food after the recent poisoning scare and recall are turning to Darwin's Natural Pet Products (www.darwinspet.com).

Darwin's Natural Pet Products made from meat and organic vegetables, and consumers can have their dog and cat's meals delivered directly to their doors. Company Founder Gary Tashjian says that customers have been calling daily and sending emails to express gratitude that they are free from the worries that many pet owners are suffering in light of the national pet food recall.

Tashjian's mission is to offer convenient, affordable real food for pets. This is good news for those who seek healthy alternatives right now as the national pet food recall creates continued consumer unrest and concern.

One of the things that sets Darwin's apart is the convenience of home delivery. Given today's busy lifestyles, home delivery offers a meaningful benefit. In addition, since Darwin's is delivered direct to consumers from the manufacturer, the prices tend to be significantly lower than similar products sold in stores.

Tashjian says that pet owners who are considering making food for their pets need to be aware of the potential drawbacks of home-cooked meals:

- A poorly formulated diet may do more harm than good to the pet. Pet owners need to research their recipes to assure that they are complete and balanced.
- It takes a large commitment of time and effort to shop and prepare a pet's meals yourself. Most pet owners quickly tire of the task.

Tashjian says, "For those who are worried about commercial food and not ready to make the leap to making their pets' meals themselves, we offer a great alternative." Tashjian says that many of his customers used to make their own pets' meals, yet they now find it more convenient and affordable to purchase Darwin's products instead. He says that Darwin's typical customers care about quality and are comfortable paying a bit more to get it. They understand the connection between what you eat and your health. They will pay more of their disposable income to have quality food. They really appreciate the convenience, as well. They just put the food in the fridge, defrost, and put it in a bowl.

"You are what you eat -and it's as true for our pets as it is for us," Tashjian says," adding, "Yet we've become a 'fast-food nation' of pet owners, feeding our pets food that is designed more for our convenience than their nutrition. Our dogs have the exact same digestive systems and nutritional needs as their wolf ancestors. And, like their ancestors, our pets thrive on food in its natural state - real meat and vegetables, not processed meals, grains and cereals."

The company offers free home delivery from Everett to Tacoma. "We ship anywhere in the lower 48 states and have shipped to Alaska on occasion. The majority of business comes from the Puget Sound region," Tashjian says. Growth has been fueled by word of mouth and referrals from satisfied customers. That growth has increased recently as a result of the increased concerns associated with the nationwide pet food recall. Visit www.darwinspet.com to learn more and place your order.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 02:14 AM | Comments (0)

I-OnAsia Urges US-China Cooperation Against Counterfeits

James Tunkey, I-OnAsia's International Chief Operating Officer states that the Hong Kong headquartered consultancy has handled 3000 intellectual property rights enforcement projects across Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Europe. A historical review of these projects shows that counterfeiting organizations are increasingly sophisticated and global. The best way for combatting counterfeiters is therefore through global enforcement cooperation.

New York, NY (PRWEB) April 13, 2007 -- James Tunkey, I-OnAsia's International Chief Operating Officer, made the following statement after the United States' filing of dispute settlement cases at the World Trade Organization (WTO) involving China's intellectual property rights (IPR) regime:

"Counterfeiting is a global problem whose solution necessitates international cooperation. Counterfeit products are manufactured in many countries. Indeed, the largest and most damaging counterfeit operations are truly global. Funding, technical expertise, access to raw materials as well as supply chain and product distribution management often all come from outside China."

"The increasing sophistication of these global networks presents a number of enforcement challenges. How do governments and companies muster the necessary resources to combat counterfeiters that operate across multiple borders, aided by the Internet?"

"As a world leading brand protection consultancy, I-OnAsia has handled 3000 intellectual property rights enforcement projects across Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Europe. A historical review of these projects shows that counterfeiting organizations are increasingly sophisticated and global. The best way for combatting counterfeiters is therefore through global enforcement cooperation and bilateral dialog."

"China's rural economy is being redirected on an unprecedented scale to urban manufacturing, causing the creation of spare manufacturing capacity (filled with skilled workers who can make nearly anything). To be sure, some of this excess capacity is taken up by counterfeiters."

"Yet, the bosses of global counterfeiting operations are not all Chinese. They hide in a variety of countries behind the mask of the Internet, and take advantage of global electronic marketplaces and distribution networks that are enabling technologies for counterfeiters as well as legitimate commerce. These global counterfeiting operations use modern manufacturing and sourcing techniques to assemble multiple components in a single location, obtained both legitimately and illegally from a variety of sources. Often this assembly (and the home of the masterminds that oversee it) is actually in the United States. Indeed it is important to understand that counterfeiting rings can source their goods or assemble them anywhere. Counterfeiters will happily let Chinese manufacturers and the Chinese government take the blame."

"The challenges of multi-national IPR enforcement in the globalized Internet age make US -China cooperation in the fight against piracy more important, not less. The US and China need to jointly combat global operations that do the most damage to brand owners through closer cooperation between their enforcement offices."

"The Chinese bureaucracy (administrators, law enforcement, and the judiciary) is increasingly experienced in the process of IPR enforcement, and is eager to prosecute infringers. China's tremendous strides in the short period since its accession to the WTO too often go unrecognized."

I-OnAsia (www.ionasia.com.hk) is a Hong Kong headquartered consultancy that provides brand protection support and advisory to multi-national manufacturers. Founded in 2001, I-OnAsia currently works with clients in over 50 countries to measure, manage, and mitigate operational risks such as IPR infringement.

CONTACT:
I-OnAsia
Hong Kong Headquarters +852.2896.4489
New York +1917.608.3476

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 02:13 AM | Comments (0)

T.H.E.M. Helps Nutritional Industry Make the Stick Pack Transition

Sticks packs (single-serve packets) are making a transition into the nutraceutical and pharmaceutical markets with the help of T.H.E.M., Technical Help in Engineering & Marketing, a Marlton, NJ-based company.

Marlton, NJ (PRWEB) April 13, 2007 -- Stick packs are already a staple of the packaging world. While the food and beverage categories are the biggest proponents of single-serve, go-anywhere convenience, the stick pack phenomenon is starting to mushroom in new soil. And the commitment being made to stick packaging by Garden State Nutritionals, a leading national and international custom nutritional manufacturer, is proof positive that single-portion packaging is the new wave of the future in yet another major product category.

According to Peter Hefele, senior vice president of Garden State Nutritionals, the company has a healthy mix of flexible stick packaged products in its pipeline. "We currently produce, and have clients marketing, numerous products available in the stick pack," says Hefele, "with several others in various stages of product development. All will be marketed through traditional national and international channels of distribution with heavy sampling support and an ad budget for each."

Making it easy for Garden State Nutritionals is the company that brought stick pack technology to the U.S., Technical Help in Engineering and Marketing (T.H.E.M.) of Marlton, New Jersey. In fact, you can credit T.H.E.M. for having a hand in almost every stick pack product on the market in North America today.

"Garden State developed a strategic alliance with T.H.E.M in order to deliver to its clients the industry's best-in-class packaging solution focused on portability. Together we are stimulating unprecedented growth in new products and condition-specific categories," explains Hefele.

Hefele credits his business development and product development teams for identifying the need to use stick packs and for following up on recommendations that identified T.H.E.M as the company to bring Garden State into the age of portion-perfect packaging.

"T.H.E.M. has done wonders in supporting our reputation in the area of customer service," says Hefele. "They've been terrific in every phase of product development, including R&D, regulatory and supplier/component management. And they haven't needed much lead time at all, going from test phase to batch development in a matter of weeks. I can honestly say they exceeded my expectations."

That's saying something considering that expectations have been pretty high for T.H.E.M. of late. T.H.E.M. was recently honored as one of the packaging industry's "Most Influential" by Packaging Strategies magazine.

Of course, T.H.E.M. has a reputation for rising to expectations. The company recently increased its production capacity by almost 50% to meet the demand for stick packaging products in just about every conceivable form. As many in the industry will tell you, anything that can be put in a jar, a can, a carton, a tube or a bottle can be put in a stick pack. Formats can include liquids, pastes, creams, agglomerations, lotions, and gels. And the nutraceutical industry has product in every one of those forms and consistencies.

One reason why T.H.E.M. has been such an influence on the packaging world is the company's willingness and ability to help marketers get into stick packaging without getting over their heads. T.H.E.M. is the only U.S.-based company that enables marketers to test and evaluate stick packaging in small volumes. Each of T.H.E.M.'s packaging suites is equipped with state-of-the-art HEPA air handling systems with humidity control.

It's also well known in the industry that all of T.H.E.M.'s facilities meet the industry's highest standards for quality and consistency, and include comprehensive laboratory support to evaluate, test, and launch products in flexible stick packaging. In other words, they are perfectly suited to repackage the world of neutraceuticals into handy stick packs.

Neil Kozarsky, president of T.H.E.M., offered his perspective on why the nutraceutical industry can't get its product into stick packs fast enough. "When you put a product in a stick pack, no one but the end user touches that product before it is used, and each pouch can be made to hold the exact portion for one use, explains Kozarsky. "There's no guesswork when it comes to how much you should use, and there's no waste."

So what's after the neutraceutical market for T.H.E.M and their stick packs? According to Kozarsky, the real model for the future of stick packs in North America is Japan and he should know. He brought the technology from Japan only a few years ago. "Stick packs are already very popular in the nutraceutical, vitamin, and pharmaceutical product categories in markets beyond the U.S., especially in Japan and Europe," says Kozarsky. "But we'll catch up."

As a matter of fact, T.H.E.M. is already working with a number of pharmaceutical companies. Kozarsky explains, "They recognize that if we can meet the quality control demands of the food and nutraceutical markets, we can meet their needs as well."

Founded in 1973 and located in Marlton, New Jersey, T.H.E.M. has served as the gateway for North American companies to find innovative packaging solutions. By monitoring packaging trends globally, T.H.E.M identifies innovations from all over the world and has put them to work for a wide range of companies in North America. Visit http://www.them.net

For more information on T.H.E.M.'s products and services, please contact:
Colleen Morrill
T.H.E.M.
5A Stow Road, Marlton, NJ 08053
Tel: 856-988-8436, x47

For more press information, please contact:
Trish Hamer
Delia Associates
295 Route 22 East,
Suite 102w Whitehouse, NJ 08888
Tel: 908-534-9044
http://www.delianet.com

For a PDF version of this release and the latest news on T.H.E.M., visit http://www.them.net/news.html

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 02:11 AM | Comments (0)

Three Most Important Trends in Industrial Networking and Control

Two new podcasts detailing the three most significant trends in industrial networking and control are now available on www.rtaautomation.com.

Wauwatosa, WI (PRWEB) April 13, 2007 -- Several new market and technology trends are changing the world of industrial networking and control. These trends are putting pressure on automation device suppliers for increased functionality, higher levels of control and advanced networking capabilities.

Detailing these trends and their impact on the automation industry is the subject of two new podcasts available on www.rtaautomation.com. In the podcasts, John Rinaldi, president of Real Time Automation, describes the latest technologies that are making their way to the factory floor, the background on the rush to Ethernet and how open control technologies like IEC1131 are changing the face of industrial control.

Real Time Automation (RTA) is a world class supplier of networking and control automation technologies for the factory floor. You can get software, modules, daughter cards, board level gateways and more for EtherNet/IP, Profinet IO, DeviceNet, AS-i and other industrial networking technologies from RTA. Real Time Automation is also the supplier of the industry leading Serial to PLC gateway.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 02:10 AM | Comments (0)

DRI-STEEM'S New Humidifier System an Energy and Cost Savings Breakthrough

DRI-STEEM® Corporation, developer of industrial and commercial humidification systems, makes a humidification breakthrough with its insulated steam dispersion tubes that significantly reduce costs and reduce wasted energy by up to 85%.

Minneapolis, Minnesota (PRWEB) April 12, 2007 -- DRI-STEEM® announces a new humidification system option -- insulated tubes for Ultra-sorb® and Rapid-sorb® steam dispersion systems. They provide significant energy savings for either new or existing applications: Wasted energy is reduced by up to 85%, and airstream heat gain and dispersion-generated condensate production are also significantly lowered.

"Insulated steam dispersion tubes are a dual breakthrough," explains DRI-STEEM President Jim Van't Land. "They will provide a major energy- and cost-saving option not only for new steam dispersion systems as we move forward, but also as a retrofit for installed systems."

The energy savings from DRI-STEEM's insulated dispersion tubes can provide product payback in less than one year for electric humidification systems and in about 1.5 years for natural gas humidification systems. These substantial cost-saving improvements are achieved by reducing the thermal conductivity of dispersion tubes with polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), an advanced insulation that meets stringent duct/AHU requirements. This robust insulating material has a fire/smoke index of 0/0, and is rated for continuous high-temperature (300 °F) operation.

The PVDF insulating material will not absorb water or support microbial growth, due to its closed-cell construction, and it will not degrade when exposed to UVC germicidal light. Advanced manufacturing processes ensure that the insulation is secured firmly to the dispersion tubes and will not loosen or shift.

To learn more about how insulated dispersion tubes reduce wasted energy by up to 85% while reducing airstream heat gain and condensate production, download DRI-STEEM's white paper and sales brochure available on its website or call 1-800-328-4447.

DRI-STEEM Corporation designs and manufactures humidifiers, dispersion systems, microprocessors, and tools for uninterrupted control of relative humidity. DRI-STEEM earned its reputation as the humidification experts by satisfying customers' unique commercial, industrial, and process-critical specifications without letup for over 40 years.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 02:08 AM | Comments (0)

Aetrex Worldwide, Inc. to Make Debut at the 2007 Boston Marathon (Booth #721)

Aetrex Worldwide, Inc. has announced that they will be exhibiting at the 2007 Boston Marathon from April 13 to 15, 2007. Aetrex is recognized throughout the medical community as the leader in pedorthic footcare products and technologies. The company is continuing their national consumer awareness campaign in Boston to educate marathon runners on the benefits of pedorthic products. Their consumer show debut was at the City of Los Angeles Marathon in March 2007.

Teaneck, NJ (PRWEB) April 12, 2007 -- Aetrex Worldwide, Inc. has announced that they will be exhibiting at the 2007 Boston Marathon from April 13 to 15, 2007. Aetrex is recognized throughout the medical community as the leader in pedorthic footcare products and technologies. The company is continuing their national consumer awareness campaign in Boston to educate marathon runners on the benefits of pedorthic products. Their consumer show debut was at the City of Los Angeles Marathon in March 2007.

Aetrex is best known for its diverse family of footwear and footcare brands including Aetrex Performance Footwear, Lynco Biomechanical Orthotic Systems, Mozaic Customization Technology and Foot.com. In addition, Aetrex is the leading provider of digital analysis technology with its patented iStep Foot Analysis Systems placed in thousands of retailers throughout the world. These products and technologies will be on display at the expo portion of the Boston Marathon to more than 80,000 attendees and among 200 exhibitors.

"Aetrex is thrilled to attend one of the premier athletic events in the world," says Aetrex Director of Brand Development Stu Wittner. "We look forward to presenting our technology and products directly to the running community and working with our local retailers to build the Aetrex brand."

Aetrex plans to showcase the iStep Digital Foot Analysis system, which quickly identifies foot type and pressure points and then immediately recommends the most appropriate footwear and orthotics for an individual's footcare needs. Aetrex will also introduce various footwear including Athletic, Casual, Cross Training and Running styles to marathon attendees. In addition, Aetrex Copper Sole™ Socks a new line of socks designed to reduce odor, bacteria and fungi.

Visitors will receive a complimentary foot scan and be offered a discount coupon to be redeemed at participating retail stores. The 2007 Aetrex "tour" schedule is available at http://aetrex.com/info/schedule_of_events.html. For additional information please contact Stu Wittner at 800-526-2739.

The Boston Marathon is the world's oldest annual marathon and ranks as one of the world's most prestigious road racing events. The Boston Athletic Association manages this American classic, which is sponsored by John Hancock Financial Services. The Boston Marathon has distinguished itself as the pinnacle event within the sport of road racing by virtue of its traditions, longevity and method of gaining entry into the race (via qualification).

Aetrex Worldwide, Inc. is headquartered in Teaneck, NJ and currently employs 170 people, including 30 board certified pedorthists. The 60-year old footwear and footcare company is comprised of three divisions - Aetrex Performance Products, Aetrex Technology & Education, and Apex Therapeutic Footcare.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 02:07 AM | Comments (0)

Phenomenex, Global Leader in Separation Sciences Technology, Announces Acquisition of Two Companies in Italy and Denmark

By Buying Successful, Customer-Focused Distributors in Chromatography Consumables, Torrance-Based Phenomenex Expands E.U. Market Presence and Strengthens Brand Identity

TORRANCE, Calif. (BusinessWire EON/PRWeb ) April 12, 2007 -- Phenomenex, Inc., a global leader in the separation sciences business, announced today that it has acquired Bologna-based Chemtek Analytica S.R.L., a subsidiary of Labservice Analytica S.R.L., and privately-held SupWare, headquartered in Hilleroed, Denmark.

Both companies were exclusive distributors for chromatography products developed by Phenomenex. Terms of the acquisitions were not disclosed.

Phenomenex is a technology pioneer in research and manufacturing chromatography products used in the separation, analysis and purification of pharmaceuticals, biopharmaceuticals and a broad spectrum of chemicals. With projected ’07 sales exceeding $110 million and 465 employees, privately held Phenomenex has offices in Canada, the U.K., Germany, Austria, France, Italy, Denmark, Australia and New Zealand, and also sells its products through a network of partners and distributors in 59 other countries.

“Phenomenex has had long, successful partnerships with these companies, so buying them represents a natural progression for us,” says Fasha Mahjoor, founder and chief executive officer of Phenomenex. “They understand our focus on constant innovation and unyielding drive to maintain our position as the technology leader in chromatography. Both share with us a commitment to stay close to the customer. As members of the growing Phenomenex family, they will play an indispensable role in building a cohesive, unifying, worldwide brand presence.”

Plans call for both companies to assume the Phenomenex corporate identity. In Italy, the company will be called Phenomenex S.R.L. In Denmark, the company will be known as Phenomenex ApS.

“Chemtek has collaborated closely with Phenomenex for more than 20 years,” says Alberto Albieri, newly-appointed sales and marketing manager with Phenomenex S.R.L. and one of the founders and directors of Chemtek Analytica.

“As Phenomenex has emerged as the technology leader in chromatography consumables, we have worked hard doing our part to contribute to its success in Italy. This is a perfect time for our Italian customers, who range from pharmaceutical manufacturers to environmental, petrochemical and healthcare companies, to have direct access to all of the resources of Phenomenex.”

Similar sentiments were offered by Else Togo, general manager of Phenomenex ApS.

“The pace of technology innovations in chromatography products is astounding today,” says Togo. “We have had a long partnership with Phenomenex, and we know its commitment to new product development is second to none. With important customers in life sciences, chemical, biotech, and food and beverage, demand for Phenomenex’s products in Denmark covers the spectrum of chromatography consumables. Providing our customers with a direct pipeline will give us a strong competitive edge.”

The transition process is expected to be brief and seamless. There will be no layoffs or staff reductions. In fact, the teams of both organizations will remain and each anticipates announcing staff expansions sometime in the second quarter.

“Phenomenex has a reputation for leading its peers each year with double digit financial gains, and these strategic acquisitions position us favorably for future growth,” says Bert G. Rietveld, director of business development for Phenomenex. “Being responsive to the needs of our customers in the European Union is critical to our success. That is why these acquisitions are investments in our future.”

About Phenomenex, Inc.

Phenomenex, Inc., a global leader in separation sciences technology, is a privately held corporation headquartered in Torrance, California. Phenomenex is celebrating 25 years of innovation and achievement, marking its birth as a company driven by a constant focus to innovate.

Phenomenex develops, manufactures and distributes chromatography products for the separation, analysis and purification of pharmaceuticals, biopharmaceuticals and a broad spectrum of chemicals. It serves a broad base of customers worldwide involved in the life sciences, environmental, chemical and healthcare industries. With projected ’07 sales exceeding $110 million and 465 employees, Phenomenex spans the globe with offices in Canada, the U.K., Germany, Austria, France, Italy, Denmark, Australia and New Zealand, and also sells its products through a network of partners and distributors in 59 other countries.

For more information, visit www.phenomenex.com.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 02:06 AM | Comments (0)

timeXtender Inc. Enhances timeXtender 2.0 with Quick Cubes

timeXtender Inc. introduces Quick Cubes®, pre-configured data cubes for use with the company's flagship business intelligence solution, timeXtender® 2.0.

Greensboro, NC (PRWEB) April 12, 2007 -- timeXtender Inc. introduces Quick Cubes®, pre-configured data cubes for use with the company's flagship business intelligence solution, timeXtender® 2.0.

"With Quick Cubes, timeXtender users immediately benefit from best practice business intelligence," says Heine Krog Iversen, timeXtender founder and CEO. "This is business intelligence out of the box."

Fully automating the extraction, validation and transformation of data from virtually any source into Online Analytical Processing (OLAP) data cubes, timeXtender 2.0 negates the need for custom computer coding. This automation makes business intelligence faster, easier to use and more affordable, reducing the time and cost of implementation by as much as 80%.

Quick Cubes take it to the next level, accelerating business intelligence implementations with ready-to-use data cubes built on best practices for data cube generation and functionality. The result of years of experience and numerous business intelligence implementations, Quick Cubes are pre-built for specific ERP systems and industries and can be used right out of the box or as a foundation for a customized solution.

"Using timeXtender's intuitive and user-friendly interface, no coding skills are required so it's easy to add dimensions or measures as needed," says Iversen.

Designed for use with Microsoft's business intelligence platform, the premier release of Quick Cubes includes 12 pre-configured data cubes for users of Microsoft Dynamics NAV, Dynamics AX, Dynamics XAL and Dynamics GP.

Quick Cubes enable out-of-the-box analysis for 12 common business areas: customer-related backorders, open orders, transactions and ledger; vendor-related backorders, open orders, transactions and ledger; general ledger; inventory; projects; and CRM.

About timeXtender Inc.
timeXtender is a developer of data warehousing software for business intelligence that is intuitive and simple to use. Based in Denmark, timeXtender has U.S. headquarters in Greensboro, N.C. to support its international partner network and growing worldwide user base. For more information, call 1-877-869-9847 or visit www.timextender.com.

© 2007 timeXtender. timeXtender® is a registered trademark of timeXtender Inc. All rights reserved. All other trademarks are proprietary to their owners.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 02:04 AM | Comments (0)

CIMTEK Names Adrian King as Chief Financial Officer and Jim Noschese as Vice President, Global Sales; Executive Management Team Strengthened to Support International Growth

CIMTEK, Inc., the leader in functional electronic test and test data management solutions, today announced the appointment of Adrian King as Chief Financial Officer and Jim Noschese as Vice President, Global Sales. Both will report to Stan Smith, CEO and President of CIMTEK, and will be responsible for growing and managing the companies' global growth initiatives.

Burlington, Canada (PRWEB) April 12, 2007 -- CIMTEK, Inc. (www.cimtek.com) the leader in functional electronic test and test data management solutions, today announced the appointment of Adrian King as Chief Financial Officer and Jim Noschese as Vice President, Global Sales. Both will report to Stan Smith, CEO and President of CIMTEK, and will be responsible for growing and managing the companies' global growth initiatives.

"I am delighted to have Adrian and Jim on the CIMTEK team. Their combined financial and sales experiences make them ideal additions to CIMTEK," said Stan Smith, CEO and president of CIMTEK. "With both domestic and international experience, they will make critical contributions to the growth of CIMTEK through our existing global customer base and with new customer acquisition."

Adrian King brings a wealth of international experience in finance and public accounting to CIMTEK as the Chief Financial Officer. Prior to joining CIMTEK, Adrian was the Vice President of Finance at Open Ratings, a global supply chain software provider. He successfully raised two rounds of venture capital finance and was instrumental in the successful sale of Open Ratings to Dun and Bradstreet in early 2006. He joined Open Ratings through the acquisition of Gentia Software, where he was Vice President of Finance.

Adrian worked at Deloitte & Touche, earned a bachelors degree and an honors degree in finance and taxation at the University of Natal, South Africa. Adrian is a member of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants.

Jim Noschese brings over 22 years of sales and sales management experience to CIMTEK. As Vice President, Global Sales, Jim is responsible for leveraging CIMTEK's 20 year history of customer satisfaction to new levels of revenue growth and customer acquisition. Prior to joining CIMTEK, Jim was Vice President of Worldwide Sales and services at Open Ratings, a global supply chain software provider. Jim was instrumental in developing sales strategies and customer satisfaction programs that led to consistent growth and the eventual successful acquisition of Open Ratings by Dun and Bradstreet in early 2006. Prior to Open Ratings, Jim was Vice President of Sales at Emptoris, a leading strategic sourcing software provider. Jim also held the Vice President of the central region position at Parametric Technology Corporation and managed sales teams that routinely doubled PTC's growth rate. Jim began his career at Eastman Kodak and served in a variety of sales and marketing roles.

Jim holds a bachelor of arts in economics and an MBA from University of Dallas.

Founded in 1986, CIMTEK is the leader in providing functional electronic test and test data management solutions to the $200B electronics manufacturing industry. With over 6500 systems installed throughout North America, Europe and the Pacific Rim CIMTEK's clients include Microsoft®, Motorola®, Honeywell®, Siemens®, Visteon®, Delphi®, and DuPont®. CIMTEK has broad experience delivering functional electronic test solutions for products in the consumer electronics, avionics, telecommunications and automotive industries. CIMTEK maintains design, support and sales offices in Ontario, Canada; Havant, UK; and various US locations. CIMTEK also has system integrator and distributor partners located in China, Mexico, and Brazil.

CIMTEK - Testing Life's Ideas
Press Relations: Chris Rehl
781.726.6227

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 02:03 AM | Comments (0)

Want the Competitive Edge? Invest in Workplace Literacy

The Workforce Development Board and Literacy Ontario Central South are teaming up to help fight for literacy in the workplace. They are starting a full-force campaign to enlist the help of employers across the province, to take part in this fight. Even a literacy-awareness television commercial has been created to air on local stations, to reach a maximum audience and, in return, get maximum results.

Peterborough, ON (PRWEB) April 12, 2007 -- Imagine a sign at work that read "Wear respirator for lung protection" or "Wear ear protection."

Imagine employees being seriously and fatally injured attempting to use machinery they do not understand.

Imagine a society that rewards individuals who are proficient, and penalizes those who are not.

Now imagine not being able to read or understand what was just written above. But you don't have to imagine…because this problem exists right here in Ontario.

In fact, four in ten Canadians do not have the literacy skills needed to meet increasing demands of modern life and economy. And in a 2003 adult literacy study, 42% of Ontarians scored below adequate literacy levels.

So what can we do??

The Workforce Development Board and Literacy Ontario Central South are teaming up to help fight for literacy in the workplace. They are starting a full-force campaign to enlist the help of employers across the province, to take part in this fight. Even a literacy-awareness television commercial has been created to air on local stations, to reach a maximum audience and, in return, get maximum results.

CEO of the Workforce Development Board, Gord Evans says, "Studies show that improving literacy in the workplace benefits not only the employees, but also the employer. Increased productivity, improved health and safety, and greater employee loyalty are just some of the benefits."

There are many resources available for increasing workplace literacy, but a gap exists between local workplace literacy resources and employers. The Workforce Development Board and Literacy Ontario Central South are working to close that gap.

Employers can get help assessing their employees' needs, designing in-house programs, and linking employees with upgrading and other literacy and basic skills programs. For more information on local resources, free tools, and how you can help improve literacy in the workplace, you can visit www.WorkplaceLiteracy.ca.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 02:02 AM | Comments (0)

April 11, 2007

Trendfield Gold Mining Obtains Gold Permits for Tin Kéradet I, II, III, IV

Preliminary research has shown indications of gold reserves totaling 76,000 oz. at a tested depth from 0 to 50 meters. Indication of Gold values in the vein and rock samples ranged from 0.1 g/t to 200 g/t. Our permits are adjacent to the Tiririne-Harane gold project in Algeria 450 km east of the town of Tamanrasset and located near the Niger border, where reserves are estimated at 481,100 t at a grade of 17.0 g/t Au (Source Ministry of Energy and Mining, Algeria).

Niamey, Niger (PRWEB) April 11, 2007 -- The Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Niger, on Friday April 6th, announced the approval of four exploration permits for Trendfield Gold Mining (TGM), a subsidiary company of Trendfield Holdings Ltd. The exploration permits, Tin Kéradet, covers an area of 2000sq Kilometers. The area is located at the north part of Niger, on the Algerian border.

Previous research was completed on Tin Kéradet by the GeoAfrica Gold Corporation in the 90's with positive results. Preliminary research has shown indications of gold reserves totaling 76, 000 oz. at a tested depth from 0 to 50 meters. Indication of Gold values in the vein and rock samples ranged from 0.1 g/t to 200 g/t. Our permits are adjacent to the Tiririne-Harane gold project in Algeria 450 km east of the town of Tamanrasset and located near the Niger border, where reserves are estimated at 481,100 t at a grade of 17.0 g/t Au (Source Ministry of Energy and Mining, Algeria).

TGM requested the prospecting authorization for Tafassasset, an area covering 56,000 sq kilometers, which includes the Tin Kéradet permits. The area has shown positive indications for gold deposits.

Trendfield Gold Mining was also lauded by the Government of Niger for their project proposal on the Tin Kéradet permit, a three years research program budgeted at USD 3.1 million per permits.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 09:51 PM | Comments (0)

CHAMPS Software, Inc. Announces Release of its New CHAMPS LOCK OUT/TAG OUT (LOTO) Product

CHAMPS LOTO is designed to automate and simplify complex Lockout /Tagout processes and transform any CMMS/EAM into a full blown Integrated Safety Management System.

Crystal River, FL (PRWEB) April 11, 2007 -- CHAMPS Software, Inc. , a leading developer of Computerized Maintenance Management Systems/ Enterprise Asset Management (CMMS/ EAM) solutions, today announced the availability of its newest and most comprehensive Lockout/Tagout system, CHAMPS LOTO. The system is designed to provide integrated safety management functionality for the entire spectrum of operations and maintenance organizations involved in locking and tagging of equipment.

The system will deliver measurable benefits to industrial, commercial, government, educational and other large facilities by ensuring safety of work force during construction, installation, set up, inspection, modification and maintenance of machines or equipment where employees could be exposed to the unexpected energization or release of hazardous energy.

CHAMPS' CMMS Division will implement CHAMPS LOTO as a fully integrated component of CHAMPS CMMS/EAM, as well as, an integrated safety module for any CMMS / EAM product. "Keeping plants operating at peak performance without interruption is why maintenance solutions were originally invented," said Bryan Gay, President of CHAMPS CMMS Division. "Accomplishing this feat fast, while guaranteeing the safety of all the folks involved in the process, is what CHAMPS LOTO is all about."

CHAMPS LOTO is designed to reduce the complexities associated with defining and implementing safety procedures and processes. "Our customers have invested time and money on their maintenance solutions, as well as other operational systems such as ERP and Project Management," said Nigel Pilsbury, CHAMPS Director of R&D. "Now they can further leverage these solutions by integrating CHAMPS LOTO into their plant operations. This simple step will enhance work force safety, shorten outages and improve bottom line profits."

CHAMPS LOTO has been developed in cooperation with users from several industries including; Nuclear Power, Government Agencies, Manufacturing (discrete & process), Pulp and Paper and others.

About CHAMPS
CHAMPS is focused on creating and implementing software solutions that enable large enterprises to optimize the life cycles of their capital assets. These assets include the work force, equipment, facilities, vehicles, tools and spare parts. Efficient acquisition, maintenance, repairs, replacement or salvaging of these critical assets result in operational excellence, leading to decreased cost and increased profits. CHAMPS CMMS is designed to manage work, reduce equipment down time, optimize parts inventory, enforce safety and regulatory compliance, reduce maintenance expenses and improve purchasing efficiencies. With the launch of its BI division, CHAMPS now offers leading BI and CRM solutions for enterprises to enhance customer relations, gain competitive advantage and increase profits. Implementation of CHAMPS solutions results in measurable productivity gains.

For more information on CHAMPS, please visit www.champsinc.com

CONTACT:
Mike Melfi
352-795-2362, ext 226

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 09:49 PM | Comments (0)

Study Finds that 79% of Industrial Marketing Execs Will Increase Online Marketing Spending in 2007

Study reveals that online marketing is producing results for industrial marketers, and the vast majority of manufacturers and distributors plan to ramp up their online marketing efforts in 2007.

Somerset, NJ (PRWEB) April 11, 2007 -- Online marketing budgets are on the rise among industrial marketers with 79% increasing their online marketing budgets in 2007, according to the results of an annual survey of industrial marketing executives conducted by SVM E Business Solutions in cooperation with Fernley & Fernley.

The study, which surveyed more than 350 marketing executives at U.S. based manufacturers and distributors, found that online marketing is producing tangible results for industrial marketers, and the vast majority of respondents plan to ramp up their online marketing efforts to address their most important business challenges in 2007.

"The consistent growth in online marketing spending is a clear indication that industrial marketers recognize the true power of the Web," said Bob DeStefano, president of SVM E-Business Solutions. "Manufacturers and distributors that have truly embraced online marketing understand how the online medium enhances their ability to drive revenues and profits in ways no other medium provides."

Among many significant points, the 2007 E-Business Trends in Manufacturing Report identified the following key industrial marketing trends:

Industrial marketers consider online marketing more effective than traditional marketing
Marketing budgets continue to shift online at the expense of traditional marketing
Lead generation is the top online marketing opportunity for manufacturers and distributors
Companies with a sound and effective online marketing strategy are three times more likely to produce results

To download a copy of the 2007 E-Business Trends in Manufacturing Report, please go to http://www.svmsolutions.com/survey

About SVM E-Business Solutions:
SVM E-Business Solutions is a leading provider of industrial internet marketing solutions focused on delivering measurable business results for manufacturers and ditributors. Founded in 1995, SVM helps companies leverage the Web to drive revenues, control costs and strengthen relationships with customers. For more information, visit SVM on the Web at http://www.svmsolutions.com, or call (877) SVM-EBIZ

About Fernley & Fernley:
Fernley & Fernley, Inc. is a leader in professional association management and one of the first to become dually accredited by both the AMCinstitute and the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE). Fernley & Fernley provides full and project-based management services to over 30 industrial trade associations and professional societies. To learn more about Fernley & Fernley, visit http://www.fernley.com, or call (215) 564-3484

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 09:47 PM | Comments (0)

Symmetricom Adds Internal Reference Oscillator Option to 5120A All-Digital Phase Noise and Allan Deviation Test Set

5120A Combines Ease-of-use, Cost Efficiency and Accuracy for Single Sideband (SSB) Phase Noise and ADEV Measurements

San Jose, CA (PRWEB) April 11, 2007 -- Symmetricom, Inc. (NASDAQ: SYMM), a worldwide leader in precise time and frequency technologies that accelerate the deployment and enable the management of next generation networks, today announced an optional low noise internal reference oscillator for the all-digital 5120A High Performance Phase Noise and Allan Deviation (ADEV) Test Set. With this option, customers can make accurate phase noise and ADEV measurements with a single connection, eliminating the need for an external reference oscillator. Previously, customers needed to provide a low noise reference at the exact test frequency, which was time consuming and costly. The 5120A platform offers a single, easy-to-use instrument for the accurate measurement of single sideband (SSB) phase noise and ADEV.

“The optional 5120A-01 is another significant advancement in the ease-of-use for Symmetricom’s high performance phase noise and Allan Deviation test set,” commented Dr. Samuel Stein, vice president of research and development at Symmetricom. “Highly accurate measurements can be made at the click of a button, all at a fraction of the cost of other available measurement tools. Without the tedious multi-step configuration or calibration routines, the optional low noise internal reference oscillator makes this test set the easiest to use in the world.”

The culmination of over 20 years of research at world-leading laboratories, the 5120A allows customers to easily make highly accurate phase noise and ADEV measurements (down to –175 dBc/Hz and <3E-15 at 1 second, respectively) without any pre-calibration or pre-configuration, unlike other test instruments. While other commercially available phase noise and ADEV test instruments require multiple pieces of equipment and must be precisely calibrated before a measurement, the single box 5120A eliminates this process entirely.

“A calibration by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) confirmed that the submitted 5120A’s measurement accuracy was better than 1 dBc/Hz at frequency offsets between 0.1 and 100,000 Hz,” commented David Howe, project leader for Time and Frequency Metrology at the Time and Frequency division of NIST.

Typically used for short-term stability measurements of high precision oscillators and atomic clocks, Symmetricom time and frequency measurement instruments perform direct digital measurements of the device under test, enabling accurate results to be obtained in a matter of seconds.

Availability
The 5120A and 5120A-01 Phase Noise and Allan Deviation Test Sets are available immediately.

For more information, visit: http://www.symmttm.com/pr_lp/5120A/.

About Symmetricom, Inc.
As a worldwide leader in precise time and frequency products and services, Symmetricom provides “Perfect Timing” to customers around the world. Since 1985, the company’s solutions have helped define the world’s time and frequency standards, delivering precision, reliability and efficiency to wireline and wireless networks, instrumentation and testing applications and network time management. Deployed in more than 90 countries, the company’s synchronization solutions include primary reference sources, building integrated timing supplies (BITS), GPS timing receivers, time and frequency distribution systems, network time servers and ruggedized oscillators. Symmetricom also incorporates technologies including Universal Timing Interface (UTI), Network Time Protocol (NTP), Precision Time Protocol (IEEE 1588), and others supporting the world’s migration to Next Generation Networks (NGN). Symmetricom is based in San Jose, Calif., with offices worldwide. For more information, visit www.symmetricom.com.

Contact:
Raychel Marcotte
BroadPR
617-645-6022

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 09:46 PM | Comments (0)

SLA Selects Cadence Group to Present at 2007 Annual Conference

Selected from over 50 proposals, Cadence Group will present a session on "The Lost Art of Interviewing: How to Hire Without Regret" at SLA National Conference on June 3-6 in Denver, Colorado.
Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) April 11, 2007 -- Cadence Group®, an information and records management services firm based in Atlanta, is pleased to announce that it has been selected by The Special Libraries Association (SLA) to present a session at the SLA 2007 Annual Conference on June 3-6 in Denver, Colorado. The conference creates an environment for networking, communication, learning and other developmental opportunities for information professionals.

SLA selected Cadence Group from over 50 submissions to present a session on "The Lost Art of Interviewing: How to Hire Without Regret." Julie Schein, vice president, and Belinda DeLisser, director of recruiting, for Cadence Group will make the presentation based on their research and experience in helping librarians understand how to hire staff that can be an asset in an information environment.

This session is based on the premise that interviewing and hiring library staff is an as-needed function and receives little training attention. Thus, many librarians are unfamiliar with basic interview techniques. Librarians need to be able to effectively interview candidates about their library-related skills and also need tools to help applicants demonstrate what they know. This presentation will guide the audience through sample interview scenarios, provide lists of questions to ask and not ask, and present information on testing for library specific skills.

"We are excited to participate in the SLA Annual Conference," stated Cadence Group President and CEO, Tina Baker. "Julie has her Masters in Library Science and has worked as a professional librarian in special libraries for more than 20 years. She has a wealth of knowledge and practical experience to share with others. Julie combines her expertise with Belinda, who has exceptional recruiting skills and has elevated our recruiting process for librarians, records managers, and other information professionals to another level since she stepped into the leadership role."

For more than 15 years, special libraries in law firms, corporations and government agencies have used Cadence Group's library services for assessments, library automation, reference/research work, cataloging, abstracting and indexing, training, and when needed, complete library management. Other organizations have used In-forté, Cadence Group's enterprise virtual library solution to save money by aggregating content purchases, then organizing and distributing qualified information to target audiences. "In addition to saving the company money, we were able to acquire research data that was both more comprehensive and actionable than the other alternative we had considered," stated the manager of market research and customer intelligence for a Fortune 100 telecommunications company. For more information about Cadence Group's Virtual/Physical Library solutions, go to the Practice Areas section of http://www.cadence-group.com.

About SLA
SLA is a nonprofit global organization for innovative information professionals and their strategic partners. The organization serves more than 11,000 members in 75 countries in the information profession, including corporate, academic, and government information specialists. SLA promotes and strengthens its members through learning, advocacy, and networking initiatives. For more information, visit the SLA site at http://www.sla.org.

About Cadence Group
Formed in 1988, Cadence Group is a woman-owned information and records management company headquartered in Atlanta with satellite offices in Washington, D.C. and Houston, Texas. Cadence Group combines its experience in information management, library science, and technology services to help clients easily obtain and manage information tailored to their needs. Key practice areas include virtual/physical library services, records management, enterprise content management and research. Cadence Group's clients range from Fortune 500 companies to large government agencies. Cadence Group serves a broad range of industries such as telecommunications, biomedical, financial, retail, transportation, legal, manufacturing, and energy.

For more information about Cadence Group, go to http://www.cadence-group.com. For information about Cadence Group's on-demand research service, go to http://www.cg-research.com.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 09:43 PM | Comments (0)

Alsbridge CEO to Present at Commercial Management Conference on Outsourcing Strategies, Achieving Success

Session to focus on how businesses can influence and set strategic directions for outsourcing.

Dallas, TX (PRWEB) April 11, 2007 -- Ben Trowbridge, CEO of Alsbridge, the award winning outsourcing, shared services and offshoring advisory firm will give a presentation at the annual conference of the International Association for Contract and Commercial Management on Thursday, April 12 in New Orleans. Trowbridge will speak on outsourcing as a strategic business trend, including best practices on planning for outsourcing issues before they arise, and real-world examples of what constitutes outsourcing success.

Other outsourcing industry professionals including Mary Ellen Mitchell, director of global procurement solutions at Office Depot and Michael W. McDaniel, senior executive director of procurement services at Accenture will co-present with Trowbridge. Mitchell and McDaniel will speak to the benefits of outsourcing. Mitchell will discuss Office Depot's recent outsourcing engagement and provide lessons learned from the experience.

"Businesses thinking about outsourcing should definitely take part in this session because rarely do the outsourcing buyer, provider and advisor speak in a collaborative environment about the strategies needed to establish and maintain a sustainable outsourcing relationship," says Trowbridge.

This session begins at 3:45 p.m. and will be held at the Sheraton New Orleans, 500 Canal Street.

The IAACM is a global community of senior contracts, sourcing, and commercial management executives and managers. The 5,000-member organization helps its members develop innovation, best practices, and operational excellence within their organizations, and ultimately, through sharing these goals and methods, to raise professional status and practices on an international basis.

About Alsbridge:
Alsbridge is the award winning global advisory firm, providing unbiased advice and assistance on outsourcing, shared services and offshoring. Alsbridge consultants bring extensive vertical industry expertise and a practical knowledge of all areas within information technology and business process outsourcing. The firm's proven methodology incorporates proprietary collaborative sessions, bringing together executive teams from both the client and the provider in an environment that fosters collaboration. Alsbridge supports its recommendations and assistance through significant investments in proprietary benchmarking and ongoing research within the industry. For more information, visit www.alsbridge.com.

Reader Contact Information:
North America:
Alsbridge 3535 Travis Street Suite 105 Dallas, TX 75204
Tel: 214-696-6410, Fax: 214-239-0698, www.alsbridge.com.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 09:37 PM | Comments (0)

SourceHorizon Expands Strategic Partnership with Cyngus Business Media

SourceHorizon, Inc., the parent company of SourceAuthority.com (www.sourceauthority.com), an emerging leader in the online marketplace sector for contract manufacturing, announced today that it is expanding its strategic partnership with Cygnus Business Media. To enhance its position in providing industrial news to the custom manufacturing sector, Cygnus will be distributing two new email newsletters containing news about the people, trends and technology affecting procurement for custom manufacturing.

Greensboro, NC (PRWEB) April 11, 2007 -- SourceHorizon, Inc., the parent company of SourceAuthority.com (www.sourceauthority.com), an emerging leader in the online marketplace sector for contract manufacturing, announced today that it is expanding its strategic partnership with Cygnus Business Media. To enhance its position in providing industrial news to the custom manufacturing sector, Cygnus will be distributing two new email newsletters containing news about the people, trends and technology affecting procurement for custom manufacturing.

Content for the new RFQ Monthly and RFQ Weekly newsletters will be generated by SourceHorizon, based on the activities of its SourceAuthority.com online marketplace, the only online marketplace focused on U.S. manufacturing. The newsletters will be distributed to more than 90,000 manufacturing decision-makers.

The original strategic partnership between Cygnus and SourceHorizon established the co-branded web site SourceIMD.com. The new arrangement will add a new segment to Cygnus' industrial news coverage and will allow SourceHorizon to directly market its procurement portal, SourceAuthority.com, directly to 90,000+ potential customers. This new marketing venue will add significant momentum to SourceHorizon's track record of steady growth.

SourceHorizon, Inc. offers a full range of sourcing services, including project management and engineering services, to buyers and suppliers in the contract manufacturing market. www.SourceAuthority.com is a product of SourceHorizon which utilizes proprietary technology to create and manage a highly competitive bidding and award environment for U.S. contract manufacturing.

Cygnus Business Media reaches nearly 15 million business owners, executives and professionals annually through its portfolio of over 200 media products. Its four distinct divisions -- Cygnus Publishing, Cygnus Expositions, Cygnus Interactive and Cygnus Custom Marketing -- provide comprehensive, integrated advertising and marketing programs for Cygnus' valued customers and clients. The company's leading business publications, tradeshows, conferences, websites, online products and custom marketing capabilities enhance brand identity, generate sales leads, and build product awareness as they strengthen customer/client relationships. For more information on how Cygnus Business Media can help you achieve your advertising and marketing objectives, visit www.cygnusb2b.com.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 09:28 PM | Comments (0)

Decorative Concrete Follows Gore and Schwarzenegger's "Leed"

A new online resource follows Gore and Swhwarzenegger's 'leed' offering options for consumers to choose Decorative Concrete for building and design. Concrete is becoming noticed as an environmentally friendly choice for people who are getting on board to a 'green' future.

Austin, TX (PRWEB) April 11, 2007 -- A new online decorative concrete resource is on board to a green future. While people are starting to take notice of what Gore and Schwarzenegger have been advocating across the globe, the most widely used material (no not water) in the world is leading the way for a greener future and gaining in popularity.

The product is Concrete.

Concrete is becoming the choice when choosing a smart environmentally green product to build with. It is an extremely durable product that requires much less long-term maintenance when compared to alternate products; not to mention the rating points earned because it emits virtually zero toxic vapors. (Volatile organic compounds.)

The use of concrete for countertops, light emitting concrete, finished colorful cement floors, decorative concrete patios, driveways, polished finishes, and furniture are all being showcased on the website as a way to utilize this eco-friendly product.

Today's decorative concrete technology offers better choices. Instead of tearing out an old concrete slab just so it can be re-poured, it can be resurfaced using micro-thin concrete material and can then be colored and finished. Polishing concrete can add a lustrous shine to a new or existing concrete slab rather than covering it up with a synthetic floor covering material. Technology also offers the ability to acquire a functional yet beautiful finished floor during the initial placement of a concrete slab for new construction projects in both residential and commercial applications.

Schools, retail outlets, institutions, and large chain superstores like Wal-Mart, Home Depot, and Costco Wholesale are all choosing decorative concrete for their design plans. Companies today are committed to sticking with energy efficient, healthier, safer and longer lasting building materials. Concrete fits this profile.

Architects, Designers, Builders and Home Owners are all beginning to realize the green benefits of concrete, and can use the Technical Data and color charts section on the website to help them specify decorative concrete systems for their upcoming projects.

Mark Donaldson, president of The Ideas Media Group Inc. says " There is a growing interest in decorative concrete (the fastest growing segment of the concrete industry) and the options available. We are offering a way to make it easy for the consumer to find reliable, easy to understand information and answers about decorative concrete. They now have a resource available to them to find local concrete contractors, articles, ideas, and suppliers for decorative concrete."

Concreteideas.com is proving true as the fastest growing online resource for decorative concrete with over 60,000 visitors and over 360, 000 page-views per month since launching in January of 2007. Consumers love the relevant articles, inspiring images, and direct links to hundreds of companies, professionals and suppliers in the Decorative Concrete Community.

Anyone can contribute articles, images, and information to the site for free as the site continually strives to be on the cutting edge of the decorative concrete industry and the latest trends.

Maybe Al Gore and Arnold Schwarzenegger will consider using Decorative Concrete for their next project -- that is, if they haven't already?

For additional information visit the site.

Contact: Mark Donaldson
Phone Toll Free: 1-877-904-3327

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 09:27 PM | Comments (0)

New Floor Troughs and Drain Systems from Eagle Feature Unique, Patented "Anti-Splash" Design

Eagle's comprehensive line of anti-splash floor troughs and drain systems is designed for use in foodservice operations as well as other work areas where effective floor drainage is needed.

Clayton, DE (Vocus/PRWeb ) April 11, 2007 -- Eagle's comprehensive line of anti-splash floor troughs and drain systems is designed for use in foodservice operations as well as other work areas where effective floor drainage is needed. One of the unique aspects of the product line is Eagle's patented anti-splash design that incorporates a built-in pitch angle to assure complete drainage, while at the same time preventing waste from splashing back onto the floor.

Made of heavy-duty 14 gauge type 304 stainless steel, Eagle's anti-splash floor troughs are ideal for ensuring complete drainage in a variety of applications including drain-off at kettles, indirect waste drainage at walk-in refrigerated boxes, as well as indirect waste drainage for sinks. The trough's stainless steel waste cup accommodates pipe sizes up to four inches (102 mm) in diameter, and features a removable perforated stainless steel basket. All models are secured with anchor straps.

Eagle floor troughs are available with subway-style stainless steel grating. Or, choose from two super-rugged fiberglass grating options. The conventional fiberglass design features a non-slip grip surface, while a new design featuring extra-wide T-bar grating fully meets ADA guidelines for physically challenged workers. The T-bar design provides a more solid walking area, while preventing objects from falling through. The fiberglass material used in these grates is highly resistant to corrosion, fire, chipping and cracking, in addition to possessing superior skid-resistant properties.

Anti-splash floor troughs and drain systems from Eagle are available in a choice of many standard-sized models to fit 12", 15", 18" and 24" wide openings. Custom sizes are also available. In addition to the unique anti-splash floor trough design, Eagle also offers conventional floor trough designs for use in installations where the extra anti-splash protection is not needed.

For more information on the entire line of floor troughs, drain systems and grating from Eagle, contact Lynda Donavon (ext. 3027) with sales inquiries, or Eagle's Marketing Department (ext. 2706) with inquiries pertaining to marketing support. Telephone: 800-441-8440 or 302-653-3000. Web site address: www.eaglegrp.com.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 09:26 PM | Comments (0)

The Prototyper, Inc., Now Offers Its Customers Sheet Metal Parts In Just Days!

The Prototyper, always taking the lead in helping engineers develop new products, is now offering the development of sheet metal parts in just days. This is perfect for the low volume project under a tight time constraint. We are happy to add this to our long list of options for the development of metal casting and injection molded plastics projects. OEMs need only to deal with one company for all of their prototyping needs. Visit us at www.theprototyper.com

St. Paul, MN (PRWEB) April 11, 2007 -- The Prototyper's sheet metal method takes what we have learned from other rapid prototyping methods and applies it to the sheet metal industry for enclosures, assemblies, brackets, frames, consoles, chassis and complete housings. We start with your 3D data and finish with a completed aluminum, cold roll steel, stainless steel, galvanized and/or copper part, ready to be painted, powder coated, plated and/or silk screened.

Normal unpainted parts take between five and ten business days, but can be expedited for a fee and be ready to ship in as little as two to three business days. Any mechanical or design engineer working in the development of communications devices, medical equipment or computers will find this quick turnarournd invaluable for their sheet metal projects.

The Prototyper's services also extend into production for the development of all types of metal and plastic products. We have established sources in China for injection molding, extrusion, blow molding, die casting, investment and sand castings. Through our East India connection, we offer over sixty designers who are able to provide 2D to 3D conversion, drawing, 3D modeling and reverse engineering.

At The Prototyper we don't sell companies on a technology and make it fit their project. Rather, we present multiple options for the development of projects and help our customers select the one that best fits their needs based on budget, lead-time, material, tolerance and volume of parts.

For more information about The Prototyper, check our web site at www.theprototyper.com. or call Dave Persons at (651) 450-8272

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 09:26 PM | Comments (0)

Iteration2 Strengthens International Presence, Establishes Office in Australia

Leading Microsoft solution provider extends services to Australian and New Zealand markets for Microsoft Dynamics AX and Field Services for Microsoft Dynamics AX Solution.

Sydney, Australia (PRWEB) April 11, 2007 -- Iteration2 (www.iteration2.com), the award winning provider of enterprise-wide business solutions announced today that it has expanded it's global reach by opening a regional office in Australia, as part of their strategy to strengthen international presence by establishing offices in fast growing markets. With this new regional office, Iteration2 will initially offer services for Microsoft Dynamics AX and Field Services for Microsoft Dynamics customers in Australia and New Zealand.

Iteration2's expansion strategy will be to continue it's reputation as the premier Microsoft Dynamics solution provider as well as a leading provider of specialized solutions for specific industries. "We are thrilled to have Australia be the first overseas regional office for Iteration2. We look forward to providing customers with solid solutions based on our enterprise software domain experience, proven methodology, customer satisfaction record and focused vertical market strategy," says Mike Whatley, Director of Sales & Marketing at Iteration2 Australia. "We have provided services for several Australian customers from our headquarters in the United States and are proud to continue our commitment to them locally. We anticipate that Iteration2 will rapidly become one of the top Microsoft Dynamics partners in this region by helping businesses achieve their full potential!"

Microsoft Dynamics AX is an adaptable business-management solution that enables organizations to make business decisions with confidence. Its comprehensive features help automate and streamline financial, customer relationship, business services, human resources management, and supply chain processes. Microsoft Dynamics AX brings together people, processes, and technologies wherever they are located worldwide and helps to increase organizational productivity, effectiveness and business success.

Iteration2's Field Services for Microsoft Dynamics AX solution is designed to automate business processes, providing real-time access to enterprise information while connecting employees via mobile devices. This enables companies to improve performance, productivity and profitability.

About Iteration2
Iteration2 provides its clients with a superior enterprise software implementation experience that is more attractive and affordable than solutions from SAP and Oracle. Combined with Microsoft's integrated technology stack and unsurpassed financial strength, this provides a growth platform for today and tomorrow. Iteration2 is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner and leading provider of Microsoft Dynamics AX, Sharepoint, and Field Services. Iteration2 is the first ever back to back US Microsoft Business Solutions Partner of the Year for 2005 and 2006.

Iteration2's industry focus, enterprise software domain experience, and exceptional capabilities with Dynamics and Microsoft platform and tools provide its clients with clear strategic business advantage. Iteration2 is based in Irvine, California and has sales offices in strategic locations throughout the United States and Australia. Please visit the company's website at www.iteration2.com.

For more information:

Craig Burbidge
Vice President, Marketing
Iteration2
(949) 789-1020

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 09:25 PM | Comments (0)

Arkema Inc. Selects Vocus On-Demand PR Software

Company Will Increase Public Relations Results Using Vocus' PR Management Platform

Lanham, MD (Vocus/PRWeb ) April 10, 2007 -- Vocus, Inc. (NASDAQ: VOCS) a leading provider of on-demand software for public relations management, announced today that Arkema Inc., a world-class producer of plastics and chemicals, has selected Vocus PR software to manage its public relation efforts. Using Vocus' on-demand platform, Arkema hopes to more easily target and locate media opportunities for the company and generate additional news coverage.

Arkema was looking for a solution that would enable them to be more proactive in garnering media coverage for the company and brand products. With Vocus, Arkema will be able to uncover new press opportunities and manage all the PR opportunities for the company's separate divisions within one application.

"As quickly as Arkema grows into new and exciting fields, we expect Vocus will enable us to grow our PR activities just as quickly," said Jim Bell, director of communications at Arkema. "With multiple divisions and outside agencies each responsible for their own individual PR programs, Vocus provides a central location to manage and maintain all of our activities as well as gain insight into the overall PR impact of the company."

The Vocus PR platform optimizes the way organizations communicate with the media and the public. Its on-demand solution enables PR professionals to create targeted media lists, distribute press releases and news, monitor and analyze coverage and manage PR efforts from one application. In addition, its integrated PRWeb platform offers customers direct-to-consumer press release distribution using SEO and social media tools, podcasts and fully integrated multimedia content.

About Vocus, Inc.
Vocus, Inc. (NASDAQ: VOCS) is a leading provider of on-demand software for public relations management. Our web-based software suite helps organizations of all sizes to fundamentally change the way they communicate with both the media and the public, optimizing their public relations and increasing their ability to measure its impact. Our on-demand software addresses the critical functions of public relations including media relations, news distribution and news monitoring. We deliver our solutions over the Internet using a secure, scalable application and system architecture, which allows our customers to eliminate expensive up-front hardware and software costs and to quickly deploy and adopt our on-demand software. Vocus is used by over 1,700 organizations worldwide and is available in five languages. Vocus is based in Lanham, MD with offices in North America, Europe, and Asia. For more information please visit www.vocus.com or call 800.345.5572.

About Arkema.
Arkema is a world-class producer of vinyl products and industrial chemicals - including acrylics, PMMA, thiochemicals, fluorochemicals, and hydrogen peroxide - and of performance products like technical polymers, specialty chemicals, functional additives and urea formaldehyde resins. Arkema is a leading producer in most of its product lines. Arkema's 20 facilities in North America account for 25% of the company's sales.

This release contains "forward-looking" statements that are made pursuant to the Safe Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements that are predictive in nature, that depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, or that include words such as "may," "will," "expects," "projects," "anticipates," "estimates," "believes," "intends," "plans," "should," "seeks," and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual future results to differ materially from those projected or contemplated in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements may be significantly impacted by certain risks and uncertainties described in Vocus' filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 09:25 PM | Comments (0)

Aviation Companies Team to Provide First-Ever Complete Flight Data Monitoring System for General Aviation Aircraft

Modeled on FAA's Flight Operational Quality Assurance Program

Hopkinton, MA (PRWEB) April 10, 2007 -- Systems developer Alakai Technologies Corporation (http://www.alakaitechnologies.com/index.htm), data management and analysis software provider OpenAero (https://www.openaero.com/OpenAero/home.htm) and system integrator and safety analyst, CAPACG (http://www.capacg.com), announced today a teaming agreement to provide an all-in-one Flight Data Monitoring (FDM) solution for piston engine aircraft, such as the Cirrus SR 20 and SR 22, marking the first combined effort to provide general aviators with a “plug-and-play” engine and flight data monitoring, recording, and analysis system. The new package—based on standardized, FAA-approved Flight Operational Quality Assurance (FOQA) programs for commercial aircraft—enables non-commercial aviators to monitor and share engine trend and flight operations data.

While the system leverages the best features of the FOQA model, there are no FAA requirements associated with it. Under the FOQA model, data is de-identified and voluntarily shared in aggregate, allowing contributors to remain anonymous while learning and improving operations from data shared by other owners and operators. Those not interested in this option, however, can use the FDM as an informational program to simply enhance individual operations and performance.

"Flight Data Monitoring and the ability to share data has the potential to become a valuable tool among flight instructors," said J.J. Greenway, chief flight instructor with the AOPA Air Safety Foundation. "Data-sharing opens doors for improved teaching and increased safety possibilities."

The teaming agreement is intended to make the affordable, one-stop shop technology—previously too expensive for general aviation operators -- more user-friendly for Cirrus and other single-engine owners and operators, with plans to expand service to twin-engine aircraft and light jets in the near future. The automatic, predictive FDM system monitors piston engine performance in real time, significantly improving safety and reliability while reducing engine maintenance costs, then provides ground-based analysis and reporting through a web portal.

Flight Data Monitoring (FDM) services provide the following:

Formal risk and resource management for airframes and fleets
Early identification of adverse safety trends
Adherence to Aircraft Operating Manual limitations
Automated monthly, plus on-demand, Airframe/Fleet reporting, analysis & comparisons
Flight reconstruction and visualization for accident/incident investigations
Enhanced maintenance records, with G-loading, flap overspeed, redline, and other warnings
Fuel Management reports

Major benefits of the Flight Data Monitoring system are expected to include reduced aircraft operating and maintenance costs, reduced failures and costly overhauls, enhanced flight safety, improved long-term engine performance and fuel economy, and reduced warranty and insurance premium costs.

Additional information about the FDM “plug-and-play” technology the latest white paper on GA-FDM, and a downloadable brochure on GA-FDM can be found at http://www.capacg.com/reference/docs_PDFs/GA%20FDM%20White%20Paper_v3.pdf

About the Team:

Alakai Technologies is a Hopkinton, Massachusetts-based company that develops, manufactures, and integrates products to enhance aircraft safety. Alakai (pronounced “al-uh-ki”) is the Hawaiian word for “leader” or “guide.” Additional information can be found at http://www.alakai1.com/.

CAPACG is a consulting firm and systems integrator focused on helping hardware and software companies develop products specifically for the General Aviation FDM market. CAPACG is an expert in helping operators develop, implement and operate their FDM programs. Additional information can be found at http://www.capacg.com/.

Open Aero is a data management and analysis software product and services company, based in Virginia Beach, VA. OpenAero specializes in Web-based remote monitoring, centralized expert diagnostic technology, and Condition Based Maintenance solutions for General Aviation. Additional information can be found at https://www.openaero.com/OpenAero/home.htm.

Contact:
Krissy Hanson
For the GA-FDM Team
781-878-8882

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 09:24 PM | Comments (0)

Hutchinson Technology Using Silanis E-Signatures to Reduce Reliance on Paper

The leading disk drive suspension assembly designer has been a Silanis client since 2004.

Montreal, QC (PRWEB) April 10, 2007 -- Hutchinson Technology is one of many organizations to have selected Silanis e-signature solutions to eliminate paper from business processes.

Hutchinson Technology is the world's leading designer and manufacturer of suspension assemblies for hard disk drives, which are critical to disk drive operation and which allow continued improvement to disk drive performance and capacity.

Having first purchased Silanis' ApproveIt® Desktop in 2004, Hutchinson Technology has been leveraging its use of the award-winning e-signature solution ever since.

With the ultimate goal of reducing the amount of paper within the organization, Hutchinson uses ApproveIt Desktop with Microsoft Word and Excel to approve technical documents and auditors' reports. As part of a fully automated workflow, the company is then able to store its electronically signed documents using a product data management solution.

Silanis' electronic signature solutions are unique because they use a digital signature to securely combine the signer's intent with user authentication and data integrity. This "document-centric" approach strengthens the legal enforceability of signed documents.

Increased profitability is often a direct result of re-directing funds previously reserved for paper-related costs, such as printing, shipping, faxing, scanning and data re-keying.

A reduction in data entry-related errors is an additional benefit, with pre-populated documents eliminating the need to re-key information from signed documents into a database.

About Silanis
Founded in 1992, Silanis Technology Inc. is the largest and most experienced provider of electronic signature solutions. More than 1,100 government and commercial organizations, representing two million users, depend on Silanis' solutions to accelerate operations, improve service, and reduce costs.

The company's solutions not only eliminate the inefficiencies of paper, they provide reliable and auditable business records needed to demonstrate compliance with applicable laws, standards, regulations and policies.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 09:23 PM | Comments (0)

Syntex Management Systems, Inc. and Premium Drilling to Share Management System and Safety Best Practices

Syntex Management Systems, Inc. and Premium Drilling will be sharing Management System and Safety best practices with the attendees of the SPE Digital Energy Conference and Exhibition. The sessions will include discussions on utilizing Industry Best Practices to develop a culture of accountability by using proven business processes already employed by many major operators. By starting with an initial scope incident reporting and action item tracking, Premium has formed the backbone of a true accountability system.

Houston, Texas (PRWEB) April 10, 2007 -- Syntex Management Systems, Inc. and Premium Drilling will be sharing Management System and Safety best practices with the attendees of the SPE Digital Energy Conference and Exhibition. The Conference will take place in Houston, TX at the George R. Brown Convention Center, April 11-12, 2007.

A management system is a company's corporate-wide standardized framework of processes and practices used to ensure that an organization can fulfill all tasks required to achieve its operational objectives. Attendees can attend the Poster Sessions & Exhibitor Showcases to hear the case study which will highlight the importance of utilizing a proven Management System Execution Framework that integrates with current systems and technologies. Through utilizing one solution across the enterprise, a company can benefit through improving Health, Safety, & Environmental performance, providing data transparency and enabling accountability across the corporation to provide near real time decision support for both operations and the management team.

The sessions will include discussions on utilizing Industry Best Practices to develop a culture of accountability by using proven business processes already employed by many major operators. By starting with an initial scope incident reporting and action item tracking, Premium has formed the backbone of a true accountability system.

Syntex will also discuss how the IMPACT ERMTM suite of products can help organizations discover how they can improve their risk discovery processes and shrink their risk reduction cycle time. Additional lessons learned regarding the benefits of identifying, mitigating and managing operational risks through enabling risk management across the enterprise will be highlighted at booth #1223.

The SPE Digital Energy Conference and Exhibition brings together hundreds of E&P professionals and information technology experts in the oil and gas industry to explore cutting-edge applications and share innovative best practices that will enhance business performance.

About Syntex Management Systems, Inc.
Syntex Management Systems, Inc. designs, develops, and delivers commercial software solutions for Operational and Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) in multiple industries. Syntex enables organizations around the world to reduce their exposure to loss while implementing continuous process improvement to create an annually renewable impact on their bottom line. Through continuously improving the execution of enterprise-wide management systems, our customers improve their performance across operational, quality, compliance, auditing, reputation, environmental, health, safety and security management functions. As a result, Syntex has unequaled expertise in making our customers successful and protecting their reputations by turning continuous improvement strategies into repeatable practices and policies using the power of our enterprise class software solutions. To learn more about Syntex and our products and services, please visit our Web site at www.syntexsolutions.com.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 09:22 PM | Comments (0)

New Price Comparison Tool announced for Online Discount Hardware Tool and Supply Company

A hardware tool and supply company, RedBoxTools.com, has created a simpler, more efficient method to help hardware tool purchasers evaluate costs, which will increase their savings. By having a Featured Products Section, buyers of discount hardware tools and supplies can quickly and easily realize the amount of their savings.

San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) April 10, 2007 -- RedBox Tools, Inc., the online source for affordable tools, announces a new price comparison feature to help builders, contractors, and other trades, as well as wholesale buyers of discount tools to evaluate procurements and realize significant savings.

Visitors to www.redboxtools.com can immediately see the RedBox Tools prices compared with bulk costs for the same featured product from national and regional retailers. RedBox Tools plans to expand the price comparison feature to most of its more than 20 categories of tools, from air tools to wrenches.

"We are the best-kept secret for builders, contractors, and other trades, as well as wholesale buyers of discount tools, but this new feature will help change that, by emphasizing to buyers how much they can save by using our site for all their tool needs," said RedBox Tools owner Jeffrey Muchnik. "We have discounted prices lower than half of what other retailers charge, and beyond the value, RedBox Tools is convenient with great focus on customer service

Builders, Developers, Electricians, Tilers, Roofers, Auto Mechanics, Consumers who need Home Improvement, cann all see immediate savings by using our Featured Products section.

Examples of quality, discounted tools are calipers, wrenches, drill, saw, hammer, wrench, vise, screwdriver, clamp, and center punch.

For example, RedBox Tools website now outlines how its price for a 12-ton air hydraulic bottle jack is $86.99, compared with $199.99 at Sears; and a nine-piece pipe threader kit costs $39.99 through RedBox, compared with $209.99 at ACE Hardware.

Beyond the savings, RedBox Tools offers a money-back guarantee, shipment usually in one or two business days, how-to guides, and contractor resources. RedBox Tools offers a huge inventory of discount tools in a variety of categories, including automotive, electrical, hardware, machinery, plumbing, power tools, tool kits and boxes, vises, and wrenches.

"The market for generic brands is blossoming, as tool costs rise and those who must purchase a considerable amount of discount tools learn about the potential cost savings," Muchnik said. "Add in the convenience of ordering online, and the attentive customer service of RedBox Tools, and we believe soon it will no longer be a secret."

About Red Box Tools
RedBox Tools, Inc. has been in business since. It is committed to delivering a solid core of retail, low-cost tools to the online marketplace. The company prides itself on excellent customer service, attention to detail, and value - with prices often less than half of other retailers. Family-owned and operated and a corporate citizen, RedBox Tools donated $500 worth of tools to Habitat for Humanity from a burglary at a jobsite a housing project for low-income families. On the Web: www.redboxtools.com.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 09:21 PM | Comments (0)

Small Business Research Board (SBRB) Study: Health Care Costs Again Leading Concern of Small Business; Lower Revenue, Hiring Projections Cause Drop in Small Business Confidence Index According to Latest SBRB Study

Regionally, small businesses in Northeast and Midwest most pessimistic according to SBRB report prepared in conjunction with International Profit Associates. Within the industry categories, confidence in Construction and Contracting sector continues to grow while "Food" business holds steady. Manufacturing and Transportation confidence indexes show significant declines.

Northfield, Il (PRWEB) April 10, 2007 -- The cost of health care has replaced concern about energy and fuel as the leading issue impacting small businesses, according to the latest Small Business Research Board (SBRB) study released here today.

International Profit Associates (IPA) co-sponsored the study. IPA, with more than 1,800 professionals, is the largest privately-held provider of management consulting services to small and medium-size businesses in North America. IPA is based in Buffalo Grove, IL.

The quarterly nationwide poll of small business owners and managers indicated that concern about health care costs is the leading issue in three of the four regions throughout the country and in two of the four business categories in which individualized data is reported. Small businesses in the Northeast, Midwest and South/Southwest reported that health care costs were the leading concern. Construction and contracting companies along with manufacturing firms nationwide concurred. Health care costs tied as the second greatest issue among food service and processing companies and was the third great concern among transportation businesses.

Health care costs were the second greatest issue as reported in the previous study conducted during the fourth quarter of 2006. Energy and fuel costs were identified as the leading issue during the prior report and didn't finish among the current study's top three. Concerns about economic conditions and the issue of taxes finished second and third behind health care costs.

"It is interesting to note that purely domestic issues such as concerns about health care and taxes have overtaken worries about energy and fuel as the leading issues faced by small businesses," said Gregg Steinberg, President of IPA.

"Energy and fuel availability and costs have leveled considerably reducing the uncertainties and gyrating costs that caused business owners and managers so much grief. Meanwhile, these same businesses are being challenged by much more time sensitive beginning of the year issues such as renewal of health care insurance coverage with higher premium amounts and the planning, preparation and filing of corporate and personal tax returns," Steinberg added.

Overall, respondents participating in the current survey are sending a mixed message about their faith in the economy. The national SBRB Small Business Confidence Index (SBCI) dropped nearly two points to 40.78 from the 42.71 in the prior quarter. While concern about the economy is now the second leading issue, the slight decrease can be more attributed to far lower revenue estimates and hiring projections for the next 12 months. Opinions and projections about the strength of the economy, revenues and hiring looking forward 12 months are the three key ingredients to determining the SBCI and providing the basis for quarterly and annual comparisons.

Nationally, 40.07% of the respondents believe the economy will improve during the next 12 months, up from the 39% from the winter 2006 quarter. However, 53.71% of the respondents believe their revenues will increase during the same period, a decrease of nearly five points from the 58.5% who forecasted improved revenues late in 2006. Furthermore, small businesses are reducing hiring projections with 28.71% of the respondents noting their intention to increase staffing, which is a decline from the 31% previously recorded.

"Businesses are less optimistic than the previous quarter about the strength of the economy and recognize the need to change their revenue projections and hiring plans. It appears that more business owners and managers are prepared to be both realistic in modifying their revenue predictions and pro-active in adjusting their hiring levels should it be necessary," said Steinberg.

REGIONAL RESULTS

The confidence of small business registered declines in the Northeast by slightly less than three points to 40.3 and in the Midwest by nearly 10 points to 32.33. The drop in the Midwest was precipitated by declines in all three measurement categories demonstrating deep pessimism about business prospects for the next 12 months. Meanwhile, small businesses in the South / Southwest and Mountain States and West Cost are more optimistic, each reporting higher SBCI tallies of 42.67 and 49.98 respectively.

INDUSTRY RESULTS

The construction and contracting industry reported a second consecutive quarter with an increased SBCI. The sector's SBCI rose to 43.4. more than one point better than its previous 42.04 score from late last year. This is a positive sign for the industry, which had an SBCI of under 31 points in the third quarter if 2006.

The food service and food processing category held steady with an SBCI of 38.03, a slight decrease from the 38.8 that was previously recorded.

Transportation companies appear to be the most pessimistic of the industries measured, reporting nearly a 10 point decline in its SBCI to 36.1 from 45.7. Transportation companies 12 month revenue estimates are far less than the estimates rendered in the final 2006 study.

Manufacturing also are less optimistic about revenues during the next 12 months as well as hiring needs. These factors combined to drop the Manufacturing SBCI to 37.0 from 43.2

The Small Business Research Board ascertains and reports the opinions of small business owners and managers on a wide variety of topics related to their own businesses as well as national and international issues that may impact their operations. The SBRB conducts these studies for the benefit of small business owners and managers. The SBRB also provides opportunities for third parties to gain real time insight into the attitudes of small businesses nationwide through the independently conducted research.

The universe of participants is developed from among small businesses across the United States. More than 550 small business owners and senior managers participated in this SBRB poll. The SBRB study is a voluntary survey conducted via phone and email.

The latest information about the Small Business Research Board can be found at www.ipasbrb.com.

International Profit Associates, Inc. (IPA) is the largest privately-held provider of management consulting services to small and medium-size businesses in North America. IPA and its more than 1,800 professionals offer a wide range of proven and innovative methodologies to help businesses grow and prosper regardless of the economic cycle. IPA either provides directly or through its affiliated companies a comprehensive array of business advisory services, tax and estate planning services or merger, acquisition and other financial advisory services in the United States and Canada. More information about IPA can be found at www.ipa-iba.com.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 09:20 PM | Comments (0)

USGBC Research Committee Identifies Federal Funding Gap

Green building research only 0.2% of all Federally funded research while building operations in the U.S. consume 40% of energy; 71% of electricity and are responsible for 38% of CO2 emissions.

Washington, DC (Vocus/PRWeb ) April 10, 2007 -- The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Research Committee has called for a higher level of funding for research that will advance building design, technology and operations that minimize environmental and human health impacts. A new report published by the Committee, Green Building Research Funding: An Assessment of Current Activity in the United States (http://www.usgbc.org/ShowFile.aspx?DocumentID=2465), finds that research related to high-performance green building practices and technologies amounts to only 0.2% of all Federally funded research -- an annual average of $193 million per year (2002-2005) and only 0.02% of the estimated value of annual U.S. building construction and renovation. Meanwhile, building operation consumes 40% of energy and 71% of the electricity in the U.S., and accounts for 38% of the country's carbon dioxide emissions, which is directly influencing global climate change. The building sector requires exponential performance improvements pursuant to its critical role in environmental problems and solutions, and funding for research, development and deployment activities must be significantly expanded to meet this need.

The Committee, created in 2006, responded to the funding assessment report's findings with an official position paper (http://www.usgbc.org/ShowFile.aspx?DocumentID=2464) which recommends increasing research in areas such as energy and water security, global climate change prevention, indoor environmental quality, and passive survivability in the face of natural and man-made disasters.

"Funding levels are not proportionate with the level of impact that the built environment has on our nation's economy, environment and quality of life," said Gail Brager, Chair of USGBC's Research Committee. "Elevated research efforts will enable a major shift in design, construction, renovation and operation practices necessary to facilitate large scale improvements to health and environmental conditions."

USGBC initially recommends that the two Federal agencies with the primary function of funding academic research -- the National Science Foundation and the National Institute of Health -- direct at least 2% of their research budgets toward issues related to green building research, development and technology transfer in the near term.

Federal agencies recognized for their leadership and encouraged to devote more research funds to green building topics include the Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Department of Housing and Urban Development, General Services Administration, Department of Defense, and the Department of Health and Human Services (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).

For the purpose of having a simple benchmark, the USGBC Research Committee proposes a total conservative investment for Federal funding of 0.10% of annual construction value ($1 trillion), or $1 billion (based on 2004 data).

In addition, states should follow the lead of New York and California, which provide unique and positive models for the distribution of state and utility monies for research on increasing the energy and resource efficiency of the built environment.

About USGBC
The U.S. Green Building Council is the nation's leading coalition of corporations, builders, universities, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations working together to transform the way buildings are designed, built and operated. Green buildings are environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places to live and work. Since its founding in 1993, the Council has grown to more than 7,700 member companies and organizations, an 85-person professional staff, a broad portfolio of LEED® green building products and services, the industry's popular Greenbuild International Conference and Expo (www.greenbuildexpo.org) and a network of over 70 local chapters, affiliates and organizing groups.

Contact:
Ashley Katz
202-742-3738
http://www.usgbc.org/

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 09:19 PM | Comments (0)

EquipNet Launches Services in Puerto Rico

Expands Consignment Warehousing to the Caribbean

Coamo, Puerto Rico (PRWEB) April 10, 2007 -- EquipNet, Inc. (http://www.equipnet.com), a leading provider of proactive asset management solutions, today announced the opening of a 60,000 square foot warehouse space in Coamo, Puerto Rico. The site provides full-service consignment services to the Caribbean and beyond.

The facility allows buyers to inspect a large inventory of pre-owned industrial machinery at one time while providing sellers a cost-effective way to store and market their inventory.

"Many of our top clients, world leaders in their industries, have locations in Puerto Rico," said Roger Gallo, President & CEO of EquipNet. "It's a natural choice to have a consignment warehouse close to the supply and also have it easily accessed from North, South, and Central America."

The site currently houses inventory from local facilities including Bristol Meyer Squibb, Colgate-Palmolive, GlaxoSmithKline, and others. In conjunction with large processing and packaging assets, EquipNet is also managing the disposition of MRO and Parts inventories from many of the same clients.

About EquipNet, Inc.
EquipNet is a leading provider of proactive asset management solutions and services to leading corporations such as AstraZeneca, Colgate-Palmolive, Eastman Chemical, GlaxoSmithKline, and Novartis. Its vision is to revolutionize the way companies manage their surplus assets. EquipNet has earned a reputation for helping clients maximize their financial return, avoid the risks associated with health, safety and environmental hazards, and theft, and to be in compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley. For more information, please visit www.EquipNet.com.

About VIZION Interactive:
VIZION Interactive, Inc. (www.vizioninteractive.com) is a Dallas-based Search Engine Optimization, Search Engine Marketing, Website Design, Interactive Marketing, Social Marketing, PR, and Web Development Company dedicated to empowering clients to make informed decisions that deliver measurable results.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 09:18 PM | Comments (0)

JobOps Releases White Paper Documenting the Business Case for Integrated ERP and Job Management

JobOps white paper focuses on challenges of make-to-order manufacturers.

Minneapolis, MN (PRWEB) April 10, 2007 -- JobOps, a Job Management Software solution developed for Sage MAS 90 and Sage MAS 200 ERP systems, announced today that it has published a white paper documenting the business case for integrated ERP and Job Management. The white paper covers topics such as on-time delivery, profitability and the challenges that make-to-order manufacturers face in realizing operational effectiveness in the competitive manufacturing market. The paper also includes many real-life examples taken from JobOps' extensive client base of small to mid-sized manufacturing companies. The new white paper is available free of charge at its Web site at www.jobops.com.

According to Randy Stone, JobOps Director of Sales and Business Development, "In today's market, operational excellence is essential to success. Customers can pick and choose with whom they will do business. Even small errors can cause them to go looking for alternatives. To offer competitive pricing, organizations must have strong cost control measures and excellent visibility into profitability.

"A fully integrated software system that connects data in all aspects of the business, from accounting to sales to the shop floor, can give organizations the edge that differentiates them from the competition. Over the last two decades, business management software systems have steadily evolved and become both more capable and more affordable. Today, even small to mid-sized manufacturers can leverage an integrated system to enjoy greater profitability and enhanced customer satisfaction."

About JobOps and Synergistic Software
JobOps is a suite of integrated modules for the award-winning Sage MAS 90 ERP and Sage MAS 200 ERP systems and is published by Synergistic Software Solutions, LLC. a wholly-owned subsidiary of BDO Seidman, LLP. More than 500 customers, representing over 5,000 end-users have selected JobOps to power their custom job management operations and workflow. Synergistic Software Solutions is a provider of Sage MAS 90 and MAS 200 accounting and business solutions for small and mid-sized businesses. The company is based in Minneapolis, Minnesota and has a network of JobOps Solution Providers throughout the U.S. For more information visit the JobOps Web site at www.jobops.com or call 612.367.7300 or 800.815.8483.

JobOps is a trademark of BDO Seidman, LLP, and Synergistic Software Solutions, LLC, is a registered trademark of BDO Seidman, LLP. Sage Software, the Sage Software logos, and the Sage Software product and service names mentioned herein are registered trademarks or trademarks of Sage Software, Inc., or its affiliated entities. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 09:10 PM | Comments (0)

International Hologram Manufacturers Association Invites Excellence in Holography 2007 Award Nominations

The International Hologram Manufacturers Association (IHMA), now in its 14th year, is preparing for the annual Excellence in Holography Awards which are due to take place on November 15th 2007. The IHMA are currently inviting external nominations in six categories celebrating excellence in the hologram industry. For further information and a list of previous years' winners, visit: http://www.ihma.org/index.php?action=expansion&levelno=0&levelid=9

(PRWEB) April 10, 2007 -- Applications are now being invited for the Excellence in Holography Awards 2007. Held by the IHMA and sponsored by Holography News, the awards are presented in recognition of outstanding innovations in holography which offer major commercial benefits to the producers and their customers. In the 14 years since they were established, these annual awards have recognised many of the groundbreaking developments within the holographic industry.

As in previous years, the awards cover all different types of holographic technology and there will be six categories for hologram manufacturers to compete within - authentication and hologram security, packaging, promotion/illustration and industrial (a new category introduced last year), along with Best New Product and Best New Technique. From these and the other categories one winner will be chosen for the Best of the Year Award. Last year this achievement was won by Hologram Industries, University of Liège Hololab and Lucimed for Luminette® spectacles which are used for phototherapy (the therapeutic use of light to correct disorders based on light deficiency) and which contain holographic optical elements to focus light into patients' eyes.

A further award, the Brian Monaghan Award for Business Innovation, is made at the discretion of the IHMA to an individual judged to have made an outstanding contribution to the development of the hologram industry. Past winners of this award include Brian Monaghan himself (posthumously), Sal D'Amato of ABNH, Werner Reinhart of Kurz, Gunther Dausmann of Hologram Industries Research and, last year, the leading hologram inventor Steve McGrew.

Companies and individuals are invited to submit nominations regarding projects involving commercial holograms produced after August 1, 2006, and multiple applications are welcome. The closing date for nominations is September 15, 2007. The awards will be presented at the Holo-pack.Holo-print conference dinner in Hong Kong on November 15th. The conference will also feature a display of holographic products from the winners and runners-up.

Copies of the application form can also be downloaded from the website (www.ihma.org). For further information, please contact Astrid Mitchell:

International Hologram Manufacturers Association
2A High Street
Shepperton
TW17 9AW
UK
+44 (0) 1932 269917
info(at)ihma.org

About the International Hologram Manufacturers Association (IHMA):
The IHMA (www.ihma.org) is a not-for-profit membership organisation designed to promote the interests of holographic technology manufacturers worldwide. Composed of 70 of the world's leading holographic companies - from industrial and packaging to authentication and hologram security - the organisation ensures that the standards of quality and professionalism are maintained. The organisation was founded in 1993 and has secretariat offices in the UK and North America.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 09:09 PM | Comments (0)

eyeforprocurement 2007 Sourcing in Low-Cost Countries Report Just Released

eyeforprocurement 2007 Sourcing in Low-Cost Countries Report highlights many problematic issues that companies must tackle in order to get the best out of their sourcing operations in low-cost countries.

Chicago, IL (PRWEB) April 10, 2007 -- The eyeforprocurement 2007 Sourcing in Low-Cost Countries Report highlights many problematic issues that companies must tackle in order to get the best out of their sourcing operations in low-cost countries.

185 procurement professionals responded to the recent eyeforprocurement survey -- senior executives from manufacturers, retailers and 3PLs operating in various industry verticals. Based on the responses to the survey, it is evident that while sourcing in low-cost countries is certainly a viable proposition, there are a number of issues that are sometimes not apparent at the outset.

The eyeforprocurement 2007 Sourcing in Low-Cost Countries report examines the key drivers for sourcing in low-cost countries, as well as the risks involved. The report also compares the findings with the last year's research.

Just over half of the respondents cited "lower labour costs" as their primary reason for sourcing in low-cost countries, and 43% said lower material costs is a major reason. The gap between these two drivers has widened since last year's 48% and 47% respectively. A third of the respondents are under pressure from customers to reduce prices, compared with 42% last year. The percentage of respondents sourcing raw materials in low-cost countries has dropped from almost half last year (48%) to just over a quarter this year (27%). Less than 20% use low-cost countries as a source of IT, information & research and other commercial services. Almost half of all respondents cited "trade regulations" as the biggest obstacle, compared with 37% last year. The biggest positive change since last year's survey is "poorly developed infrastructure", with this being an obstacle for less than a third of the respondents, compared with almost half last year.

The eyeforprocurement 2007 Sourcing in Low-Cost Countries Report is available for download at http://www.eyeforprocurement.com/lccs2007/report.shtml

Much of the data gathered in this report will be discussed and debated at the 2nd eyeforprocurement Low-Cost Country Sourcing conference, which takes place on August 29 - 30, 2007 in Chicago.

The conference will bring together an unrivaled set of expert speakers. Top procurement executives from successful LCCS global giants, including Pfizer, Gap, IBM, Novartis, Home Depot, ArvinMeritor and Danfoss, to name but a few, will guide the delegates through the elements of successfully building and increasing their sourcing capability.

On Day One, the delegates will discover how to identify and avoid sourcing initiatives that are destined not to deliver the cost savings and profits that are so enticing at first glance. They will also get a better understanding of the risks and costs of even longer and more complex supply chains. Day Two of the conference will then deliver hard-hitting interactive sessions that are topical and targeted to procurement executives' needs. Session by stimulating session, delegates will learn how to take into account all the critical factors - including time to market, risk of disruption, physical supply chain risk - and then create a range of "what-if" scenarios.

The 2nd eyeforprocurement Low-Cost Country Sourcing conference is the only event in America at which global procurement leaders show their industry colleagues how to develop a Low-Cost Country Strategy to streamline procurement processes and slash costs. That's everything what every procurement professional needs to know about LCCS in just two information-packed days.

You can reserve your place at the Conference by registering at http://www.eyeforprocurement.com/lccs2007/register.shtml

To download the Conference brochure, please visit http://www.eyeforprocurement.com/lccs2007/brochure.shtml

The eyeforprocurement 2nd Low-Cost Country Sourcing conference takes place on August 29-30 in Chicago, IL, USA. For more information on the conference, see http://www.eyeforprocurement.com/lccs2007/index.shtml or contact Izabela Janecka at izabela(at)eyeforprocurement.com , US toll-free 1 800 814 3459 ext 252 or +44 (0) 20 7375 7564.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 09:08 PM | Comments (0)

April 09, 2007

Patio Enclosures, Inc. Receives Energy Star Partnering Authorization for ComfortGARD® Plus Sunroom Windows and Doors

Patio Enclosures, Inc., the largest manufacturer and installer of sunrooms in North America, has received certification authorizing the company to enter an ENERGY STAR partnering agreement, after undergoing rigorous product testing in accordance with the National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) requirements.

Macedonia, OH (PRWEB) April 9, 2007 -- Patio Enclosures, Inc., the largest manufacturer and installer of sunrooms in North America, has received certification authorizing the company to enter an ENERGY STAR partnering agreement, after undergoing rigorous product testing in accordance with the National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) requirements.

The certification was obtained for Patio Enclosures, Inc. sunroom windows and doors featuring their ComfortGard Plus glass package. This certification was obtained by meeting the insulation, solar heat gain and visible transmittance performance targets for all regional climate zones within the United States.

Products that earn the ENERGY STAR label use less energy and prevent greenhouse gas emissions by meeting strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy. With energy costs and global warming top-of-mind for consumers, Patio Enclosures, Inc. is committed to offering sunroom products that help consumers conserve energy and improve the quality of our environment.

“We are proud to offer our customers energy-efficient products that will save money and conserve natural resources,” stated Kenneth Sekley, President and CEO of Patio Enclosures, Inc. “This partnership represents a significant step in our goal to continually improve our products, our manufacturing methods and our company. We will proudly display the ENERGY STAR Label on our sunrooms,” he said.

NFRC is a non-profit organization that administers the only uniform, independent rating and labeling system for the energy performance of windows, doors, skylights, and attachment products.

About Patio Enclosures, Inc. (www.patioenc.com)
Patio Enclosures, Inc. has been recognized for several years by Qualified Remodeler Magazine as the Top Performing Sunroom Company in North America. Patio Enclosures, Inc. has 43 locations across the United States and Canada and is proud to be 100 percent employee-owned.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Reginald Carter, Public Relations
Patio Enclosures, Inc.
750 East Highland Road
Macedonia, Ohio 44056
phone (330)468-0700 ext. 2278
www.patioenc.com

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 10:49 PM | Comments (0)

Pinnacle Airlines Selects Ramco's Aviation Maintenance & Engineering Solution

Pinnacle Airlines Selects Ramco's Aviation Maintenance & Engineering Solution

LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ (PRWEB) April 9, 2007 -- Ramco, the Global Aviation Maintenance & Engineering (M&E) and Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul (MRO) software provider, announced today that Pinnacle Airlines, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Pinnacle Airlines Corp. (NASDAQ: PNCL) has signed contracts to license & deploy its Maintenance & Engineering (M&E) software solution.

Due to its continued expansion, Pinnacle Airlines sought to replace their existing M&E software using a best of breed aviation software solution. Pinnacle uses the system to support maintenance and engineering requirements on its fleet of 137 regional jets, which operate in scheduled service throughout North America.

"Use of this system provides Pinnacle with critical information and processes to maintain our fleet and continue to offer our Customers the most reliable regional airline service in the country," said Barry Baker, Pinnacle Airlines vice president of Maintenance & Engineering. "We selected Ramco due to their strength in the global aviation market, web-centric technology, functionality and proof of delivery. Ramco's Aviation Software will address our M&E needs and accommodate any future growth, as well as meeting detailed FAA reporting and control requirements."

Pinnacle Airlines, Inc. chose Ramco's aviation software to automate its collaborative M&E business processes in real-time. The system will be integrated into the Sabre® Flight Control Suite and other IT systems currently in use at Pinnacle Airlines. Ramco's aviation software is 100% off the shelf, web and business process centric. In addition to Ramco's M&E Suite, Pinnacle will deploy Ramco's Aviation Business Analytics Suite of Management tools for its entire fleet & corporate performance management.

"We are excited to work with Pinnacle's project team in providing Pinnacle Airlines with Ramco's M& E Software Solution. Pinnacle is in the top 5 of US based regional operators and is highly respected for the quality of their operations. Ramco will address their entire M&E and unique business process needs," said Jim Fitzgerald, Ramco's executive vice president, Global Aviation Solutions. "We are thrilled to have Pinnacle as the latest addition to our global Customer base of Aviation & MRO Software Clients."

About Ramco
Ramco Systems is a global provider of M&E and MRO software. Ramco's Aviation & MRO Solution offers end-to-end aviation enterprise software designed exclusively for fleet operators, MRO providers and OEM organizations. Ramco employs more than 2,000 professionals serving more than 1,000 global customer locations. Ramco's customers include Virgin America, Caribbean Airlines, JEJU Air Co. Ltd. Indian Airlines, SpiceJet, Air New Zealand's Safe Air Limited MRO Operation and AlSalam Aircraft Co., and others. For more information, visit Ramco online at www.ramcoaviation.com

About Pinnacle Airlines Corp.
Pinnacle Airlines Corp. is an airline holding company based in Memphis, Tennessee and is the parent company of Pinnacle Airlines, Inc. and Colgan Air, Inc. Pinnacle Airlines Inc. operates over 750 daily flights, to 134 destination and towns in North America using an all-jet fleet of 137 Canadair regional jets. Pinnacle Airlines Inc. maintains its headquarters in Memphis, Tenn., and employs approximately 4,000 People. For more information, please visit Pinnacle Airlines Corp.'s web-site at www.PNCL.com

Contact: Ramco Systems - Aviation Solutions Jamie Cid: 609-620-4873

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 10:48 PM | Comments (0)

In-Line Remote Control Water Shut-Off System - Inventor Thomas James Wilson, Gilbert, AZ Announces His Patent Pending Invention and to Commercialize This New Invention

Inventor Wilson developed this clever innovation, which is an apparatus that provides for the automatic, remote control shut-off of the main water valve to a structure while it is unattended. By saving life and property.

Gilbert, AZ (PRWEB) April 9, 2007 -- Inventor Wilson is presently working with The InventSAI Network, LLC in order to commercialize his invention. This new product apparatus known as In-Line Remote Control Water Shut-Off System has its own housing that would typically be mounted immediately downstream of the main water shut off valve. A bypass valve is provided as an override should it be required.

A GFI receptacle provides power to a step down transformer that is routed through a remote control switch powering a spring return valve controlled by a solenoid. Because the apparatus and the system requires electricity to operate, a power failure will automatically shut off of the water. Further, activation of the remote control button will turn on or off all water flow.

Additionally, remote control can be used to operate the apparatus from a distance. With the touch of a button, the In-Line Remote Control Shut-Off System safely prevents potential disasters from water leaks or broken pipes. Reported by Allstate Ins. Denver, CO. Billions of dollars are lost each year do to broken or leaking pipes. This usually happens to home owners and renters while away from home or office. This Invention would stop the lost of billions of dollars and save life and property, with a push of a button. A disaster of a earthquake, flood, hurricane, tornado, would automatically shut down, from the loss of electricity. Use on water or gas supply lines, irrigation systems repair. Working prototype, tested for over a year.

For more information please contact: The InventSAI Network, LLC. The Development Department at 800-747-3109 - fax 724-225-8155.
http://www.inventSAI.com. address: 6 South Main St. Suite 202. Washington, PA.15301. or one on one contact with Thomas James Wilson, Inventor. cell 480-251-8918

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 10:47 PM | Comments (0)

Mastery's New LMS -- Just When the Industry Needs It

Recent study suggests the product is right on time and on target.

Novi, Mich. (PRWEB) April 9, 2007 -- Mastery Technologies, Inc., a leader in workplace, health, safety, and security training technology, today announced the release of its third generation Learning Management System (LMS) as the solution to top concerns training managers recently reported in Training Magazine's 2006 Training Industry Report.

Able to perform what Mastery calls "Dynamic Assignments," this next generation LMS handles many administrative details automatically and empowers the learner to do even more for themselves. Learners no longer need to rely on training managers for details such as training history and past certifications. Administration is simple, efficient, and intuitive to the training administrator. The new LMS continues to feature Mastery's exclusive lesson caching technology which lets workers, on even the busiest Web connections, experience interactive broadcast quality video lessons.

Mastery's LMS approach targets three traditional problem areas with Learning Management Systems. Mastery claims its new system delivers customization, above-and-beyond content integration, and simple ongoing administration. Mastery offers a product "designed to achieve what our customers envisioned, which is to closely manage and control the training process without investing a lot of time and effort," said Bill Marker, president of Mastery Technologies.

Customization
While customization is critical to driving value, it has historically proven to be complex and costly with most LMSs. However, Mastery approaches the customization problem with a very nimble and scalable system architecture that helps the LMS fit all sizes and styles of organizations, avoiding the need for customers adapting their business processes or making many costly customizations. Solid methodology for automating the administration of users, courses, and training assignments makes it simpler for users to implement their own processes and policies. When customizations are needed, the flexible, state-of-the-art system framework allows for their low-cost development.

Content Integration
In approaching content integration, an issue LMS users cited in the Training Magazine study as a significant problem, Mastery provides the solution by going far beyond basic technical requirements. In addition to being fully SCORM compliant, Mastery built a courseware integration framework into the LMS. It has the ability to import courses that have been authored with popular systems like Articulate®, Authorware®, TrainerSoft®, ToolBookTM and others. Even less structured content like PowerPoints, video files, and job procedure documents can be imported as accountable training.

Despite the fact that Mastery publishes hundreds of video-based online courses on its own Mastery AdvantageTM authoring platform, MasteryNetLMS™ was designed and built with an all-inclusive attitude toward all courseware providers and courseware development platforms. "We view the rest of the world of courseware as key to our product and business strategy," said Marker. Mastery's hosted LMS customers can even upload and import their own courses -- created by anyone, licensed from anyone.

Ongoing Administration
Making the system clean, powerful, and nimble is not enough. Mastery also offers complete administrative services as an adjunct to licensing and hosting solutions. Our customers can specify the exact scope and level of service they want Mastery and MasteryNetLMS™ to provide -- up to a complete outsourcing of their online training administration and delivery.

"With 25 years of experience designing and building our LMS and insight from 3,000 customers, we've been doing this longer than anyone else in the business," said Kirk Berry, vice president of sales for Mastery Technologies. "Despite the surprise voiced by some industry experts at the product's low cost, we are confident that our LMS is properly priced because of its low training and support requirements -- factors that are often a detriment with other LMSs."

With a growing trend towards LMS outsourcing, Mastery's practical, efficient LMS is priced at a level that is affordable for even the smallest workplaces.

About Mastery Technologies, Inc.
Mastery Technologies, Inc., located in Novi, Michigan and Plano, Texas, has been a leader in workplace, health, and safety training technology since 1986. Mastery has partnered with leading video content providers to co-produce the largest video-based interactive multimedia training library available today to the workplace skills and compliance marketplace. Mastery AdvantageTM products are sold by Mastery Technologies, its licensed Content Partners and The Mastery Group. The Mastery Group is comprised of independent licensed distributors with in-depth experience in workplace training and technology.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 10:45 PM | Comments (0)

Free White Paper Details Outsourcing Strategy 'Musts' for Defense Contractor Companies

A new, free white paper detailing the seven things defense contractor companies must know before selecting an electronics manufacturing services (EMS) partner for outsourcing military and government contract manufacturing projects is now available at http://www.federalelec.com/militarypaper.

Cranston, R.I. (PRWEB) April 9, 2007 -- A new, free white paper detailing the seven things defense contractor companies must know before selecting an electronics manufacturing services (EMS) partner for outsourcing military and government contract manufacturing projects is now available at http://www.federalelec.com/militarypaper.

While government contractors and other suppliers to the U.S. military have only recently started to explore the role of outsourcing contracts as a means to create a competitive advantage, the practice is on the fast track. Analysts estimate that outsourcing among prime military contractors will exceed $4 billion this year.

"And for good reason," according to Ed Evangelista, vice president, Federal Electronics, and author of the new white paper. "When effectively integrated, an outsourcing strategy enables defense contractor companies to expand and contract operations to meet demand without maintaining an expensive infrastructure and at lower cost with shorter development cycle times.

"However, selecting the wrong electronics manufacturing services (EMS) outsourcing partner is a decision fraught with risks -- in terms of cost, product quality and delivery, and customer retention," he said.

Based on 20 years of "witnessing the best and worst of electronic contract manufacturing," Evangelista has observed seven key principles to ensure the successful outcome of outsourcing contracts. He has codified those principles into a new, free white paper titled "Selecting an Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) Partner for Military/Government Applications: 7 Things You Must Know," providing strategic discussions offering how-to advice on such issues as:

Determining the appropriate outsourcing strategy
Matching business profiles & capabilities
Addressing product mix
Enterprise resource planning (ERP)
New product introductions
Cost strategies and issues

"For defense contractor companies, the economic benefits of a successful outsourcing strategy are great. But likewise, the stakes are equally as high. Virtually every decision can be a minefield. Don't take anything for granted," Evangelista said.

To download the free white paper, "Selecting an Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) Partner for Military/Government Applications: 7 Things You Must Know,", visit http://www.federalelec.com/militarypaper.

About Federal Electronics
Founded in 1948, Federal Electronics, Inc. is a leading electronics manufacturing services (EMS) provider. Based in Cranston, Rhode Island, the company serves the needs of original equipment manufacturers (OEM) and military contractors by providing comprehensive production solutions that lower cycle times, control and reduce costs, and create flexible supply chains that are responsive to volume variability. For more information, visit http://www.federalelec.com.

Note to Editors:

Download image from: http://www.tizinc.com/photos
Press contact: Don Goncalves, Tiziani Whitmyre, Inc., 781-793-9380

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 10:44 PM | Comments (0)

Pronix's Pet Accessories Meet European Exquisite Fashion Needs

Who say fashion can't be comfy and humanizing?! Pronix R&D team offers a very unique line of Oktant crystal, jewelrie, collar pendants and webbing designs. They provide them in all sizes and an array of colors for pets and pet lovers.

(PRWEB) April 9, 2007 -- Nearly 20 years' expertise of dedication to the webbing industry has enabled Pronix Industries Inc. to offer the best quality and competitive prices to the customers' needs and expectations. In its early stages, the company focused on the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) pet industry only. Pronix's facilities are now extensive and can offer the following range of exquisite pet accessories together with OEM applications: pet jewelry, carriers, access, collars, leads, collar charm, webbing, grooming, I.D. Tag, and much more.

Since 1995, Pronix entered the European market and has expanded its market share over 50%. This amazing result has several causes: Europe has low birth rates, increases in regard for animals and pets living in households have come to be as real friends; but the most important is Pronix has ability to provide best quality of exquisite products, a strong R&D team to handle fast innovation for fashion and vogue and to give volume of information as customers require.

To succeed in the highly competitive European pet accessories market, manufacturers must focus on critical elements: quality, fast innovation, fashion, vogue and sufficient information. "We insist our factory stays in Taiwan, while most companies move their factories to labor exclusive countries to reduce direct labor costs," said Pronix Merchandiser Manager Scott Liu. "The labor exclusive countries are suitable for production of volume, however it is undoubtedly not for highly changeable, innovative and fashionable products."

According to marketing analysts, the trend toward "humanization" and "personality" of pets has led owners to buy specific accessories for their animal companions. The growth in this sector focuses on the beauty, safety, practicality and personality of pets and seeks to satisfy pet lovers' whims. In order to serve its customer better, Pronix has set up a strong R&D team to innovate and update pet fashions. "Who says fashion can't be both comfy and humanizing?!" Scott said proudly. "Pronix R&D team offers a very unique line of Oktant crystal, jewelry, collar pendants and webbing designs. We provide all sizes and an array of colors products for pets and pet lovers, which include webbings, harnesses, collars, tags and more."

Pet lovers often bring their beloved pets with them wherever they go, Pronix I.D. Tube is a great way for owners to pass along the pertinent information on their pets as well as put some life saving pills for owner's special medical care. With the specially design, Pronix I.D. Tube is robust enough and unscrew for a vivacious pet and keep the weather out.

Another popular Pronix pet accessory is the Aluminum I.D. Tag. The company provides several different shapes of personalized I.D. Tags for pets and pet lovers identify for personal or array pretty in the different occasions. Pronix's customized and durable Aluminum I.D. Tags have space for owners' contact information and can be embossed with any medical symbols the pets might require.

Pronix's R&D team creates an average of 5-10 new designs every month for its wide range of fashionable customers needs. No doubt that Pronix's special design fashionable pendants or jewelry would help personalize and dignify your pet.

Of course, every product from Pronix meets restriction of hazardous substances (RoHS) regulations. What does this mean? It means all products from Pronix are GREEN products, both safe and healthy for your pets.

Our story

Several years ago, an American customer inquired a volume of personalized webbing for their fair in three weeks. Pronix made it and delivered a week before the fair. Susan, who is team leader for the fair, was so happy and could not believe it. They provide one-to-one customized service to our customers; we have the ability to produce in volume and on time. The R&D team is fast innovating and erudite with fashions.

Reference: Merchandiser Manager Scott Liu.

For more information, please visit URL:
http://www.allproducts.com/gift/pronix/
or
http://www.allproducts.com/PR/

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 10:43 PM | Comments (0)

Cure for Blind Spots; Form Automation Solutions, Inc. to Feature AuditMatic™ v4.0 at NARMS Annual Meeting

In business, what you don't know can hurt you. Operational blind spots can lead to inefficiencies and missed opportunities. They are the plague of large enterprises. Enter Form Automation Solutions, Inc. and its deceptively mild-mannered super solution, AuditMatic™ v4.0, which eliminates paper-based manual systems for mobile data collection, reporting and analysis. The retail marketing services organization (MSO) community will get its first good look at AuditMatic at the upcoming annual meeting of the National Association for Retail Marketing Services (NARMS), April 14-17 in Tucson.

Dallas, TX (PRWEB) April 9, 2007 -- In business, what you don't know can hurt you. Operational blind spots can lead to inefficiencies and missed opportunities. They are the plague of large enterprises.

Enter Form Automation Solutions, Inc. and its deceptively mild-mannered super solution, AuditMatic™ v4.0, which eliminates paper-based manual systems for mobile data collection, reporting and analysis. The retail marketing services organization (MSO) community will get its first good look at AuditMatic at the upcoming annual meeting of the National Association for Retail Marketing Services (NARMS), April 14-17 in Tucson.

AuditMatic enables non-technical MSO managers to create, publish and distribute data collection forms to mobile workers equipped with handheld computers or smart phones. The mobile workers upload the collected data to the AuditMatic server, which processes it and makes it accessible to the MSO and authorized MSO customers in real time by means of a dashboard on their web-browser.

AuditMatic includes a task manager application, so large groups of mobile workers can be assigned data collection tasks, and the system will monitor their progress in completing the tasks.

AuditMatic has been selected by Microsoft for inclusion in its catalog of Windows Mobile solutions. It is available either as a hosted, subscription-based solution or by license purchase. Since it is designed for non-technical users, AuditMatic requires minimal training and no programming.

Stephen Woram, co-founder of the company, said manual, paper-based methods of data collection are more than inefficient.

"Typically the paper forms end up in a file drawer somewhere and the collected information remains inaccessible to management," Woram said. "This leads to operational blind spots and even missed opportunities for enterprises."

By automating data collection and integrating it with task management, analysis and reporting -- all in real time -- AuditMatic eliminates the blind spots. This added visibility and timely, actionable data, Woram said, enable management to identify new opportunities to save and make money.

Early adopters of the AuditMatic solution include one of the nation's largest supermarket chains, a large clothing manufacturer, a multi-national snack food company and one of the nation's largest security services companies.

At the NARMS meeting, FAS will be exhibiting at booth #32.

About Form Automation Solutions, Inc.
Form Automation Solutions, Inc. is an enterprise software company focused on automation of data collection, analysis and reporting. Its first product, AuditMatic™ is a unique and innovative end-to-end
solution for data collection and reporting in real time using mobile devices, with no programming required. AuditMatic's unique dashboard feature enables managers and executives to view and analyze data collected in real time -- all within one application. Founded in 2004 in Addison, TX (Dallas area) by brothers Stephen and Kevin Woram, FAS helps companies save money, eliminate operational blind spots and identify new strategic opportunities. For more information, visit www.auditmatic.com.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 10:41 PM | Comments (0)

Engineered Plastic Cooling Tower Impervious to Water Chemistry and Environmental pH Factors

Engineered plastic cooling towers are transforming the industry, eliminating the problems that plague galvanized metal cooling towers -- corrosion, leakage, maintenance costs and process disruptions caused by internal and environmental pH factors.

(PRWEB) April 9, 2007 -- The "traditional" metal-clad cooling tower is under attack from all sides, particularly in the process industries where they are critical to maintaining temperature ranges for every process that creates heat. Today there are exorbitant maintenance costs and disruptions making the classic zinc galvanized sheet metal models outmoded.

The natural and mortal enemy of sheet metal is pH, usually on the low side. A high pH leads to excessive calcium and other ceramic-like deposits. When the pH of the cooling water becomes acidic (low), either because of external (e.g. atmospheric) elements, infiltration of process elements (e.g. material fines), or water treatment chemistry fluctuations, the veneer of zinc galvanizing used on most metal towers immediately begins to deteriorate. Because the zinc plating is thin (normally a scant 2.35 oz. per sq. ft), a pH lower than 6 will destroy this protective lining in a matter of months. At that point contractors are required to replace the zinc galvanizing by expensive coatings and repair any cavities and other damage that may have occurred. If the repair process is extensive, costly process interruptions are often required.

The inherent susceptibility of metal cooling to high and low pH led to the development of a new technology that is rapidly replacing the older one, particularly in the process industries: the engineered plastic cooling tower. The latest designs in corrosion-proof polyethylene tower technology come from Delta Cooling Towers of Rockaway, NJ; a company that has been in the business since the 1980's.

Ramcar, a major manufacturer of car batteries, uses an engineered-plastic tower to protect against the ravages of sulfuric acid at its City of Commerce, California, plant.

"We use relatively high concentrations of sulfuric acid (25-35%) mixed with the water used in our batteries," explains Larry Eslao, Chief Engineer. "This mixture gets very hot. With such a harsh mixture we would not want to use a metal clad tower, which would have a very short lifespan. We purchased this Delta plastic model because it is impervious to acid. We bought our present tower in 1987; it has proved to be virtually maintenance free."

When evaporation occurs in metal towers, scale is left